The eagerly awaited FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw has set the stage for an expanded tournament featuring 48 teams across three host nations: the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The draw, held at the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts on 5 December, unveiled 12 groups of four teams, marking the first time the competition will adopt this format.
The opening match will take place in Mexico City on 11 June 2026. Co-hosts USA and Canada will begin their campaigns a day later in Los Angeles and Toronto respectively. The group stage will run until 27 June, followed by an expanded knockout phase beginning with the Round of 32.
Among the standout fixtures, Brazil will meet Morocco, while the Netherlands face Japan. France, meanwhile, are set for a challenging encounter against Senegal, recalling their shock defeat to the African side in 2002. Defending champion, Argentina, will begin their title defence in Group J.
The draw also produced one of the most anticipated clashes in modern football: Kylian Mbappé’s France against Erling Haaland’s Norway in Group I, widely dubbed the “Group of Death”. England will face Croatia once again, renewing a rivalry that has defined recent tournaments.
Debutants such as Uzbekistan will make their first appearances on the world stage, each drawn against footballing giants such as Germany, Spain, Argentina, and Portugal. FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the expanded format as “a historic step for global football,” emphasising the opportunity for more nations to compete at the highest level.
Six slots in the group stage of the tournament, still remain unclaimed, with 22 nations still vying for qualification through the playoff rounds.
The 22 teams that could still make it are: Jamaica, New Caledonia, Sweden, Congo DR, Bolivia, Suriname, Iraq, Poland, Wales, Italy, Northern Ireland, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo, Turkey, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Republic of Ireland, Denmark, and North Macedonia.
The tournament will be staged across 16 host cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Mexico City. The final is scheduled for 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
With 104 matches to be played, the expanded World Cup promises unprecedented drama, with fans already debating which groups will prove most difficult. Analysts have noted that while hosts USA received a favourable draw against Paraguay, Australia, and a European playoff winner, other nations such as France and Brazil face tougher paths.
As anticipation builds, the draw has sparked trending searches worldwide, particularly around “Mbappé vs Haaland,” “Argentina title defence,” and “World Cup 2026 host cities.” The event has set the tone for what is expected to be the most commercially and globally impactful World Cup in history.
Sources: FIFA, Sarawak Daily
