After a frantic and dramatic week of qualifying, the final draw for the FIFA World Cup 26™ is now looming large on the horizon. Here, FIFA brings you all the key details about that eagerly awaited milestone on the road to next year’s finals.
Date and time
The final draw will take place at Friday, 5 December 2025 at at 12:00 Eastern Time (18:00 CET, 17:00 GMT).
Venue
The final draw will be hosted by the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
Teams involved
The following 42 nations will be represented in the final draw:
Remaining spots
Six of the 48 teams at FIFA World Cup 26 have yet to be determined, and will only be known in March 2026.
Four will come from the 16-team UEFA play-offs, which will be contested by Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, North Macedonia, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Türkiye, Ukraine and Wales.
The other two spots will be contested by six teams – Bolivia, Congo DR, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname – at the FIFA World Cup 26™ Play-Off Tournament.
Pots and procedures
Further details of the draw, including full draw procedures, will be published soon on FIFA.com. The teams representing the host countries will be assigned to positions A1 (Mexico), B1 (Canada) and D1 (USA), as per the match schedule released last year.
Watch and follow
Live coverage will be provided on FIFA.com and the FIFA World Cup social media channels. The draw will also be broadcast by FIFA’s Media Partners.
