Harry Kane and England could have a favourable path to the final - Shutterstock/Georgi LicovskiTelegraph SportThu, December 4, 2025 at 7:06 AM UTC·11 min readThe draw for the 2026 World Cup finals will take place on Friday (December 5) with England and Scotland among the qualified teams.
England are among the top seeds in pot one, while Scotland, who have reached the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998, are in pot three.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThey could be drawn against each other, but that possibility will be removed if England draw a European opponent from pot two, as a maximum of two European teams can be placed in each group.
England will avoid Spain, Argentina and France until at least the semi-finals in a new tennis-style draw which will keep the best teams apart.
Play-off hopefuls Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Wales are in pot four, with Northern Ireland and Wales battling for one spot.
When is the draw for the 2026 World Cup
The draw will take place in Washington DC on December 5, starting at 5pm UK time.
It will be at the Kennedy Center with Donald Trump expected to attend.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHow to watch the draw
The draw will be shown on Fifa’s website and YouTube channel, as well as being broadcast on the BBC and BBC iPlayer.
The draw format explained
The 48 nations, comprising 45 qualifiers and the three host nations, will be drawn into 12 groups of four.
The draw will effectively be seeded, with the teams divided into four pots. Pot one will contain the United States, Canada and Mexico as well as the top nine nations in the Fifa world rankings.
Europe is the only continent providing more teams (16) than there are groups, but there must not be more than two European teams in any one group. All other confederations will be limited to one team per group.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe draw is expected to last between 45 and 50 minutes. A significant chunk of time will be saved because group position by pot has been predetermined rather than forming part of the draw as it has in the past.
Haiti and Iran will not be deliberately excluded from playing matches in the United States, despite fans from both countries being subject to travel bans into the US.
To limit the travel of teams and supporters the three host countries have been broken down into east, central and west regions, where teams will be based for the group stage.
Kick-off times and the allocation of matches to stadiums will be announced on December 6.
Gianni Infantino (right), the Fifa President, has become close with Donald Trump during preparations for next year’s World Cup - AP/Evan VucciHere is everything else you need to know about the 2026 World Cup.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement⌛ Play-off draw📅 Tournament dates✔️ The nations who have qualified🥅 New World Cup format📺 How to watch on TV💰 World Cup ticket prices🗽 Host cities🎲 World Cup odds🏆 Past World Cup winners
Ireland, Wales and Northern Ireland are in the play-offs... what happens now?
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Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland have discovered their World-Cup play-off opponents.
Next March’s ties are now set with Craig Bellamy’s side facing Bosnia and Herzegovina in a one-legged World Cup play-off semi-final and could face either four-time winners Italy or Northern Ireland at home in the final.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWales secured their place by finishing second behind Belgium in qualifying Group J and will be the home team for the one-off match and in the final should they get there.
Northern Ireland who qualified through the Nations League, have been handed a tough task of travelling to Italy for their play-off semi-final.
Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland who booked their spot over Hungary, will play away in the Czech Republic in their semi-final. The winner of that match will host either North Macedonia or Denmark.
Republic of Ireland reached the play-offs thanks to Troy Parrott’s hat-trick in Budapest - Getty Images/Laszlo SzirtesiSixteen European teams will compete for four World Cup finals spots. Teams will need to win two knockout matches to qualify.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere is a separate intercontinental play-off tournament which will complete the line-up for the 48-team World Cup. Two spots are up for grabs between six teams from around the world, excluding Europe.
Iraq and DR Congo are seeded on the basis of their rankings, so will each play the winner of one-legged ties between the four unseeded seams.
World Cup play-off draw
Play-off path A:Semi-final: Italy vs Northern IrelandSemi-final: Wales vs Bosnia and HerzegovinaFinal: Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Italy/Northern Ireland
Play-off path B:Semi-final: Ukraine vs SwedenSemi-final: Poland vs AlbaniaFinal: Ukraine/Sweden vs Poland/Albania
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPlay-off path C:Semi-final: Turkey vs RomaniaSemi-final: Slovakia vs KosovoFinal: Slovakia/Kosovo vs Turkey/Romania
Play-off path D:Semi-final: Denmark vs North MacedoniaSemi-final: Czech Republic vs Republic of IrelandFinal: Czech Republic/Republic of Ireland vs Denmark/North Macedonia
Intercontinental tournament
Iraq, DR Congo (both seeded)Jamaica, Bolivia, Suriname, Bolivia, New Caledonia (unseeded)
When are the games?
During March’s international break. The European semi-finals will start on March 26 2026, the four finals five days later. The losing semi-finalists will play punitive friendlies against one another on the days of the finals, a wonderfully pointless idea.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementExact dates are TBC for the Intercontinental leg, but Mexico will host the entire tournament.
When is the World Cup?
The opening match will take place on June 11, 2026, when Mexico kick off at the legendary Azteca Stadium (which will become the first stadium to host three World Cup openers) and the last of the 104 matches will be contested when the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey hosts the final on July 19.
What is the format?
The number of teams at next summer’s World Cup has increased from the usual 32 to 48. That means an additional, last-32 knockout round after the group stage. To win the World Cup, a team must now play eight matches.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe top two from each of the 12 groups will qualify automatically for the knockout stages.
They will be joined by the eight best-performing third-placed teams. Teams will be separated by points, then goal difference, then goals scored. If still level, disciplinary records will be considered. In a last resort, the team with the highest world ranking will progress.
