The group stage for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was revealed at a grand draw event in Washington, DC on December 5. The tournament will kick off on June 11, 2026, with Mexico facing South Africa in Mexico City.
Fans can look forward to major clashes like Brazil vs Morocco, Netherlands vs Japan, and a big rematch — France vs Senegal, who upset France in the 2002 World Cup. First-time teams like Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan will also face giants such as Spain, Germany, Argentina, and Portugal.
The full match schedule, including venues and kick-off times, will be released on December 6 on FIFA.com. The draw was conducted by Rio Ferdinand with help from sports legends Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge, and Shaquille O’Neal, and featured performances by Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger, Lauryn Hill, and the Village People.
Full Group List
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, Republic of Korea, UEFA Play-off D winner
Group B: Canada, UEFA Play-off A winner, Qatar, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, UEFA Play-off C winner
Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, UEFA Play-off B winner, Tunisia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group I: France, Senegal, FIFA Play-off 2 winner, Norway
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, FIFA Play-off 1 winner, Uzbekistan, Colombia
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
How Many Teams Are Playing?
The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams, the largest in history.
A total of 104 matches will be played across USA, Canada, and Mexico — the first World Cup hosted by three countries.
Venues & Key Opening Matches
The tournament begins on June 11, 2026, with two Group A matches in Mexico:
- Match 1: Mexico vs South Africa — Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
- Match 2: Group A Match — Estadio Guadalajara
Matches will continue across major cities including Toronto, Los Angeles, Boston, New York/New Jersey, Miami, Houston, Seattle, Dallas, Vancouver, and more.
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