Overview
- Coverage begins at 12:00 p.m. ET, with wide distribution across national broadcasters and free streaming on FIFA+ in many markets.
- Teams are split into four pots of 12; hosts are in Pot 1 with Mexico set as A1, Canada B1 and the United States D1, with remaining pots assigned by FIFA’s November rankings.
- Confederation rules apply so groups generally cannot include more than one team from the same region, except UEFA which can have up to two.
- Forty-two teams have qualified and six places remain to be decided in March—four via UEFA playoffs and two via the intercontinental playoff—with all late qualifiers slated for Pot 4.
- FIFA chose Washington after Las Vegas talks fell through due to venue and hotel constraints linked to the NFR rodeo and AWS re:Invent; the show will feature hosts Heidi Klum, Kevin Hart and Danny Ramírez, with sports stars and performers, and expected attendance by President Donald Trump, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney.