December 6, 2025 | 12:08 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta -The 2026 World Cup has officially entered a new phase after the group stage draw was held at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., early Saturday, December 6, 2025. For the first time, the format includes 48 teams in 12 groups, and the draw was enlivened by figureheads from various fields and strict technical rules to maintain competitive balance.
The draw event was hosted by former England national team captain Rio Ferdinand, along with journalist Samantha Johnson and was highlighted by performances from Kevin Hart, Heidi Klum, Andrea Bocelli, Nicole Scherzinger, and Robbie Williams.
Several sports legends also assisted with the draw, including baseball player Aaron Judge, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, American Football icon Tom Brady, and Canadian ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.
The three host country leaders, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and US President Donald Trump, were present to witness the draw's proceedings. They also participated in the first stage of the draw, filling the first pot.
According to regulations, the three host countries occupy different seeded positions. Mexico is in A1, Canada in B1, and the United States in D1. FIFA also implemented a new semifinal path to ensure that the highest-seeded teams do not meet before the final, as well as the placement of pots 2-4 based on predetermined patterns.
Two inter-confederation playoff slots and four UEFA playoff slots complete the last pot. This year's draw also marked the presence of four debutant teams: Jordan, Cape Verde, Curacao, and Uzbekistan.
2026 WORLD CUP GROUP STAGE DRAW RESULTS
GROUP A
Mexico
South Africa
South Korea
Playoff D (Denmark/North Macedonia/Czech Republic/Ireland)
GROUP B
Canada
Playoff A (Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales/Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Qatar
Switzerland
GROUP C
Brazil
Morocco
Haiti
Scotland
GROUP D
United States
Paraguay
Australia
Playoff C (Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo)
GROUP E
Germany
Curacao
Ivory Coast
Ecuador
GROUP F
Netherlands
Japan
Playoff B (Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania)
Tunisia
GROUP G
Belgium
Egypt
Iran
New Zealand
GROUP H
Spain
Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia
Uruguay
GROUP I
France
Senegal
Playoff 2 (Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname)
Norway
GROUP J
Argentina
Algeria
Austria
Jordan
GROUP K
Portugal
Playoff 1 (New Caledonia/Jamaica/Congo)
Uzbekistan
Colombia
GROUP L
England
Croatia
Ghana
Panama
With the new format yielding a total of 104 matches and geographic spread across 16 cities in three countries, the 2026 edition promises an unpredictable competitive landscape. The presence of debutant teams, traditional powerhouse strength, and the potential for significant match-ups from the group stage onward mark a new era for the modern World Cup.
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