The Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) has confirmed that the final draw for the expanded FIFA World Cup 2026, set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be held in December.

This announcement comes despite the fact that the remaining 35 participating teams will not be confirmed until March 2026. FIFA stated: “Group stage matchups will be determined by the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 26™, which is due to be held in December 2025.”

On 11 June 2026, the world will unite in North America for the kick-off of the FIFA World Cup 2026. This tournament, spanning three countries and 16 vibrant host cities, will feature a newly expanded pool of 48 teams, making it the largest and most inclusive FIFA World Cup in history.

FIFA anticipates the 2026 edition will welcome 6.5 million fans to stadiums across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, truly uniting the continent and the globe through football.

FIFA confirmed that the 16 Host Cities will unveil countdown clocks featuring each city’s locally inspired Official Host City Brand.

Thirteen teams have already been confirmed for this historic event. Alongside Canada, Mexico, and the USA, who have automatically qualified as co-hosts, ten additional national teams have recently secured their spots. These include current champions Argentina, first-time qualifiers Jordan and Uzbekistan, as well as Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, IR Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, and New Zealand.

In Africa, where the June international window was reserved for friendly matches, World Cup qualifiers will resume in September and October. Bafana Bafana is scheduled to play four matches, all potentially in South Africa. Hugo Broos’ side, currently ranked 56th in the FIFA World Rankings, leads Group C with 13 points, five points ahead of second-placed Rwanda.

“One year from now, the greatest football show on the planet will definitely captivate the world like never before,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“This is more than a tournament; it’s a global celebration of connection, unity, and passion. From every corner of the world, dreams are turning into reality as teams qualify and fans make their plans to be part of history, counting down to the biggest FIFA World Cup yet.”

Qualified Nations:

• Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Uzbekistan.
• Oceania: New Zealand.
• South America: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador.

Qualifying Breakdown by Confederation:

South America

• Qualifying Places: Six, plus one into intercontinental play-offs.
• Teams Already Through: Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil.
• South American qualifying, involving all 10 teams in a single group, began in September 2023. The top six teams automatically qualify for the World Cup, with the seventh-placed team entering the intercontinental play-offs. With two out of 18 games remaining, Argentina, Ecuador, and Brazil have secured their berths. Uruguay, Paraguay, and Colombia currently occupy the other top six spots, with Venezuela in seventh.

Asia

• Qualifying Places: Eight, plus one into intercontinental play-offs.
• Teams Already Through: Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia.
• Asian qualifying commenced in October 2023 with lower-ranked teams in action. In the third round, the top two teams from three different groups qualified automatically. Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, and Australia have already secured their spots. The UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia are currently in a fourth round of qualifying, from which two more teams will qualify automatically, and one will progress to the intercontinental play-offs.

Africa

• Qualifying Places: Nine, plus one into intercontinental play-offs.
• Teams Already Through: None.
• There are nine African World Cup qualifying groups, each comprising six teams, which started in November 2023. The top team in each group will qualify automatically. With four games remaining, the current group leaders are Egypt, DR Congo, South Africa, Cape Verde, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Tunisia, and Ghana. The four best runners-up will proceed to play-offs for a chance to compete in the intercontinental play-offs.

North, Central American and Caribbean (Concacaf)

• Qualifying Places: Six (including three hosts), plus two into intercontinental play-offs.
• Teams Already Through: USA, Canada, and Mexico (automatically as co-hosts).
• Concacaf qualifying has a unique structure, with the three host nations not participating in the main qualifiers. However, there are still plenty of spots available. Similar to Europe, there is still a long way to go, with qualifying not expected to conclude until autumn. There are six groups of five teams, with the top two from each advancing to the next stage. The third round then features three groups of four teams, with the winners of each group qualifying for the World Cup and the two best-ranked runners-up entering the intercontinental play-offs.

Europe

• Qualifying Places: 16.
• Teams Already Through: None.
• There are 12 groups in European qualifying. The winners of each group will qualify for the World Cup, and the 12 runners-up will proceed to play-offs. These play-offs will also include the four best-ranked UEFA Nations League group winners who have not already qualified, competing for four additional places. Europe is the only continent that does not have a team in the intercontinental play-offs. Qualifying only began in March, with some teams not even playing their first qualifiers until September while the Nations League continues. The group stages will conclude in November, with the play-offs scheduled for March 2026.

Oceania

• Qualifying Places: One, plus one into intercontinental play-offs.
• Teams Already Through: New Zealand.
• Oceania qualifying has already concluded, with New Zealand defeating New Caledonia 3-0 in the final. New Zealand automatically qualifies for the World Cup due to the expanded tournament format, a significant change as Oceania typically only receives a play-off spot. New Caledonia, a French overseas territory, will participate in the intercontinental play-offs in March 2026. These play-offs will feature teams from Africa, Asia, South America, and North America, with two out of six teams ultimately advancing.