Holders Argentina and leading contenders Spain and England were all handed kind draws for the 2026 World Cup in a star-studded ceremony in Washington on Friday.
The event started the final countdown to the tournament, six months out from the first-ever 48-team World Cup, with much-fancied France among those receiving a harder task.
Thomas Tuchel’s England will meet Croatia, Ghana, and Panama in a kind-looking Group, while Lionel Messi’s Argentina will begin their defence of the trophy they won in Qatar in 2022 against Algeria, and will also face Austria and debutants Jordan in Group J.
Heavily-fancied Spain, the European champions, will kick off against first-time qualfiers Cape Verde before also taking on Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H.
Two-time winners France, meanwhile, face awkward tests against Senegal and Erling Haaland’s Norway in Group I, which will be completed by an intercontinental play-off winner from either Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname.
Trump presides over 2026 World Cup draw in Washington
See the full 2026 FIFA World Cup draw below:
Group A: Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, Republic of Ireland/Denmark/North Macedonia/Czech Republic
Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, Wales/Northern Ireland/Italy/Bosnia-Herzegovina
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
Group D: USA, Australia, Paraguay, Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo
Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, Poland/Ukraine/Sweden/Albania
Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq or Bolivia/Suriname
Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, DR Congo or Jamaica/New Caledonia
Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana
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