By Joe Kozlowski
Sports Team Lead
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Many sports call their victors world champions, but there's nothing in sports like the World Cup's true global nature. And, fittingly for its name, the 2026 edition of the FIFA tournament is bigger than ever. It will feature 48 teams playing matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
What to Know
- The 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw began at 12 p.m. Eastern on Friday, December 5. The event will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
- In the United States, the draw was televised on Fox. It was also available for viewing, however, on FIFA's YouTube channel.
- The 2026 tournament was co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The heads of those nations--President of the United States Donald J. Trump, President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum and Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney--will all be in attendance on Friday.
- This World Cup features an expanded field of 48 teams. Before the draw, those nations were sorted into four pots based on their FIFA rating. One representative from each pot will be selected to form a four-team group. There will be 12 of those groups making up the World Cup.
- On the celebrity front, Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart co-hosted the draw. Andrea Bocelli, Village People and Robbie Williams will perform live. Former England captain Rio Ferdinand conducted the draw, and Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O'Neal, Tom Brady and Aaron Judge took the stage as draw assistants.
This live blog is now closed.
Dec 05, 2025 at 04:40 PM EST
Who Are the early World Cup favorites?
Trying to predict the future is never easy, especially in sports? But what can we make of the 2026 World Cup now that the draw has wrapped up?
It goes without saying that there's plenty of time for things to change; squads are far from finalized, and injuries can crop up out of nowhere. But, with all of that being said, some traditional powers are standing tall as the early leaders in the clubhouse.
Read more from Newsweek's Joe Kozlowski
Dec 05, 2025 at 04:21 PM EST
A look at the full 2026 World Cup draw
Now that the dust has settled in Washington, D.C., what does the 2026 World Cup look like? This is how all 12 groups sorted out, although there are still a handful of playoff teams who still have to officially earn their place in the tournament.
Dec 05, 2025 at 03:50 PM EST
Thanking the soccer gods?
Alexi Lalas is never shy about sharing his soccer opinions. So what did he make of the United State's fate on Friday afternoon?
"I think if you believe in the Soccer Gods, you should be thanking them," he said on Fox's FIFA World Cup Draw broadcast. The former defender said the Americas had not only landed a "great group," but that viewers should expect Mauricio Pochettino's squad to win.
Dec 05, 2025 at 03:29 PM EST
Robert Kraft meets the Village People
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw was a mash-up of politics, sports and entertainment. There's perhaps no better example of that than Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, heading down to Washington, D.C. in his capacity as the Honorary Chairman of the World Cup United Bid Committee, and meeting the Village People.
Talk about the things you'd only see at this sort of event.
Dec 05, 2025 at 02:55 PM EST
Mexico will officially open the World Cup
We'll have to wait until tomorrow for the full schedule, but we know how the 2026 World Cup will officially open.
We'll have to wait and see what happens on the pitch, but it's safe to assume that match will have quite the atmosphere.
Dec 05, 2025 at 02:32 PM EST
Who landed in the Group of Death?
In most tournaments, there's a particularly challenging group that will send one talented team home; that's colloquially known as the Group of Death.
So who will face that tough reality in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
As is generally the rule in sports, there's some room for debate. Group I and Group L will both be candidates, though. The former includes France, Senegal, Noway and a playoff winner (Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname); the latter features England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana
Dec 05, 2025 at 02:06 PM EST
Pot 4 Concludes the Draw
The draw is now officially complete!
The United States will face Paraguay, Australia and the winner of Playoff C (Turkiye, Romania, Kosovo and Slovakia). Mexico has South Africa, South Korea and winner of Playoff D (Denmark/North Macedonia/Ireland/Czechia).; Canada faces Qatar, Switzerland and the winner of Playoff A (Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy and Northern Ireland).
Dec 05, 2025 at 01:54 PM EST
The groups continue to shape up with Pot 3
The hosts know a bit more about their paths forward.
Mexico will also face South Africa. Canada saw Qatar added to Group B, and the United States will open their tournament against Paraguay.
Scotland will be welcomed back to the World Cup by facing Brazil and Morocco. Norway, who could be a dark horse for the tournament, have landed in Group I with France and Senegal; that's looking like it could be a candidate for this tournament's group of death.
