The final draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The draw begins at 12:00 p.m. ET (which corresponds to 10:30 PM IST for viewers in India).

The final draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The draw begins at 12:00 p.m. ET (which corresponds to 10:30 PM IST for viewers in India).

Under the new format, the World Cup will feature 48 teams, the largest ever, divided into 12 groups of four. The draw uses a “pot” system: teams are allocated across four pots of 12 teams each based largely on the latest global rankings and host‑nation status.

The three co‑host nations, United States men's national soccer team, Canada men's national soccer team and Mexico men's national soccer team, are all placed in Pot 1 alongside the top nine ranked nations.

After the Pot 1 teams are allocated, the draw proceeds with Pots 2, 3, and 4, picking one team from each pot to fill every group. The final six tournament spots, to be decided via European and inter‑confederation playoffs in March 2026, are already assigned to Pot 4 as placeholder entries.

Also, to maintain fairness and maximize excitement, the top‑ranked nations, Spain national football team, Argentina national football team, France national football team and England national football team, are placed in separate parts of the knockout bracket. If they each win their groups, they won’t meet before the semifinals.

Live Streaming Details

For fans eager to follow the draw: it will be available via live streaming on the official channels, the tournament’s website, the official social‑media accounts.

As the draw unfolds, football lovers worldwide will gain their first real look at potential group‑stage matchups for the 2026 World Cup. For many teams, it will set the tone for months leading up to kickoff, shaping hopes, strategies, and dreams of glory.