The FIFA World Cup 2026™ group stage has been mapped out during a dazzling Final Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC.
Brazil-Morocco, Netherlands-Japan and a rematch between France and 2002 conquerors Senegal were among the standout fixtures to emerge, while debutants Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan can look forward to mouth-watering match-ups against Spain, Germany, Argentina and Portugal respectively. Mexico-South Africa was also confirmed as the tournament’s Opening Match in Mexico City on Thursday, 11 June 2026.
The next major milestone on the road to 2026 will come when the updated World Cup 2026 match schedule is unveiled live on FIFA.com on Saturday, 6 December, with venues and kick-off times for all 104 matches confirmed at 12:00 EST (18:00 CET) in Washington, DC.
The 12 groups below were drawn in an event conducted by former England captain Rio Ferdinand, with sporting icons Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O’Neal serving as assistants. Kevin Hart, Heidi Klum and Danny Ramirez hosted a star-studded draw show that opened with a spine-tingling performance by Andrea Bocelli and also saw Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger, Lauryn Hill and the Village People entertain the watching world.
