FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — With the second-to-last FIFA World Cup qualifying matches complete, there is now a clearer picture of how the groups may look for the 2026 tournament in North America.
The World Cup draw is scheduled for Dec. 5 in Washington, D.C., and will determine groups based on FIFA’s latest rankings released Wednesday.
The expanded World Cup will feature 48 teams in 12 groups of four. Forty-two countries have already qualified, and the final six spots will be decided in March 2026.
Each group will have one team from each pot.
Pot 1: United States, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, UEFA playoff qualifier 1, UEFA playoff qualifier 2, UEFA playoff qualifier 3, UEFA playoff qualifier 4, interconfederation playoff qualifier 1, interconfederation playoff qualifier 2
FIFA has not confirmed whether playoff teams will be assigned to Pot 4 or placed into pots based on their rankings, though current expectations lean toward the former.
The organization will publish additional draw information before Dec. 5.
A possible “group of death,” depending on UEFA playoff results, could include:
Pot 1: Spain — The world’s top-ranked team and reigning European champion, led by stars such as Lamine Yamal and Pedri.
Pot 2: Croatia — Ranked No. 10 and the 2018 World Cup runner-up, featuring AC Milan’s Luka Modrić and Manchester City’s Joško Gvardiol.
Pot 3: Norway — One of the world’s hottest teams, qualifying for its first World Cup since 1998 after finishing 8-0 in qualifiers and averaging 4.67 goals per match, led by Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.
Pot 4: Italy (if they advance through the UEFA playoffs) — Ranked No. 12 and capable of making noise should they secure a spot in the tournament.
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
