UK viewers can tune into the on BBC and BBC iPlayer in the UK, as well as on FIFA.com and FIFA's YouTube channel globally.
When is the draw?
The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals will take place today (Friday, 5th December), commencing at 17:00 GMT at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.
The event will be co-hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum, comedian Kevin Hart and actor and producer Danny Ramirez, and will include live performances from Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, among others.
Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand will conduct the draw, joined by the sporting greats including Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O'Neal.
FIFA will then subsequently unveil the match schedule in another live broadcast on Saturday, 6th December at 17:00 GMT.
How does the draw work?
The draw will begin with Pot 1, which comprises 12 seeded teams, as determined by FIFA, being drawn into Groups A to L. These teams are:
- Top four-ranked nations: Spain, Argentina, France and England
- If these four teams finish top of their initial groups, they are guaranteed to avoid one another until at least the semi-finals.
- Next five best-seeded nations: Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Netherlands and Portugal
- Three seeded spots allocated to the host nations: Canada (pre-determined to be in Group B), Mexico (Group A) and United States (Group D)
This process will then follow with the drawing of teams from Pots 2, 3 and 4, in that order.
No group can have more than one team from the same confederation drawn into it, with the exception of European (UEFA) teams, of which there can be up two drawn into the same group.
Six spaces at the finals are yet to be confirmed, however, with 22 teams still in contention to qualify through a series of play-off matches in March 2026.
