The FIFA World Cup will take place next summer across three nations: Canada, the United States and México. Splitting the tournament up into three countries is a first for the international competition. New in 2026 as well? The group stage has increased from 32 teams to 48, giving 16 more teams the chance for worldwide glory.
The heads of Government from FIFA World Cup 2026™ host countries: Canada, Mexico and the United States, convened in Washington D.C. for the Final Draw of teams for the group phase on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. Courtesy FIFA
On Friday, the draw for the 12 groups of four teams that will kick off the World Cup was taken and below is the result of the random selection. And, because so many teams where invited, spectators in person or via telecast will be treated to pre-group phase tournaments in March that will decide the final teams joining the groups.
In this first phase, analysts are already trying to predict which teams could move into the elimination phase. Many Hispanics will be focused on Groups H, J and K, with powerhouses Spain, Uruguay, Argentina, Austria, Portugal and Colombia.
Still to be seen which is the “killer” group, usually a designation given to high caliber teams, usually equally matched and with large fanbases, so that an elimination will bring tears to the eyes of grown people. Analysts on Telemundo, the U.S. Spanish-language broadcast rights holder for the matches, believe it will likely be Group C, with Brasil, Morocco, Haiti and Scotland.
For people on the West Coast, the venues that will host matches are Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The World Cup could be a great reason to visit our neighbors up north where people can watch at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.
Acquiring tickets for the World Cup can be complicated and until December 11, the ticket window is closed. On that day, the “random selection draw” application period will start and run through January 13, 2026. It appears that current ticket holders do have a marketplace where they can resell, so don’t fret if you haven’t snagged some yet. According to FIFA, nearly two million tickets have already been sold.
Stay vigilant and updated on the FIFA.com website and Noticiero Móvil!
GROUP A
Mexico
South Africa
South Korea/Korea Republic
European Playoff (Czechia/Ireland/Denmark/North Macedonia)
GROUP B
Canada
European Playoff (Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Italy/Northern Ireland)
Qatar
Switzerland
GROUP C
Brazil
Morocco
Haiti
Scotland
GROUP D
United States
Paraguay
Australia
FIFA Playoff (Türkiye/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo)
GROUP E
Germany
Curaçao
Côte d’Ivoire
Ecuador
GROUP F
Netherlands
Japan
FIFA Winner of Playoff (Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, Albania)
Tunisia
GROUP G
Belgium
Egypt
Iran
New Zealand
GROUP H
Spain
Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia
Uruguay
GROUP I
France
Senegal
FIFA Winner Playoff (Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname)
Norway
GROUP J
Argentina
Algeria
Austria
Jordan
GROUP K
Portugal
FIFA Winner Playoff (New Caledonia/Jamaica/Congo)
Uzbekistan
Colombia
GROUP L
England
Croatia
Ghana
Panama
Check back with Noticiero Móvil to stay updated on the FIFA World Cup games in our region!
