When Is the 2026 World Cup Draw? Everything You Need to Know

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is going to be the biggest tournament football has ever seen — and the excitement officially begins with the World Cup Draw on Friday 5 December 2025.

Here’s your full guide to the draw, who’s already qualified, how the groups will be decided, and how this expanded 48-team format is going to look… plus what it all means for players preparing for the most demanding World Cup yet.

When Is the 2026 World Cup Draw?

The draw takes place on:

Friday, 5 December 2025
Location: The Kennedy Center, Washington DC
Time: 17:00 GMT (12:00 local time)

This event will decide the 12 groups for the first 48-nation World Cup in history.

It’s also the first time the tournament will be hosted across three countries:
🇺🇸 USA, 🇨🇦 Canada, and 🇲🇽 Mexico
Running from 11 June to 19 July 2026.

How Will the Draw Work?

The 48 teams will be split into four pots, each containing 12 nations. These pots are based on FIFA world rankings and confederation rules.

Key points:

Each group will consist of four teams — one from each pot.
Host nations are automatically placed in specific group positions:
- Mexico → Group A1
- Canada → Group B1
- USA → Group D1
Teams from the same confederation cannot be in the same group, except Europe (max two per group).
Several teams will enter via the 2026 play-offs, which will be drawn in March.

The idea is to create balanced groups… even though we all know there’s always a “Group of Death” hiding somewhere.

Who Has Qualified So Far?

As of 18 November 2025, these nations are confirmed:

Hosts

Canada
Mexico
United States

Africa

Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia

Asia

Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan

Europe

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Oceania

New Zealand

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay

North & Central America / Caribbean

Curacao, Panama, Haiti

Who Still Has to Qualify? (Play-offs)

Play-offs take place March 2026.

There are two paths:

UEFA Path (4 places)

16 teams (12 runners-up + 4 Nations League group winners)

Inter-confederation Path (2 places)

Iraq and DR Congo go straight to the finals
Bolivia, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname battle it out in semi-finals first

This will fill the last six spots in the expanded World Cup.

A Bigger Tournament Means More Football — and More Stress on the Body

With more nations, more matches, and more travel across a full continent, the 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be one of the most physically demanding tournaments ever.

That means foot health becomes even more important for players at every level — professional or amateur.

And this is where Zock fits into the story.

Why Zock Matters More Than Ever During a Tournament Like the 2026 World Cup

Whether you’re a Sunday league player, academy player, semi-pro, or chasing competition at any level — you’ll know how much pressure the metatarsal bones take during training and match play.

The constant sprinting, sharp turns, and repeated impacts can lead to:

Metatarsal stress fractures
Ball-of-foot pain
Repetitive impact injuries
Long-term damage from training volume

The World Cup will push athletes to the limit — but for everyday players, the same recurring stresses happen throughout the season.

That’s exactly why Zock exists.

Zock is a wearable, discreet shock-absorbing boot insert designed to:

Reduce impact forces on the metatarsal region
Support recovery during injury
Help prevent new impact-related injuries
Protect your feet during intense training cycles

With unique impact-resistant material and a surface texture built for absorbing shock, Zock provides targeted protection. You can rotate Side A or Side B depending on where your foot needs support.

After 18 months of research, testing, and design, Zock became a proven tool for athletes dealing with or preventing foot injuries.

If the pros in 2026 are looking for every marginal gain, amateur players deserve that same protection.

➡️ See the Zock Metatarsal Injury Protector here:
https://www.zock.org.uk/products/zock

Final Thoughts

The 2026 World Cup draw is just around the corner, and it marks the start of a huge new chapter for world football — bigger, longer, and more physically intense than ever.

Whether you’re watching, training, or playing your own matches inspired by the tournament, make sure you’re looking after the part of your body that takes the most punishment… your feet.

Because every sprint, every turn, every tackle starts from the ground up.