Overview
- Germany is seeded in Pot 1 for the 2026 World Cup draw at the John F. Kennedy Center, which starts at 18:00 CET on 5 December.
- Pots 1–3 are finalized, while Pot 4 will include placeholders for six teams decided in March playoffs, to be filled after those results.
- Host openers are fixed: Mexico plays 11 June in Mexico City against a Pot 3 team, the United States debuts 12 June in Los Angeles, and Canada plays 12 June in Toronto against a Pot 4 team, with Germany first eligible on 13 June.
- Group constraints limit one team per confederation, with an exception allowing up to two UEFA teams in a group.
- FIFA says buyers from 212 countries have already secured nearly two million tickets, with the next sales phase running 11 December to 13 January and per-household caps of four tickets per match and 40 in total.