The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup draw has placed the USA in a group alongside Paraguay, Australia, and a UEFA playoff winner. A total of 48 teams will compete, organized into 12 groups of four teams each.
Group Setup and Ranking Pots
The teams will be pulled from four pots based on their rankings. Pot 1 contains the USA, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Pot 2 includes Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, and Australia.
- Pot 1: 13 top teams
- Pot 2: 12 competitive nations
- Pot 3: 12 diverse teams
- Pot 4: 6 playoff teams plus 7 others
Group Stage and Knockout Process
In the group stage, teams will play in a round-robin format. The two top teams from each group, along with the eight best third-place teams, will move on to the knockout stage.
The knockout stage is single-elimination, requiring teams to win in a bracket format. This stage includes five rounds: Round of 32, Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and the Final. Additionally, there will be a third-place match between the semifinal losers.
Details on UEFA Playoff Teams
Six teams will qualify for the tournament through playoffs set to conclude in March. These final teams will be drawn into Group 4.
The inclusion of more European teams is allowed due to the UEFA confederation having more teams than available slots.
