England have been seeded and are set to avoid Spain, Argentina and France until the latter stages
FIFA have confirmed the pots and seedings for the World Cup 2026 draw, which takes place on December 5.
England, the world’s fourth-ranked side, have been drawn in Pot 1 alongside the likes of Spain, Argentina, France and Brazil, as well as host nations United States, Canada and Mexico.
Scotland, who sealed their place at the World Cup for the first time since 1998 in stunning style against Denmark last week, have been placed in Pot 3, joining the likes of Norway, Egypt and Algeria.
Fellow home nations Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will attempt to secure their places via the play-offs in March, with all four UEFA winners going into Pot 4.
England to avoid Spain, Argentina and France until latter stages
FIFA have also announced that the top-four ranked teams will be specifically seeded so they will avoid each other in the draw until at the least the semi-finals.
Spain (1st seed) and defending champions Argentina (2nd seed), have been placed in opposite sides of the draw – meaning the earliest they can meet is the final.
France (3rd) and England (4th) have been similarly paired, which means the Three Lions will not be able to come up against Spain or Argentina until the semi-finals, and France until the final.
This does, however, only apply if all four nations win their respective groups.
World Cup confirmed pots
Pot 1
- United States
- Mexico
- Canada
- Spain
- Argentina
- France
- England
- Portugal
- Brazil
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- Germany
Pot 2
- Croatia
- Morocco
- Colombia
- Uruguay
- Switzerland
- Japan
- Senegal
- Senegal
- Iran
- South Korea
- Ecuador
- Austria
- Australia
Pot 3
- Panama
- Norway
- Egypt
- Algeria
- Scotland
- Paraguay
- Ivory Coast
- Tunisia
- Uzbekistan
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
Pot 4
- Jordan
- Cape Verde
- Ghana
- Curucao
- Haiti
- New Zealand
- UEFA play-off winner 1 (Italy / Northern Ireland / Wales / Bosnia-Herzegovina)
- UEFA play-off winner 2 (Ukraine / Sweden / Poland / Albania)
- UEFA play-off winner 3 (Turkey / Romania / Slovakia / Kosovo)
- UEFA play-off winner 4 (Denmark / North Macedonia / Czech Republic / Republic of Ireland)
- Inter-confederation play-off winner 1 (DR Congo / New Caledonia / Jamaica)
- Inter-confederation play-off winner 2 (Iraq / Bolivia / Suriname)
When is the World Cup 2026 draw?
The draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place in Washington on December 5 at 5pm UK time (12pm local time).
How will the World Cup 2026 draw work?
The 12 World Cup groups will each contain one team from each of the four pots. The draw begins with pot one.
Co-hosts Mexico (A1), Canada (B1), and the United States (D1) are assigned fixed positions so they can play all matches in their home countries. They are represented by special coloured balls.
As teams are drawn, they enter the first available group in alphabetical order. A computer ensures Spain, Argentina, France, and England land in the correct bracket sections.
The draw proceeds through pot two, then pot three, and finishes with pot four.
To speed up the process, teams are no longer drawn into specific group positions. All seeded teams take position one, and a predetermined grid assigns the remaining positions.
No group may include more than one team from the same confederation, except that four groups will contain two European teams because Europe has 16 qualifiers for 12 groups.
Inter-confederation play-off winners have limited options: Pathway 1 (New Caledonia, Jamaica, DR Congo) cannot join Concacaf or African teams; Pathway 2 (Bolivia, Suriname, Iraq) must avoid South America, Concacaf, and Asia.
Match dates and order will be known after the draw, but venues and kick-off times will only be confirmed on Saturday, 6 December.
