"This new format will see each qualifier placed into one of four pots, which will be based on their FIFA ranking. Teams will then be drawn one at a time, cycling between pots one to four, with a computer placing them into a random group, which takes into account any geographical restrictions, for example, that no countries from the same confederation can be in the same group, except UEFA, which can have two teams in a group."
"The three co-hosts will be in pot one, with Mexico already assigned to Group A, Canada to Group B and the United States to Group D. The draw will take place on Friday, December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, with a scheduled start time of 5pm, UK time and will be streamed on the FIFA YouTube channel, with British television coverage yet to be confirmed."
The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams under an expanded format that replaces the previous eight groups of four. Qualifiers will be seeded into four pots based on FIFA rankings and drawn one at a time, with a computer assigning teams to groups while enforcing geographical and confederation restrictions. UEFA may have two teams in a group, while other confederations cannot share a group. The three co-hosts occupy pot one and are pre-assigned to Groups A (Mexico), B (Canada) and D (United States). The group draw is scheduled for 5 December in Washington DC and will be streamed on FIFA's YouTube channel. Some final slots will be decided by inter-confederation play-offs in March 2026 held in North America.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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