Football World Cup Draw

The 2026 World Cup draw took place in Washington DC, where 48 teams were split into four pots of 12, based primarily on World Rankings. Tournament hosts USA, Mexico, and Canada were automatically placed in Pot 1, while the four remaining qualification spots were assigned to Pot 4.

The ceremony was conducted by Rio Ferdinand, joined by sporting stars from the host nations including Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge, and Shaquille O’Neal, helping set the stage for what promises to be the biggest World Cup ever staged.

In this article, we break down the 2026 World Cup groups, highlight the most exciting match-ups, and explore key talking points emerging from this historic draw.

Football World Cup groups

Below are the confirmed 2026 World Cup group draw results, with each group containing four teams who will battle for qualification to the knockout stages.

Group A

Mexico
South Africa
Korea Republic
Denmark/Czech Republic/Ireland/North Macedonia

Group B

Canada
Italy/N Ireland/Wales/Bosnia-Herzegovina
Qatar
Switzerland

Group C

Brazil
Morocco
Haiti
Scotland

Group D

USA
Paraguay
Australia
Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo

Group E

Germany
Curaçao
Côte D’Ivoire
Ecuador

Group F

Netherlands
Japan
Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania
Tunisia

Group G

Belgium
Egypt
IR Iran
New Zealand

Group H

Spain
Cabo Verde
Saudi Arabia
Uruguay

Group I

France
Senegal
Iran/Bolivia/Suriname
Norway

Group J

Argentina
Algeria
Austria
Jordan

Group K

Portugal
Congo DR/Jamaica/New Caledonia
Uzbekistan
Colombia

Group L

England
Croatia
Ghana
Panama

Key talking points from the Football World Cup draw

Spotlight fixtures

The 2026 World Cup group stage has already produced several standout fixtures that will capture global attention. The Blend Group team has highlighted some of the early clashes that football fans will be eagerly anticipating.

England vs Croatia

These teams faced each other in the semi final of the 2018 World Cup. Croatia progressed but were ultimately beaten by France in the final.

Brazil vs Morocco

Morocco finished fourth in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. They had a miraculous run in that tournament and will be hoping to start strong in their opening fixture against Brazil, who always bring their best to this competition.

France vs Norway

France will be one of the favourites for the trophy, but Norway have, goal machine, Erling Haaland up front who will make them competitive against any team in the tournament.

Group of ‘death’

There are a number of groups that will produce some top-class fixtures, but not one that stands out on its own.

We can first look at Group C which contains Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti. Haiti will face stern challenges in this group whilst Scotland will look to cause an upset in a strong group.

Whilst the final slot in Group I is still up for grabs through the qualifier, the three confirmed teams are extremely strong. France, Norway, and Senegal makes for a tasty group.

Finally, England will have big tests in Group L as they face Croatia, Ghana, and Panama. Could Panama turn out to be a dark horse?

Potential upsets

One of the many great characteristics of World Cup competitions is that it throws up enthralling storylines, new talented superstars, and underdog stories that send the footballing world into a frenzy. But what upsets could we see in 2026?

Messi and Ronaldo have all but confirmed that this will be their final World Cup. It would be a major upset if we saw one, or both, of their star-studded teams not make it out of the group stage.

The host countries have landed relatively favourable groups (on paper), but the expectation and pressure will now rise for the USA, Canada, and Mexico. With a huge investment into this tournament, fans of each country will be hoping for a return on investment the pitch.

Finally, Italy will need to make it through their tough qualifier games to make it into the World Cup. If they don’t, the 2021 European champions will have failed to make their third World Cup competition in a row.

Experience in Football World Cup

With the 2026 Football World Cup spread across major cities in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, this tournament offers fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience football on a global scale in some of North America’s most exciting destinations.

Blend Group can support fans in creating unforgettable bespoke experiences. To learn more, get in touch with a member of our team today.