The torch has been lit finally on December 5 for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 in the United States, Mexico and Canada. FIFA have officially announced the FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule, groups following the live draw at the Kennedy Centre in Washington D.C.
The year 2026 is going to be full different sporting spectacles. But the biggest that every fans are awaiting for is the FIFA World Cup 2026 which will take place from June 11 with the final match to be played on July 19, 2026.
The World Cup 2026 will be the biggest ever in the history of the football World Cup. For the first time, the tournament has expanded to 48 teams from 32 teams. Argentina will enter the competition as the defending champions having won the trophy in a thrilling match-up vs France in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
ALSO READ: FIFA World Cup 2026 Full List of Teams
The expansion to 48 teams means that four teams will be making their debut in the Football World Cup, they are Jordan, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde and Curacao becoming the smallest nation ever to play in any FIFA World Cup till date.
Table of Contents
FIFA World Cup 2026 Groups
The FIFA World Cup 2026 groups are out after the final FIFA World Cup 2026 draw was conducted on Friday. All 48 teams in the tournament have been divided into 12 groups for 4 teams each. Check out below all the 12 groups for the World Cup 2026.
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | Canada | Brazil | USA |
| South Africa | UEFA Playoff A Winner | Morocco | Paraguay |
| Korea Republic | Qatar | Haiti | Australia |
| UEFA Playoff D Winner | Switzerland | Scotland | UEFA Playoff C Winner |
| Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Netherlands | Belgium | Spain |
| Curacao | Japan | Egypt | Cabo Verde |
| Ecuador | UEFA Playoff B Winner | Iran | Saudi Arabia |
| Cote d’Ivorie | Tunisia | New Zealand | Uruguay |
| Group I | Group J | Group K | Group L |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | Argentina | Portugal | England |
| Senegal | Algeria | FIFA Playoff 1 Winner | Croatia |
| FIFA Playoff 2 Winner | Austria | Colombia | Ghana |
| Norway | Jordan | Uzbekistan | Panama |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Playoffs Contenders
- UEFA Play-off A: Italy, Wales, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland
- UEFA Play-off B: Ukraine, Poland, Albania, Sweden
- UEFA Play-off C: Türkiye, Slovakia, Kosovo, Romania
- UEFA Play-off D: Denmark, Czechia, Republic of Ireland, North Macedonia
- FIFA Intercontinental Play-off 1: DR Congo, Jamaica, New Caledonia
- FIFA Intercontinental Play-off 2: Iraq, Bolivia, Suriname
FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule
The FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule was revealed after the official draw was conducted. The opening match of the tournament will be played between co-host Mexico and South Korea Mexico.
Below is the FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule in complete.
Group Stage
| Date | Time | Team 1 | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/06/26 | 00:30 a.m | Mexico | South Africa |
| 12/06/26 | 07:30 a.m | South Korea | UEFA Play-off D |
| 13/06/26 | 00:30 a.m | Canada | UEFA Play-off A |
| 13/06/26 | 06:30 a.m | USA | Paraguay |
| 13/06/26 | 09:30 a.m | Australia | UEFA Play-off C |
| 14/06/26 | 00:30 a.m | Qatar | Switzerland |
| 14/06/26 | 03:30 a.m | Brazil | Morocco |
| 14/06/26 | 06:30 a.m | Haiti | Scotland |
| 14/06/26 | 22:30 a.m | Germany | Curaçao |
| 15/06/26 | 01:30 a.m | Netherlands | Japan |
| 15/06/26 | 04:30 a.m | Côte d’Ivoire | Ecuador |
| 15/06/26 | 07:30 a.m | UEFA Play-off B | Tunisia |
| 15/06/26 | 21:30 a.m | Spain | Cabo Verde |
| 16/06/26 | 00:30 a.m | Belgium | Egypt |
| 16/06/26 | 03:30 a.m | Saudi Arabia | Uruguay |
| 16/06/26 | 06:30 a.m | Iran | New Zealand |
| 16/06/26 | 09:30 a.m | Austria | Jordan |
| 17/06/26 | 00:30 a.m | France | Senegal |
| 17/06/26 | 03:30 a.m | FIFA Intercontinental Play-off 2 | Norway |
| 17/06/26 | 06:30 a.m | Argentina | Algeria |
| 17/06/26 | 22:30 p.m | Portugal | FIFA Intercontinental Play-off 1 |
| 18/06/26 | 01:30 a.m | England | Croatia |
| 18/06/26 | 04:30 a.m | Ghana | Panama |
| 18/06/26 | 07:30 a.m | Uzbekistan | Colombia |
| 18/06/26 | 21:30 p.m | UEFA Play-off D | South Africa |
| 19/06/26 | 00:30 a.m | Switzerland | UEFA Play-off A |
| 19/06/26 | 03:30 a.m | Canada | Qatar |
| 19/06/26 | 06:30 a.m | Mexico | South Korea |
| 19/06/26 | 09:30 a.m | UEFA Play-off C | Paraguay |
| 20/06/26 | 00:30 a.m | USA | Australia |
| 20/06/26 | 03:30 a.m | Scotland | Morocco |
| 20/06/26 | 06:30 a.m | Brazil | Haiti |
| 20/06/26 | 09:30 a.m | Tunisia | Japan |
