What's happened
On December 5, 2025, the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw will take place at Washington's Kennedy Center, attended by US President Donald Trump. The expanded 48-team tournament, hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, will feature 12 groups of four teams. Scotland, having qualified after 28 years, awaits its group opponents and fixture details, with the tournament running June 11 to July 19, 2026.
What's behind the headline?
Expanded Format and Its Implications
The 2026 World Cup's expansion to 48 teams marks a significant shift in international football, increasing matches from 64 to 104 and introducing a new group and knockout structure. This expansion aims to broaden global participation, allowing debutants like Cape Verde and Curaçao to compete on football's biggest stage.
Strategic Draw and Seeding
The draw's structure, with seeded pots based on FIFA rankings and confederation restrictions, is designed to balance competition and avoid early clashes between top teams. The hosts—US, Canada, and Mexico—are pre-assigned to groups, ensuring home advantage and fan engagement.
Scotland's Opportunity
Scotland's qualification after a 28-year absence is a national milestone. Placed in pot 3, Scotland faces a mix of mid-tier and lower-ranked teams, with a realistic chance to advance to the knockout stage for the first time, aided by the tournament's expanded format allowing the top two and eight best third-placed teams to progress.
Political and Cultural Dimensions
The presence of US President Donald Trump at the draw highlights the event's political and cultural significance, blending sport with diplomacy. The choice of the Kennedy Center as venue underscores the spectacle's prominence.
Forecast and Impact
The expanded tournament will likely increase global viewership and commercial opportunities, but also poses logistical challenges, including managing heat in open-air stadiums and scheduling 104 matches. For fans, the staggered release of fixtures post-draw adds anticipation but delays full planning.
Overall, the 2026 World Cup draw is a pivotal moment setting the stage for a historic tournament that will reshape international football's competitive landscape and fan experience.
What the papers say
SBS reports that the draw will be held at Washington's Kennedy Center on December 5, with US President Donald Trump attending and FIFA's inaugural peace prize to be awarded. The NY Post highlights celebrity involvement, including Peyton Manning and Tom Brady as draw assistants, and hosts Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum, emphasizing the event's entertainment scale. The Independent details the expanded 48-team format, noting record ticket prices and the inclusion of debutant nations like Cape Verde and Curaçao, while also mentioning the challenges posed by summer heat at venues. The Scotsman focuses on Scotland's qualification and their placement in pot 3, explaining the draw rules and potential opponents, providing context for Scottish fans. Al Jazeera outlines the draw procedure, pot compositions, and FIFA's seeding rationale, emphasizing the top four seeds' placement to avoid early clashes. AP News covers the playoff structure and the presence of teams like Italy in the playoffs, adding depth to the qualification narrative. Together, these sources provide a comprehensive view of the draw's significance, the tournament's scale, and the cultural and sporting stakes involved.
How we got here
FIFA expanded the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams for 2026, hosted jointly by the US, Canada, and Mexico. Qualification concluded with 42 teams confirmed and six spots to be decided via playoffs in March 2026. The draw will allocate teams into groups based on FIFA rankings and confederation rules, setting the stage for the largest World Cup ever.
Go deeper
- Who are the top seeded teams in the 2026 World Cup draw?
- What are Scotland's chances in the expanded World Cup format?
- How will the new 48-team format affect the tournament schedule?
Common question
-
2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Which Teams Are In and What's Next?
The qualification process for the 2026 World Cup is heating up, with many teams securing their spots and others battling it out in playoff matches. Fans are eager to know which nations have qualified, when and where the key matches are happening, and how the expanded tournament will work. Below, we answer the most common questions about the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, giving you all the latest updates and insights.
-
How Does Violence in Countries Like Haiti Affect International Sports?
Ongoing violence and political instability in countries like Haiti have a significant impact on international sports events. From safety concerns to the symbolic power of sports, many questions arise about how conflict influences global competitions and unity. Below, we explore key questions about the intersection of violence and sports, offering insights into how the world navigates these challenging situations.
-
What Is the Schedule for the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the biggest tournament ever, with a new expanded format and matches hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Fans are eager to know the schedule, venues, and key dates. In this guide, you'll find all the essential details about the tournament's timeline, including match dates, group stages, and knockout rounds, so you can plan your viewing and travel accordingly.
-
How Do International Politics Affect Sports Events?
Global politics often intersect with sports, influencing who can compete, how events are organized, and what messages are sent on the world stage. Recent legal rulings and geopolitical tensions have shown that sports are not immune to political conflicts. Curious about how these tensions play out in major tournaments and what they mean for athletes and fans? Keep reading to find out.
More on these topics
-
FIFA is a non-profit organization which describes itself as an international governing body of association football, fútsal, beach soccer, and efootball. It is the highest governing body of football.
-
Australia, officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands.
-
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a 96 mile border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and w
-
Giovanni Vincenzo "Gianni" Infantino is a Swiss–Italian football administrator and the current president of FIFA. He was elected President of FIFA during the 2016 FIFA Extraordinary Congress on 26 February 2016.
-
Stephen Clarke is a Scottish professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the Scotland national team.
Clarke played for St Mirren, Chelsea and the Scotland national team, winning three major trophies with Chelsea towards the end o
-
Erling Braut Haaland is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Norway national team.
-
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central and Western Europe. Covering an area of 357,022 square kilometres, it lies between the Baltic and North seas to the north, and the Alps to the south.
-
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in Western Asia, bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Kuwait to the southeast, Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the southwest and Syria to the west.
-
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Southeast Europe. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro to the southeast, sharing a maritime border with Ital
-
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, marketed as FIFA World Cup 26, will be the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international men's soccer championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA.
-
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe whose mainland territory comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula; Mainland Norway and the remote island of Jan Mayen as well as the archi
-
Donald John Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
-
The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
-
Gregor Peter John Townsend (born 26 April 1973) is a Scottish professional rugby union coach and former player who has been coaching the Scotland national team since 2017.
Townsend was previously the assistant coach from 2009 to 2012. As a player, he...
-
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in the southeastern region of South America. It borders Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and east, with the Río de la Plata to the south and the Atlantic Ocean
-
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country located mostly on the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe, being bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the nor