When is the World Cup 2026 draw? Date, time, pots and how to watch

Excitement is building for the World Cup 2026 – with 42 of the 48 nations involved in the expanded tournament now confirmed.

England and Scotland are among those who have already booked their spot in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer, while Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Wales could still qualify through the play-offs.

For the 16 UEFA nations and four Confederation teams in the play-offs, it is impossible to look beyond next March but the 42 who are already locked in can begin to crank up their excitement levels.

Though World Cup 2026 will be the first since the expansion from 36 to 48 sides, the tournament will still begin with the group stages – and teams won't have to wait long to find out their initial opponents next summer.

RadioTimes.com brings you all the details for the World Cup 2026 draw.

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When is the World Cup 2026 draw?

The draw for the World Cup 2026 will take place on Friday 5th December 2025.

The draw will be made at approximately 5pm UK time.

You can watch the World Cup 2026 draw live on the BBC, on the BBC Sport website, or on FIFA+, while there will also be live coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

What are the projected pots for the World Cup 2026 draw?

The 48 nations at World Cup 2026 have been split into four pots, with one team from each set to be drawn into each of the 12 groups at the tournament.

Pot 1 is made up of the three hosts and the nine highest teams in the FIFA Rankings, with the remaining pots filled according to each nation's ranking.

FIFA has yet to confirm where the UEFA and Confederation play-off winners, who will take the six remaining spots, will be put but they're expected to be in Pot 4, irrespective of their place on the FIFA Rankings.

Though up to two UEFA nations can be drawn in the same group, teams from any of the other confederations cannot be drawn together.

Pot 1

• United States
• Mexico
• Canada
• Spain
• Argentina
• France
• England
• Portugal
• Brazil
• Netherlands
• Belgium
• Germany

Pot 2

• Croatia
• Morocco
• Colombia
• Uruguay
• Switzerland
• Japan
• Senegal
• Iran
• South Korea
• Ecuador
• Austria
• Australia

Pot 3

• Panama
• Norway
• Egypt
• Algeria
• Scotland
• Paraguay
• Ivory Coast
• Tunisia
• Uzbekistan
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• South Africa

Pot 4

• Jordan
• Cape Verde
• Ghana
• Curacao
• Haiti
• New Zealand
• UEFA play-off winner 1
• UEFA play-off winner 2
• UEFA play-off winner 3
• UEFA play-off winner 4
• Confederations play-off winner 1
• Confererations play-off winner 2

When is the World Cup 2026?

The World Cup 2026 will start on Thursday 11th June 2026 and run until the final on Sunday 19th July 2026.

The expanded tournament is set to be held in 16 host cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

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