Everything You Need to Know About the World Cup 2026 Draw: Date, Time, Format, TV Channel, and How to Watch England's Opponents Live for Free!

The draw for the 2026 World Cup is scheduled for tonight at 5 PM.

Canada, the USA, and Mexico will host the exciting tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19.

Here are all the details you need ahead of the draw.

When is the World Cup 2026 draw and when does it start?

The draw will occur tonight, Friday, December 5, at 5 PM UK time.

The Kennedy Center in Washington will host the event, and the President is expected to attend.

How does the World Cup 2026 draw work?

This year, the tournament has expanded from 32 to 48 teams for the first time.

The 48 nations will be divided into 12 groups of four teams each.

Each group will consist of one team from each of the four pots.

Pot one includes the three host countries and the top-ranked teams in the FIFA World Rankings that have qualified for the World Cup.

Pot two contains the next 12 teams in the rankings, and this continues for pots three and four to ensure balanced groups.

Teams from the same continent cannot be drawn into the same group, except for European teams.

However, a maximum of two European teams can be in the same group.

After each team plays against every other team in their group (three matches), the top two teams will advance to the Round of 32, along with the eight best third-placed teams.

Following the group stage, a path to the final will be established using a tournament bracket.

A new rule allows for a seeded draw for the first time, separating the top four nations in the world rankings until the semi-finals, provided they all win their groups.

This means teams could face Brazil or Portugal in the quarter-finals and either Spain or Argentina in the semi-finals.

Who has qualified for the World Cup 2026 and what are the pots?

Here are the teams that have qualified and their respective pots:

Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, France, 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, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, European Play-Off A, B, C, and D, FIFA Play-Off Tournament 1 and 2

Two spots will be determined through inter-confederation play-off games, featuring two teams from North America, one from Asia, one from Africa, one from South America, and one from Oceania competing for the final two tournament spots.

Additionally, four more spots will be filled through European play-offs involving Ireland and Northern Ireland.

How to watch the World Cup 2026 draw

• The World Cup 2026 draw will be available to watch for FREE on FIFA's official website and YouTube channel.
• In the UK, the draw will also be broadcast on BBC and BBC iPlayer.
• Alternatively, you can follow SunSport’s live blog for all the confirmed groups.

Stay updated on all the preparations for next summer's event, including news about England, ticket information, and Donald Trump's latest plans.

Who is hosting the World Cup 2026 draw?

Comedian Kevin Hart, model Heidi Klum, and producer Danny Ramirez will host the event.

Sports presenter Samantha Johnson and England legend will conduct the draw, while former American football star Eli Manning will serve as the red carpet presenter.

They will be joined by NFL icon Tom Brady, ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, baseball star Aaron Judge, and basketball great Shaquille O’Neal.