Dec 05, 2025 at 01:42 PM EST
The Pot 2 teams are out
With Pot 2 officially drawn, we have some interesting matchups brewing.
Morocco could give Brazil a tricky test in their opening match. Spain and Uruguay should be a tasty matchup as the closing game of Group H. Portugal and England will also be less than trilled to play Colombia and Croatia, respectively.
As for the hosts, the United States scored a favorable draw with Australia. Mexico is sorted with South Korea, and Canada will face Switzerland.
Dec 05, 2025 at 01:31 PM EST
Pot 1 has been drawn
While nothing has really been confirmed--there are no matchups yet and some of Pot 1 is locked to prevent early matchups between the favorites--we officially have the top teams assigned to their groups.
Now, the drama can really begin as the other teams slot in.
Dec 05, 2025 at 01:20 PM EST
Rio Ferdinand and his fellow athletes are here for the World Cup Draw
After a sketch featuring Matthew McConaughey and Salma Hayek and another running through the draw rules, former England defender Rio Ferdinand has taken the stage to run the World Cup Draw alongside Samantha Johnson. They're joined by Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge, Tom Brady and Shaquille O'Neal, who are doing their part to represent the big four North American sports.
Dec 05, 2025 at 01:10 PM EST
Lauryn Hill has hit the stage
We got another musical performance from Lauryn Hill; from the entertainment perspective, we're just waiting on the Village People, who are slated to close out the FIFA World Cup draw later this afternoon.
Now, after more than an hour of pageantry and presentations, we're getting closer and closer to the actual draw.
Dec 05, 2025 at 12:54 PM EST
The host nations have officially been drawn
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With the three leaders doing the honors, the United States, Canada and Mexico have been placed in their assigned sports at the top of Group D, Group B and Group A respectively.
Now, the random assignments will begin in earnest.
Dec 05, 2025 at 12:47 PM EST
Trump, Sheinbaum and Carney take the stage
After a montage about the three host nations' relationship to soccer, the leaders of those countries have taken the stage together. We're now moving into the the actual draw portion of the draw.
Dec 05, 2025 at 12:35 PM EST
Trump receiving the FIFA Peace Prize
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Donald Trump has been awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize and given his speech in Washington, D.C.
Read more from Newsweek's Gabe Whisnant and Peter Aiken.
Dec 05, 2025 at 12:28 PM EST
Donald Trump wins the FIFA Peace Prize
As expected, Trump has been awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Price which was introduced this year "to reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united people across the world.
Dec 05, 2025 at 12:26 PM EST
Robbie Williams performs the FIFA Anthem
Now it's time for the latest rendition of the official FIFA anthem, which is being performed by Robbie Williams. It's a part of the pageantry, but it can't compete with the iconic World Cup songs of the past (Here's looking at you "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)"
Dec 05, 2025 at 12:21 PM EST
Donald and Melania Trump at the World Cup Draw
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Dec 05, 2025 at 12:19 PM EST
FIFA President Gianni Infantino Takes the Stage
Given that this is a FIFA event, Gianni Infantino takes to the stage for his speech. He specifically acknowledged the leaders of all three host nations--all of whom are in the house--and is now asking the Americans, Canadians and Mexicans in the audience to chant for their respective countries.
Dec 05, 2025 at 12:07 PM EST
Donald Trump weighs in on US World Cup Chances
How does Donald Trump think that the United States will do in the 2026 World Cup? We now have our answer.
In a clip from the red carpet shared on X, Ben Jacobs asked the sitting president if America could win the tournament. "Well, I think so," Trump responded noting that there will be stiff competition in the rest of the field.
"I would say they have a small chance."
Dec 05, 2025 at 12:03 PM EST
Andrea Bocelli officially opens the show
With Andrea Bocelli taking the stage, we're officially under way from Washington.
The Italian's name (and voice) largely speaks for itself, but soccer fans will specifically remember him from the title celebrations after Leicester's fairytale run to the Premier League crown.
Dec 05, 2025 at 11:50 AM EST
How to buy tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup
If the World Cup Draw has wet your whistle for some soccer, maybe you'll want to try and catch a game in person. But how do you go about getting tickets for the tournament?
You'll need to create a FIFA ID. You'll then need that to enter the next round of ticketing, which will open after Friday's draw. Fans will be able to apply for specific matchups. A first-come, first-serve round will follow and, for better or worse, there's always the resale marketplace.
This World Cup will also feature dynamic ticket pricing for the first time.
Read more about the ticketing process from Newsweek's Hannah Parry.
Dec 05, 2025 at 11:30 AM EST
Who are the early World Cup Favorites?
Trying to predict the future, especially in the world of sports, can be a fool's errand, but that never stops anyone from trying. As of now, Spain is the general betting favorite. They're followed followed by usual suspects--England, France, Brazil and Argentina--although the exact hierarchy varies depending on the bookmaker.
It's worth noting that today's outcome could shake things up, though. The truly elite teams probably won't be see major changes, but the luck of the draw (literally) could be the difference between an easy path to the trophy or a tricky match early in the knockout stage.
Read more from Newsweek's Tyler Everett.
Dec 05, 2025 at 11:15 AM EST
How do the current FIFA Rankings look?
With the World Cup getting closer, it's reasonable to start thinking about how different nations stack up against one another. And while they're not always perfect, the FIFA Rankings do give us some idea of who has the best shot of international success.
The current top ten is:
- Spain
- Argentina
- France
- England
- Brazil
- Portugal
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- Germany
- Croatia
You'll notice that those nations largely make up Pot 1 for today's draw. Only Croatia misses out--they were bumped down to Pot 2--due to the presence of three host nations.
Dec 05, 2025 at 11:01 AM EST
Where is the World Cup Draw Being Held?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw is at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The tournament is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, but the majority of the games will be held in the US.
Dec 05, 2025 at 10:46 AM EST
How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw
Since the World Cup Draw is a FIFA event, you can watch straight from the source. Streaming will be available on FIFA’s website and their YouTube channel.
For those preferring terrestrial TV, the US audience can tune in on Fox.
Dec 05, 2025 at 10:32 AM EST
Will Donald Trump be at the World Cup Draw?
Given that the 2026 World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, the leaders of those three nations—Donald Trump, Claudia Sheinbaum and Mark Carney—are slated to attend Friday's draw.
Trump is also widely expected to receive the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, which was introduced this year "to reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united people across the world.
Dec 05, 2025 at 10:15 AM EST
Which celebrities will be taking part in the World Cup Draw?
As you might expect from a key part of the World Cup process, FIFA is rolling out the red carpet and bringing in some big names.
Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart to co-host the draw, with Danny Ramirez also taking part in the presentation.
“To be hosting the final draw again, after having been involved in this show 20 years ago in my home country, is truly extraordinary,” Klum, who took part in the draw for the 2006 Germany World Cup, said. “The World Cup brings the world together like nothing else, and being part of that magic again, on an even bigger stage involving three host countries and 48 teams, is an incredible honour.”
Elsewhere, Eli Manning will handle the red carpet, with former England defender Rio Ferdinand conducting the draw. He'll be assisted by four North American sporting greats: Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O'Neal, Tom Brady and Aaron Judge.
“Being part of the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup is an incredible honour – it’s the kind of global stage every athlete dreams of,“ Brady said. “I’m excited to help set the path for a tournament that brings the world together like nothing else.”
In terms of entertainment Andrea Bocelli, the Village People and Robbie Williams will perform. The latter will be joined by Nicole Scherzinger.
Dec 05, 2025 at 10:00 AM EST
How does the FIFA World Cup Draw work?
Prior to the draw, the 48-team field (which includes a few outstanding playoff qualifiers) were sorted into pots based on their place in the FIFA rankings. The three host nations are placed in Pot 1 to avoid playing each other in the group stage, and the playoff teams land in Pot 4.
When it comes time to draw, one team will be selected from each pot to form a four-team group. It's not just random picks, though; there are some geographic blocks that shape how things come together.
For the most part, two teams from the same regional federation can’t be grouped together. The one exception to that rule is Europe; due to the sheer number of teams, two UEFA teams can end up in the game group.
Dec 05, 2025 at 09:45 AM EST
What time is the FIFA World Cup Draw?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw will begin at 12 p.m. Eastern with the TV broadcast slated to run for two hours. It is worth noting, though, that these events generally contain plenty of pageantry; when you factor in things musical performances, celebrity appearances, the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, we probably won’t see the first teams get picked at the top of the first hour.
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