Fifa World Cup 2026 draw: Date, start time, qualified teams and how it works

New Zealand captain Chris Wood. Photo / Photosport

All you need to know about the 2026 Fifa World Cup and the upcoming World Cup draw.

Which countries are hosting Fifa World Cup 2026?

The United States, Canada and Mexico are the co-hosts for the 2026 Fifa World Cup. The US last hosted the event in 1994 when Brazil beat Italy in the final, after a penalty shootout. Mexico was host in 1970 and 1986 while Canada have never hosted the men’s World Cup.

How many teams are playing in the World Cup 2026?

For the first time the men’s Fifa World Cup will feature 48 nations. They will be split across 12 groups – Group A to Group L. The top two teams from each group with the eight best third placed teams will advance to the knockout round. The knockout round begins with a Round of 32.

Where will the World Cup 2026 final be held?

Metlife Stadium in New Jersey will host the Fifa World Cup final. The semifinals will be at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta and AT&T Stadium, Arlington.

When is the World Cup 2026 draw held?

The draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place at 6am NZT on Saturday December 6, at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC.

How does the World Cup draw work?

Forty-eight nations will be divided into the 12 four-team groups. At the time of the draw 46 of the qualified teams will be known. Six nations will play off for the final two spots in the Inter-confederation playoffs tournament which takes place in March next year.

The World Cup draw will feature four different pots. Pot one includes host nations US, Canada and Mexico with the nine top-ranked nations.

Pots two, three and four will contain the next 12 best-ranked sides. Nations from the same confederation will be kept apart in the group stage (except for Europe).

Which cities are hosts for the World Cup 2026?

Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Vancouver, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Mexico City, Monterrey, Atlanta, Boston, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia and Toronto.

Which teams have qualified for the World Cup 2026?

The following teams have qualified for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.

AFC: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan (debut), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan (debut)

CAF: Algeria, Cape Verde (debut), Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia

Concacaf: Canada (co-host), Mexico (co-host), United States (co-host)

Conmebol: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay

OFC: New Zealand

UEFA: England

How can I watch the Fifa World Cup?

TVNZ have the New Zealand broadcasting rights to the 2026 Fifa World Cup.

All of the All Whites’ games, as well as select other fixtures, will be available free-to-air on TVNZ channels in a landmark move for football in New Zealand.

Football fans will also be able to purchase a one-off event pass to access every match at the tournament through TVNZ+ for the first time. The pricing has not been announced.