Overview
- The final draw takes place December 5 at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with live coverage on FIFA+ and national broadcasters including FOX and Telemundo in the U.S.
- FIFA confirmed four pots of 12 based on November rankings, with Pot 1 led by the three hosts plus Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
- Spain and Argentina are locked to opposite sides of the bracket if they win their groups, with the same separation applied to France and England to preserve balance.
- Draw mechanics enforce confederation limits—no duplicate confederations per group except UEFA, which can have up to two—and several Pot 4 slots will be filled by UEFA and intercontinental playoff winners in March 2026.
- Group positions and knockout paths are pre-set under the 48-team format: Mexico (A1), Canada (B1) and the U.S. (D1) head fixed groups, 32 teams advance to a new round of 32, the official match calendar follows on December 6, and the tournament runs June 11–July 19 with the opener at Estadio Azteca and the final at MetLife Stadium.