FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw: Group Stages and Full Match Schedule

The World Cup 2026 Draw finally came to fruition last December 5, Friday. And fans all over now know which teams will fight to the death to secure the coveted trophy of FIFA World Cup 2026. With the new 48-team format set in motion, divided in 12 groups, the FIFA World Cup draw has now been established for the paths of each team. Below, you will find all of the group allocations, along with the full match schedule, format, and groups of death.

World Cup 2026 Draw — Groups & Group Stage Format

List of Qualified Teams by Region

There are currently 42 confirmed qualified nations while the additional slots out of the 48 will be decided via playoffs:

• 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
• Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Curacao, Panama, Haiti, USA, Mexico, Canada

2026 FIFA World Cup Draw Groups: A to L

Group	Teams
Group A	Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, (one of: Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia, Ireland)
Group B	Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, (one of: Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, Bosnia)
Group C	Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
Group D	USA, Australia, Paraguay, (one of: Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia, Kosovo)
Group E	Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao
Group F	Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, (one of: Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, Albania)
Group G	Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand
Group H	Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
Group I	France, Senegal, Norway, (one of: Iraq, Bolivia, Suriname)
Group J	Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan
Group K	Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, (one of: DR Congo, Jamaica, New Caledonia)
Group L	England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana

Overall, there are 12 groups that represent mixes of traditional powerhouses, emerging teams, and many nations. All looking to fight in advancing towards the group phase set by the FIFA World Cup draw.

Tournament Format — From Group Stage to Final

• The group stage will have each of the four teams to play each other once.
• Then, the top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage – all after the 68 group-stage matches.
• On top of it all, the eight best third-place finishers among the groups will advance to Round of 32.
• Knockouts will proceed as follows: Round of 32 → Round of 16 → Quarterfinals → Semifinals → Final.

Such a World Cup format is then designed to showcase that even third-place teams get a chance. An important structural change that the FIFA World Cup 2026 is looking to be more inclusive. And of course, more dramatic after the World Cup 2026 draw.

Key Matchups & Groups of Death in the World Cup 2026 Draw

The FIFA World Cup Draw not only determined the groups now. They have now shaped how most anticipated matchups and potential “groups of death” will occur. In fact, here’s what fans and analysts of FIFA World Cup predictions can look forward to:

Notable Group Stage Matches

• Brazil vs Morocco (Group C) — A test between established South American strength and growing African talent.
• USA vs Paraguay (Group D) — Hosts hoping to progress vs a tough South American contender.
• Spain vs Uruguay (Group H) — Traditional European flair vs South American grit.
• France vs Senegal (Group I) — European powerhouse vs rising African football force.
• Germany vs Ecuador or Ivory Coast vs Ecuador (Group E) — depending on draw picks, could produce spirited clashes.

All of these matches, and honestly – many others – were made possible. And it’s all because of how the World Cup 2026 draw managed to allocate the teams for the pots and groups.

Potential “Group of Death” Candidates

Now with such distributions, certain groups do stand out based on their history (and competitive danger!):

• Group A — Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, plus a strong European qualifier.
• Group D — USA, Australia, Paraguay, and a tough European/Asian qualifier.
• Group H — Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde — balancing tradition, surprises, and unpredictable qualifiers.
• Group L — England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana — a mix of strong European squads and resilient African teams.

With that, many fans can expect the result of the FIFA World Cup draw to create such tight competition, especially early on.

World Cup 2026 Draw Group Stage – Full Match Schedule

Now that the World Cup 2026 draw determined the groups, it also meant that a schedule for the tournament is slowly forming. Here is the key timeline, along with the group-stage matches:

• Start: June 11 — Opening match in Mexico City
• Group Stage: June 11 to June 27
• Round of 32: June 28 to July 3
• Round of 16: July 4 to July 7
• Quarterfinals: July 9 to July 11
• Semifinals: July 14 & July 15
• Third-Place Match: July 18
• Final: July 19

Want to see how each nation advanced to the World Cup? Check out their stories in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers!

For these particular these, you can see the full span of the FIFA World Cup 2026 – as shaped by the group stage draw. And below, you will find the full 2026 FIFA World Cup draw schedule for next year’s tournament:

Thursday, June 11

• Mexico vs South Africa – 3pm (21:00 GMT), Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico
• South Korea vs TBD – 10pm (04:00 GMT Friday), Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan, Mexico

Friday, June 12

• Canada vs TBD – 3pm (20:00 GMT), Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada
• USA vs Paraguay – 9pm (05:00 GMT Saturday), Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, US

Saturday, June 13

• Qatar vs Switzerland – 3pm (23:00 GMT), San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco, US
• Brazil vs Morocco – 6pm (23:00 GMT), New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, US
• Haiti vs Scotland – 9pm (02:00 GMT Sunday), Boston Stadium, Boston, US
• Australia vs TBD – Midnight (08:00 GMT Sunday), BC Place, Vancouver, Canada

Sunday, June 14

• Germany vs Curacao – 1pm (19:00 GMT), Houston Stadium, Houston, US
• Netherlands vs Japan – 4pm (22:00 GMT), Dallas Stadium, Dallas, US
• Ivory Coast vs Ecuador – 7pm (00:00 GMT Monday), Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, US
• TBD vs Tunisia – 10pm (04:00 GMT Monday), Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe, Mexico

