FIFA World Cup draw: All 12 groups for the expanded 48-team tournament

Saturday, 6 December 2025

Argentina and Lionel Messi will start their FIFA World Cup title defence against Algeria, while the US co-host has been drawn to open against Paraguay, and New Zealand, they will face Iran in their first game.

The pools and draw were revealed in Washington DC on Saturday morning (NZT), at a ceremony that included US President Donald Trump receiving a peace prize awarded by FIFA, and a lineup of famous North American athletes who read out the live draw results; Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Aaron Judge and Wayne Gretzky.

The tournament was an expanded 48-nation event, featuring 104-games, spread across 11 NFL stadiums in the US, plus three venues in Mexico and two in Canada.

Mexico was drawn to open on June 11 in Mexico City against South Africa in Group A, which also included South Korea and the winner of playoff games among the Czech Republic, Ireland, Denmark and North Macedonia.

When South Africa hosted the tournament in 2010, it drew Mexico for its opening match, then became the first host country to fail to advance from the group stage.

Former NBA player Shaquille O'Neal (right), actor Kevin Hart and former NFL player Tom Brady (left) attend the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, on 5 December, 2025.

The US starts Group D against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California. The Americans play Australia six days later at Seattle, then face Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium.

England, which won its only title in 1966, plays Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Group L, and five-time champion Brazil meets Morocco, Haiti and Scotland in Group C.

US President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney holds their countries' name during the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, on 5 December, 2025.

Top-ranked Spain, the 2010 champion, faces Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H, while four-time champion Germany plays Curaçao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Group E.

Two-time champion France plays Senegal, Norway and Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname in Group I. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who like Messi is expected to play in a record sixth World Cup, has Group K matches against Uzbekistan, Colombia and Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia.

Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan are in the tournament for the first time. Curaçao is the smallest nation by population to reach the World Cup, an autonomous territory of about 156,000 people within the Netherlands kingdom.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Pools

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Winner of European playoff D

Group B: Canada, Winner of European playoff A, Qatar, Switzerland

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland

Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Winner of European playoff C.

Group E: Germany, Curacçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Winner of European playoff B, Tunisia

Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand

Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay

Group I: France, Senegal, Winner of intercontinental playoff 2, Norway

Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan

Group K: Portugal, Winner of intercontinental playoff 1, Uzbekistan, Colombia

Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama