Overview
- FIFA will stage the group draw on December 5 at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center, starting 12:00 local time (18:00 CET).
- Germany clinched direct qualification with a 6–0 win over Slovakia and will be in Pot 1, while the hosts are pre-assigned as Mexico A1, Canada B1 and USA D1.
- Austria sealed a first World Cup appearance since 1998 with a 1–1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, secured by Michael Gregoritsch’s late equaliser.
- The four-pot format will include six placeholder balls in Pot 4 because only 42 of 48 teams are confirmed, with debutants such as Curaçao, Jordan, Uzbekistan and Cape Verde among those qualified.
- Four European spots and two intercontinental places will be decided in March 2026, with the play-off paths to be drawn in Zurich on Thursday; ZDF plans free-TV coverage of the draw in Germany and FIFA will provide global feeds.