Aside from the additional knockout round, the World Cup format remains unchanged: three group games, and then single-tie knockout matches with extra time and penalties should they end in a draw.
Which teams have qualified?
Africa (nine automatic qualifiers/one enters inter-confederation play-offs)
AlgeriaCape VerdeEgyptGhanaIvory CoastMoroccoSenegalSouth AfricaTunisia
Cape Verde’s Stopira and his team-mate celebrate reaching their first ever World Cup - AP/Cristiano BarbosaEurope (12 automatic qualifiers/four via confederation play-offs)
AustriaBelgiumCroatiaEnglandFranceGermanyNetherlandsNorwayPortugalScotlandSpainSwitzerland
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementConcacaf (Three automatic qualifiers/two enter inter-confederation play-offs)
United States (co-host)Mexico (co-host)Canada (co-host)CuraçaoHaitiPanama
Asia (eight automatic qualifiers/one enters inter-confederation play-offs)
AustraliaIranJapanJordanQatarSaudi ArabiaSouth KoreaUzbekistan
South America (six automatic qualifiers/one enters inter-confederation play-offs)
ArgentinaBrazilColombiaEcuadorParaguayUruguay
Brazil hope Carlo Ancelotti can help end the nation’s 24-year wait for a sixth World Cup - Getty Images/Yuichi YamazakiOceania: (one automatic qualifier/one enters inter-confederation play-offs)
New Zealand
What are the inter-confederation play-offs?
You may have noticed that the three host nations, the automatic qualifiers from each confederation and Europe’s four qualifiers via their continental play-offs add up to just 46 teams.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe final two places are decided by something called the inter-confederation play-offs.
With the exception of Europe, each confederation provides one entrant with the host region (Concacaf) sending two teams. That means six teams will contest the inter-confederation play-offs.
The two nations with the best world ranking are seeded go straight into one of the two finals.
The four other countries will be drawn to play two semi-finals, with the winners facing the two seeded teams for a place at the World Cup.
How can I watch the World Cup on television?
For the 2026 tournament, BBC Sport and ITV will again split the matches between them. The final will be shown on both channels simultaneously.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTicket prices
There are fears that this World Cup could prove the most expensive ever for supporters, with Fifa operating “dynamic pricing” and taking a 15 per cent fee on resale tickets from both buyer and seller.
According to www.fifacollectanalytics.com, tickets for the opening game were found to start at $370 (£279), with the most expensive costing $1,825 (£1,377). That compared with $55 (£42) and $618 (£466), respectively, in Qatar. Prices for next summer’s final in New York were also found to start at $2,030 (£1,531) – more than 10 times more expensive than the cheapest tickets three years ago – as well as averaging $3,945 (£2,973). The vast majority of starting prices are forecast to cost hundreds of dollars.
Where will the matches take place?
The matches will be played across 16 cities – 11 from the US, two in Canada and three in Mexico. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will all be held in the States.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHere is the list of cities that will be hosting at least one World Cup match.
Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver.
The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host the final on July 19, 2026. The venue has a capacity of 82,500 and hosted last summer’s Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris St-Germain. Our chief football correspondent Jason Burt was less than impressed when he paid the forbidding, concrete stadium a visit.
Announcer Michael Buffer before the Club World Cup final at the MetLife Stadium - Getty Images/Michael ReganThe semi-finals will be held at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, while the quarter-finals will be at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMiami will also host the third-place play-off.
Mexico will open the tournament on June 11, 2026 with their first group match at the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
The US will begin their campaign at the SoFi in LA on June 12 and will remain on the west coast for the group stage, with a match in Seattle and another in LA. Canada will play their opening match in Toronto also on June 12.
Canada and Mexico are also guaranteed to play all their group matches on home soil, with Guadalajara and Vancouver also hosting.
How does Fifa decide on the host nation?
The host nation is decided by a bidding process. Fifa takes a number of factors into account when deciding which country, or countries, will play host. Many of these criteria are around available infrastructure including stadium capacities, fan accommodation, transport systems as well as facilities for the teams and referees.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhat about the 2030 and 2034 World Cups?
The 2030 World Cup will be held across six countries and three continents. Spain, Portugal and Morocco are the co-hosts but the first three matches of the tournament will be held in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
Fifa says the continent-hopping event will be a celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the World Cup. The inaugural edition, in 1930, was held in Uruguay.
The 2034 tournament will be held in Saudi Arabia after they pivoted from a 2030 bid to 2034 last year, to ensure it was the only runner. The Football Association backed Saudi Arabia’s proposal after directly demanding in that LGBT England fans would not be arrested.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWorld Cup odds
Spain 4/1
France 13/2
England 13/2
Brazil 13/2
Argentina 8/1
Portugal 11/1
Germany 12/1
Netherlands 20/1
Italy 25/1
Uruguay 33/1
Past World Cup winners
1930: Uruguay
1934: Italy
1938: Italy
1950: Uruguay
1954: West Germany
1958: Brazil
1962: Brazil
1966: England
1970: Brazil
1974: West Germany
1978: Argentina
1982: Italy
1986: Argentina
1990: West Germany
1994: Brazil
1998: France
2002: Brazil
2006: Italy
2010: Spain
2014: Germany
2018: France
2022: Argentina
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