| 20/06/26 | 22:30 p.m | Netherlands | UEFA Play-off B |
| 21/06/26 | 01:30 a.m | Germany | Côte d’Ivoire |
| 21/06/26 | 05:30 a.m | Ecuador | Curaçao |
| 21/06/26 | 21:30 p.m | Spain | Saudi Arabia |
| 22/06/26 | 00:30 a.m | Belgium | Iran |
| 22/06/26 | 03:30 a.m | Uruguay | Cabo Verde |
| 22/06/26 | 06:30 a.m | New Zealand | Egypt |
| 22/06/26 | 22:30 p.m | Argentina | Austria |
| 23/06/26 | 02:30 a.m | France | FIFA Intercontinental Play-off 2 |
| 23/06/26 | 05:30 a.m | Norway | Senegal |
| 23/06/26 | 08:30 a.m | Jordan | Algeria |
| 23/06/26 | 22:30 p.m | Portugal | Uzbekistan |
| 24/06/26 | 01:30 a.m | England | Ghana |
| 24/06/26 | 04:30 a.m | Panama | Croatia |
| 24/06/26 | 07:30 a.m | Colombia | FIFA Intercontinental Play-off 1 |
| 25/06/26 | 00:30 a.m | Switzerland | Canada |
| 25/06/26 | 00:30 a.m | UEFA Play-off A | Qatar |
| 25/06/26 | 03:30 a.m | Scotland | Brazil |
| 25/06/26 | 03:30 a.m | Morocco | Haiti |
| 25/06/26 | 06:30 a.m | UEFA Play-off D | Mexico |
| 25/06/26 | 06:30 a.m | South Africa | South Korea |
| 26/06/26 | 01:30 a.m | Ecuador | Germany |
| 26/06/26 | 01:30 a.m | Curaçao | Côte d’Ivoire |
| 26/06/26 | 04:30 a.m | Tunisia | Netherlands |
| 26/06/26 | 04:30 a.m | Japan | UEFA Play-off B |
| 26/06/26 | 07:30 a.m | Paraguay | Australia |
| 26/06/26 | 07:30 a.m | UEFA Play-off C | USA |
| 27/06/26 | 00:30 a.m | Norway | France |
| 27/06/26 | 00:30 a.m | Senegal | FIFA Intercontinental Play-off 2 |
| 27/06/26 | 05:30 a.m | Uruguay | Spain |
| 27/06/26 | 05:30 a.m | Cabo Verde | Saudi Arabia |
| 27/06/26 | 08:30 a.m | Egypt | Iran |
| 27/06/26 | 08:30 a.m | New Zealand | Belgium |
| 28/06/26 | 02:30 a.m | Panama | England |
| 28/06/26 | 02:30 a.m | Croatia | Ghana |
| 28/06/26 | 05:00 a.m | Colombia | Portugal |
| 28/06/26 | 05:00 a.m | FIFA Intercontinental Play-off 1 | Uzbekistan |
| 28/06/26 | 07:30 a.m | Jordan | Argentina |
| 28/06/26 | 07:30 a.m | Algeria | Austria |
Knockouts Schedule
| Stage | Start Date (in India) | Last Date (in India) | IST Time (approximately) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | June 28 | July 3 | 12:30 AM, 3:30 AM, 6:30 AM |
| Round of 16 | July 4 | July 8 | 12:30 AM, 3:30 AM, 6:30 AM |
| Quarterfinals | July 9 | July 12 | 12:30 AM & 3:30 AM |
| Semifinal 1 | July 15 | 1:30 AM (Arlington, TX) | |
| Semifinal 2 | July 16 | 1:30 AM (Atlanta, GA) | |
| Third-Place Match | July 19 | 1:30 AM (Miami) | |
| World Cup Final | July 20 | 12:30 AM (New York) |
Where and How to Watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw ?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 draw will be held at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C. The draw will be held on December 5, Friday from 10:30 P.M. Indian Standard Time (IST). For the first time, the tournament will be co-host by three nations, the United States, Canada and Mexico.
| VENUE | TIME (IST) |
|---|---|
| Kennedy Centre, Washington D.C. | 10:30 P.M. |
How to Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw Live Streaming in India?
There is excitement among the football fans in India for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 draw. Unfortunately there won’t be any live telecast of the draw in India due to there is still no official broadcaster for FIFA World Cup 2026 in India yet. However, fans can watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw live streaming on FIFA+ app through their mobile devices. Also you can all the latest update on FIFA website.
| TELECAST | LIVE STREAMING |
|---|---|
| Not Available | FIFA+ App |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Pots
The FIFA World Cup 2026 pots for the draw is as below. The three hosts nations for the tournament have already been placed with Mexico in Group A, Canada in Group B and United States of America (USA) in Group D.
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (co-host) (14) | Croatia (10) | Norway (29) | Jordan (66) |
| Mexico (co-host) (15) | Morocco (11) | Panama (30) | Cape Verde (68) |
| Canada (co-host) (27) | Colombia (13) | Egypt (34) | Ghana (72) |
| Spain (1) | Uruguay (16) | Algeria (35) | Curaçao (82) |
| Argentina (2) | Switzerland (17) | Scotland (36) | Haiti (84) |
| France (3) | Japan (18) | Paraguay (39) | New Zealand (86) |
| England (4) | Senegal (19) | Tunisia (40) | UEFA Playoffs Path A winner |
| Brazil (5) | Iran (20) | Ivory Coast (42) | UEFA Playoffs Path B winner |
| Portugal (6) | South Korea (22) | Uzbekistan (50) | UEFA Playoffs Path C winner |
| Netherlands (7) | Ecuador (23) | Qatar (51) | UEFA Playoffs Path D winner |
| Belgium (8) | Austria (24) | Saudi Arabia (60) | Inter-confederation Path 1 winner |
| Germany (9) | Australia (26) | South Africa (61) | Inter-confederation Path 2 winner |
