2026 FIFA World Cup draw: Groups now set, U.S. will open against Paraguay
The 12 four-nation "Groups" have now been set. The schedule (and specifically who will come to Gillette Stadium for the first round of the tournament) will be announced on Saturday.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup “Final Draw” is now complete, with all qualified teams sorted into their respective groups (and the six remaining spots up for grabs in the play-off qualifying given established paths).
The United States drew a group composed of Paraguay, Australia, and the winner of European Play-Off C (which will be one of the Slovakia, Kosovo, Romania, and Türkiye contingent). The U.S. will open against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in California.
Gillette Stadium will host seven games, including five group stage games. The entire schedule will be released on Saturday (Dec. 6), meaning that local fans will have to wait a little longer to see exactly who will come to Boston.
However, we do have a slightly clearer idea of who might be lining up for the local games in the Boston area. Here are the nations in the groups that could potentially play at Gillette Stadium:
Group C
- Brazil
- Morocco
- Haiti
- Scotland
Group I
- France
- Senegal
- Norway
- Play-Off Winner 2 (Bolivia/Suriname v Iraq)
Group L
- England
- Croatia
- Ghana
- Panama
Here’s a the full overview of the 12 World Cup groups:
In the knockout round, Gillette Stadium will host a Round of 32 game that will feature the winner of Group E (which includes Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador) against one of the third place finishes from potentially Groups A, B, C, D, or F. The final local game will be a quarterfinal matchup on July 9.
In terms of the schedule, keep an eye out for FIFA’s full announcement on Dec. 6 to see the exact details on who will play at Gillette Stadium.
2:20: The draw is complete! It only took a quick two hours, but we got there. Here are the three other nations in the United States’ group:
- Paraguay
- Australia
- The winner of European Play-Off C (which will be one of the Slovakia, Kosovo, Romania, and Türkiye contingent). This will be decided in March, 2026.
1:28: With the draw now underway, let’s jump to the group format. As a reminder, the format for the World Cup is an initial “Group Stage” followed by a “Knockout Stage,” culminating with the crowning of a champion on July 19 in the Final at MetLife Stadium.
Today’s draw will determine the arrangement of the group stage (and, as a result, the possible paths for the knockout stage).
Here’s a look at the groups as they are announced in the draw, which will be updated as the draw is completed:
Group A
- Mexico
- South Africa
- Korea Republic
- Play-Off D Winner
Group B
- Canada
- Play-Off Winner A
- Qatar
- Switzerland
Group C
- Brazil
- Morocco
- Haiti
- Scotland
Group D
- United States
- Paraguay
- Australia
- Play-Off Winner C
Group E
- Germany
- Curacao
- Ivory Coast
- Ecuador
Group F
- Netherlands
- Japan
- Play-Off Winner B
- Tunisia
Group G
- Belgium
- Egypt
- IR Iran
- New Zealand
Group H
- Spain
- Cape Verde
- Saudi Arabia
- Uruguay
Group I
- France
- Senegal
- Norway
- Play-Off Winner 2
Group J
- Argentina
- Algeria
- Austria
- Jordan
Group K
- Portugal
- Play-Off Winner 1
- Uzbekistan
- Colombia
Group L
- England
- Croatia
- Ghana
- Panama
12:59: The draw is (partly) underway, with the three host countries (the United States, Canada, and Mexico) being sorted into their pre-arranged groups. Mexico is in Group A, Canada in Group B, and the United States in Group D.
12:48: The draw is finally (maybe) about to begin…
12:44: Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni appeared onstage to bring the World Cup trophy out.
12:27: Amid a protracted intro, which has already included multiple musical performances, the draw also featured a worldwide montage of fans. Included in the video were a few shots of (among many other places) downtown Boston, which will serve as one of the tournament’s host cities. Of course, local fans will understand better than most the slight geographic difference between “Boston” and “Foxborough.” (For those curious, the MBTA has already prepared a plan to provide special transportation to and from Gillette Stadium).
12:06: The “Final Draw” presentation is underway! Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli got things started with a soaring musical performance. For a more familiar local name, Tom Brady was also referenced by co-host Heidi Klum in her opening monologue with fellow co-host Kevin Hart. Stay tuned, Brady will be personally involved in the upcoming draw.
11:59: With the draw about to begin, here’s French legend Thierry Henry’s early prediction of what the U.S. could achieve:
11 a.m.: Before the draw gets going, here’s a look at the “Pots” that the World Cup uses to divide teams into 12 groups. One team from each pot will be placed in each group:
- Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, US, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany.
- Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, Korea Republic, Ecuador, Austria, Australia.
- Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa.
- Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, European Play-Off A, B, C, and D, FIFA Play-off Tournament 1 and 2.
There are a few rules and restraints around the draw. For more on that, here’s an explainer about the “Final Draw” and its procedures.
The United States has already been placed into Group D as one of the three co-hosts (Mexico has been placed into Group A, while Canada is in Group B).
10 a.m.: Heading into the draw, here’s NBC News political journalist Steve Kornacki’s helpful rundown on how it works:
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