There are 12 groups of four teams, with each playing the others once in a round-robin. Three points are awarded for a win and one for a draw, with the top two teams advancing directly to the knockout stage. In the World Cup's new format, eight of the 12 group third-place winners also move on to the Round of 32.

The 2026 World Cup draw is happening on Friday, December 5 but when will the full schedule for the tournament be released?

But the draw is upon us, or on the way in a matter of hours: 9am Pacific Time, 12pm Eastern Time, 5pm for those of us in the UK. Seven and a half years have passed since the United States, Canada and Mexico were selected as joint hosts for 2026, and now we hit the most crucial moment ahead of kick-off itself on June 11.

FIFA is about to determine which teams all 48 participating countries in the FIFA World Cup 2026 will face in the group phase of the tournament, which the U.S., Canada and Mexico are co-hosting.

SEATTLE — Soccer fans are waiting with bated breath for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw, which is scheduled for 12 p.m. EST in Washington D.C., on Friday -- an event that will shape the entire field of play for the international games next Summer.

FIFA issued a statement on Thursday night which said that the Iranian football federation had reversed its plans to boycott the FIFA World Cup draw, with the world football governing body saying the nation has sent a delegation to the United States to attend the event.

U.S. President Donald Trump turned the spotlight onto FIFA president Gianni Infantino ahead of Friday's 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, praising the football boss' organisation of the world’s biggest sporting event.

Supermodel/TV personality Heidi Klum and actor-comedian Kevin Hart will co-host the draw from the Kennedy Center, alongside actor/producer Danny Ramirez.