Overview
- At the draw in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, Japan was placed in Group F alongside the Netherlands, Tunisia and the yet-to-be-determined European Playoff Path B winner.
- Path B will be contested by Ukraine, Sweden, Poland and Albania, with the winner to be decided in March 2026.
- FIFA allocated teams into four pots using the latest rankings, and Japan, ranked 18th, was seeded in Pot 2.
- The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, opening June 11 and concluding with the final on July 19 in New Jersey.
- The group stage will feature 12 groups of four, with the top two in each group and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to the 32-team knockout phase.