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By Joe Kozlowski
Sports Team Lead
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The dust has cleared and the World Cup groups are (largely) set.
After an afternoon of pride, pageantry and celebrity in Washington, D.C., we know who will face who during this summer’s tournament. That means the narrative can now shift from wondering what will happen in the draw to analyzing the bracket. Who landed in the “Group of Death?” And who secured a (theoretically) easy road to the big trophy?
Let’s look at the favorites moving forward.
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How Does the FIFA World Cup Draw Work?
Without getting into all of the nuts and bolts—Rio Ferdinand had us covered on that front during the TV broadcast—the draw generally worked as follows:
Teams were sorted into four pots based largely on FIFA rankings. The three host nations were in Pot 1 alongside the favorites, and the remaining playoff teams landed in Pot 4.
One team from each pot was drawn, forming 12 groups of four.
There were some geographical considerations at play. Teams from the same geographical region couldn’t be sorted together, barring those from Europe; due to the sheer number of UEFA teams, two could be together in a group.
That gives us the 12 groups for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
World Cup Draw Groups: What to Know
With the draw done, the groups are as follows:
Group A: Mexico, Korea Republic, South Africa, UEFA Playoff D (Denmark/North Macedonia/Czechia/Republic of Ireland)
Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, UEFA Playoff A (Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
Group D: USA, Australia, Paraguay, UEFA Playoff D (Turkiye/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo)
Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA Playoff B (Sweden/Ukraine/Poland/Albania)
Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cabo Verde
Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Intercontinental Playoff 2 (Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname)
Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Intercontinental Playoff 1 (DR Congo/Jamaica/New Caledonia)
Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana
What Teams are Favorited To Win the FIFA World Cup 2026?
Obviously, things can change based on injuries and availability. But, as things currently stand, the conventional powers are generally considered the favorites for the 2026 World Cup title.
That means Spain, England, France, Brazil and Argentina are popular picks to win it all.
World Cup 2026 Favorites: Spain (+430 on FanDuel)
On paper, Spain has one of the most talented squads in the tournament, and that goes beyond the headline-grabbing potential of Lamine Yamal. You know that the European giants will possess the ball and pass it around like they own it, but we’ll need to see if midfield pivot Rodri is back to his best by the summer. (Martin Zubimendi can capably fill that role, but the Manchester City man was the best in the world at that position before his ACL injury).
Spain is also helped by their draw. Uruguay could be tough and Saudi Arabia was able to upset Argentina during the Qatar World Cup, but Spain avoided any obvious ping-pong ball-based disasters.
World Cup 2026 Favorites: England (+550 on FanDuel)
In terms of raw, top-to-bottom talent, it’s tough to argue with England. There are some questions about how everyone fits together—Can Jude Bellingham start? Where does Phil Foden play?--but there are genuine game-changers no matter how Thomas Tuchel decides to set up.
The draw, however, has put England in the potential "Group of Death." Croatia has rightfully earned everyone’s respect with their previous international showings; Ghana is a consistent performer within the African Confederation. Panama looks like the weakest team of their group, but it takes a tough squad to emerge from CONCACAF qualifying.
England should still advance, but their early performances will tell us a great deal about how their North American adventure will unfold.
World Cup 2026 Favorites: France (+650 on FanDuel)
France is another nation that boasts plenty of talent, but landed a tough draw. Their biggest issue will be Norway; Erling Haaland is an elite scorer, and goals ultimately win games. And, as Thierry Henry pointed out on Fox’s TV coverage, Senegal will certainly be up for playing against Les Bleus.
Are the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, William Saliba and others going to be afraid of any opposition? No, and they shouldn’t be. But, at the same time, the road to a World Cup title will always feature at least a few twists and turns.
World Cup 2026 Favorites: Brazil (+700 on FanDuel)
You can’t talk about international soccer without Brazil. The South American nation is synonymous with the beautiful game, and manager Carlo Ancelotti to strike the right balance between silk and steel.
There’s room to nail down the final squad, but we know the likes of Vinicius Jr. And Rodrygo have plenty of attacking talent, but who will be Brazil’s starting striker? And will Neymar be able to get his form and fitness together to make it onto the plane?
In group play, Morocco will also be a tough opponent, as we saw during the 2022 World Cup. Scotland could also cause problems, as Denmark saw during European qualifying.
World Cup 2026 Favorites: Argentina (+800 on FanDuel)
Not only are Argentina the defending World Cup champions, but they still have a little someone named Lionel Messi on the roster. Even at age 38 (he’ll turn 39 next June), the Inter Miami man is capable of working his magic.
It’s worth noting, though, that Argentina isn’t a one-man show. Striker Julian Alvarez has blossomed into a genuine star, and the Albiceleste have plenty of midfield options to either keep things ticking over. There’s also Emi Martinez in net, who’s always capable of pulling out a magic moment with the game on the line.
Manager Lionel Scaloni also stands tall as one of the tournament’s top minds, giving Argentina another potential edge.
When Is the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The World Cup action officially gets underway on Thursday, June 11, 2026. Mexico will host the opening match against South Africa, and group play will progress from there.
The tournament will ultimately conclude on Sunday, July 19 just outside of New York City.
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