December 5, 2025 | 06:12 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The group stage draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, United States, on Friday at 12:00 PM local time (Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 12:00 AM WIB). The event will be broadcast live on TVRI, FIFA+, and YouTube.
The tournament, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will feature matches in 16 cities from June 11 to July 19, 2026. This edition marks the first World Cup with 48 participating teams.
Leaders from all three host nations are confirmed to attend the draw, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and US President Donald J. Trump, FIFA reported on Friday, December 5.
Host Countries and Venues
Mexico will host the opening match at Mexico City Stadium on June 11, 2026, marking its third time hosting the World Cup. The country will stage 13 matches.
Canada, making its World Cup debut, will also host 13 matches, beginning with the first match at Toronto Stadium on June 12, 2026. The country previously hosted the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015.
The United States, host of the 1994 World Cup, will hold 78 matches. The tournament kicks off in Los Angeles on June 12, with the final set for New York/New Jersey on July 19, 2026. Over six million tickets are available for the event, with nearly two million already sold.
Draw Format
Teams are divided into four pots for the draw. Pot 1 includes the three host nations and the top nine teams in the FIFA rankings as of November 2025. Pots 2 to 4 are filled according to FIFA rankings, with playoff winners automatically placed in Pot 4.
Currently, 42 teams have qualified for the tournament, while six slots remain to be decided through UEFA and inter-confederation playoffs in March 2026. The hosts are pre-assigned to groups: Mexico in Group A, Canada in Group B, and the United States in Group D.
With 48 teams, the tournament will feature 12 groups (A to L) and a total of 104 matches, making it the largest World Cup in history.
Read: SEA Games: Chances of Indonesia Advancing in Women's Football After 0-8 Defeat Against Thailand
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