FIFA announced on Tuesday the final details for the draw of the 2026 World Cup. It will take place on December 5 in Washington and will determine the composition of the 12 groups of 4 teams that will make up the final phase, consisting of the 48 qualified teams.
Morocco will be in Pot 2, alongside Croatia, Colombia, Senegal, Switzerland, and Japan. This seeding ranking was established based on the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola ranking published on November 19, 2025.
As expected, the three host nations – the United States, Canada, and Mexico – are directly placed in Pot 1 and assigned to positions A1, B1, and D1 to facilitate logistical planning and match distribution. This first pot is completed by the highest-ranked teams globally: Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
FIFA specified that the draw will begin with Pot 1 and will successively continue with Pots 2, 3, and then 4. The last pot will notably include the winners of the European playoffs and those from the Intercontinental playoff tournament.
Strict geographical rules will apply once again: only one team per confederation can be in the same group, except for UEFA, which has 16 representatives and can therefore place two teams in the same group. Each group must still contain at least one European nation.
To maintain competitive balance, FIFA has planned a specific distribution for the four best teams in the world rankings. Spain (1st) and Argentina (2nd) will be placed in opposite halves of the draw, as will France (3rd) and England (4th). This arrangement would prevent a direct confrontation between these favorites before the final, provided they finish at the top of their group.
The complete match schedule will be unveiled on December 6, the day after the draw. It will specify the timings, match distribution, and the relevant stadiums. The scheduling will take into account player recovery needs and different time zones to ensure the best possible visibility for fans around the world.
