Particle.news
Download on the App Store

FIFA Confirms 2026 World Cup Final Draw Rules, Seeding Pots and Ticket Timeline

Spain, Argentina, France, England will be kept on separate bracket pathways, delaying any meeting until the semifinals if they top their groups.

Overview

  • The Final Draw takes place Dec. 5 at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with stadium assignments and kickoff times to follow on Dec. 6.
  • The expanded 48-team tournament will feature 12 groups of four, with hosts Mexico (A1), Canada (B1) and the United States (D1) preassigned to position 1 in their groups.
  • Pot allocations are set using the Nov. 19 FIFA rankings, with 42 teams qualified and six berths to be filled in March 2026 playoffs; Pot 4 includes four UEFA playoff placeholders and two inter‑confederation playoff placeholders.
  • Draw constraints bar same‑pot pairings and limit groups to one team per confederation other than UEFA, which can have up to two, with pre-set group positions to streamline the ceremony.
  • FIFA says nearly two million tickets have been sold, and the Random Selection Draw for match‑specific and PMA supporter tickets opens Dec. 11 with applications accepted through Jan. 13.