Monday, June 15

• Spain vs Cape Verde – 12pm (17:00 GMT), Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, US
• Belgium vs Egypt – 3pm (23:00 GMT), BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
• Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay – 6pm (23:00 GMT), Miami Stadium, Miami, US
• Iran vs New Zealand – 9pm (05:00 GMT Tuesday), Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, US

Tuesday, June 16

• France vs Senegal – 3pm (20:00 GMT), New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, US
• TBD vs Norway – 6pm (23:00 GMT), Boston Stadium, Boston, US
• Argentina vs Algeria – 9pm (03:00 GMT Wednesday), Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, US
• Austria vs Jordan – Midnight (08:00 GMT Wednesday), San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco, US

Wednesday, June 17

• Portugal vs TBD – 1pm (19:00 GMT), Houston Stadium, Houston, US
• England vs Croatia – 4pm (22:00 GMT), Dallas Stadium, Dallas, US
• Ghana vs Panama – 7pm (00:00 GMT Thursday), Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada
• Uzbekistan vs Colombia – 10pm (04:00 GMT Thursday), Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico

Thursday, June 18

• TBD vs South Africa – 12pm (17:00 GMT), Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, US
• Switzerland vs TBD – 3pm (23:00 GMT), Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, US
• Canada vs Qatar – 6pm (02:00 GMT Friday), BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
• Mexico vs South Korea – 9pm (03:00 GMT Friday), Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan, Mexico

Friday, June 19

• Scotland vs Morocco – 6pm (23:00 GMT), Boston Stadium, Boston, US
• USA vs Australia – 3pm (23:00 GMT), Seattle Stadium, Seattle, US
• Brazil vs Haiti – 9pm (02:00 GMT Saturday), Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, US
• TBD vs Paraguay – Midnight (08:00 GMT Saturday), San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco, US

Saturday, June 20

• Netherlands vs TBD – 1pm (19:00 GMT), Houston Stadium, Houston, US
• Germany vs Ivory Coast – 4pm (21:00 GMT), Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada
• Ecuador vs Curacao – 8pm (04:00 GMT Sunday), Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, US
• Tunisia vs Japan – Midnight (06:00 GMT Sunday), Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe, Mexico

Sunday, June 21

• Spain vs Saudi Arabia – 12pm (17:00 GMT), Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, US
• Belgium vs Iran – 3pm (23:00 GMT), Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, US
• Uruguay vs Cape Verde – 6pm (23:00 GMT), Miami Stadium, Miami, US
• New Zealand vs Egypt – 9pm (05:00 GMT Monday), BC Place, Vancouver, Canada

Monday, June 22

• Argentina vs Austria – 1pm (19:00 GMT), Dallas Stadium, Dallas, US
• France vs TBD – 5pm (22:00 GMT), Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, US
• Norway vs Senegal – 8pm (01:00 GMT Tuesday), New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, US
• Jordan vs Algeria – 11pm (07:00 GMT Tuesday), San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco, US

Tuesday, June 23

• Portugal vs Uzbekistan – 1pm (19:00 GMT), Houston Stadium, Houston, US
• England vs Ghana – 4pm (21:00 GMT), Boston Stadium, Boston, US
• Panama vs Croatia – 7pm (00:00 GMT Wednesday), Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada
• Colombia vs TBD – 10pm (04:00 GMT Wednesday), Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan, Mexico

Wednesday, June 24

• Switzerland vs Canada – 3pm (23:00 GMT), BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
• TBD vs Qatar – 3pm (23:00 GMT), Seattle Stadium, Seattle, US
• Scotland vs Brazil – 6pm (23:00 GMT), Miami Stadium, Miami, US
• Morocco vs Haiti – 6pm (23:00 GMT), Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, US
• TBD vs Mexico – 9pm (03:00 GMT Thursday), Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico

The schedule will pull through in similar ways up to June 27. This should just about cover all the group-stage fixtures, as well as complete the roadmap after the World Cup 2026 draw.

What’s Next: Playoff Spots, Final Teams, and Remaining Draw Elements

Even though the World Cup 2026 draw has most of the groups set, there are still slots to be finalized. In fact, some positions will depend on:

• Last qualifying matches (Europe, Asia, other confederations)
• Intercontinental playoffs
• Final determinations for a few “to be decided” slots (TBD) in certain groups

Once those FIFA World Cup qualifiers are settled, the final list of 48 teams will be completed. Then, the full match assignments will be filled, alongside correct venues, and proper kick-off times.

In fact, the finalization of it all is important. It should complete the picture created by the FIFA World Cup draw as teams ready for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Final Thoughts on the FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw

The World Cup 2026 draw has provided an interesting group composition, a complete format of groups and knockouts, and a timeline which is set to bring drama, enthusiasm, and international football spectacle. With the FIFA World Cup 2026 just starting to count, the fans now understand who plays who, when, and where.

Look forward to stiff competition, surprises, and memorable scenes – either by established powerhouses or emerging underdog countries. The draw gave the groundwork; the world will shortly follow the way the story is going.