Highlights:
- First-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup, featuring 12 groups of four teams each.
- Four nations—Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, Uzbekistan—make their World Cup debut.
- Draw hosted at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, at 10:30 PM IST.
- Global leaders and FIFA President Gianni Infantino attend the star-studded event.
- Indian fans can watch via FIFA+ and FIFA World Cup social media, as TV broadcast is unavailable.
The stage is set for one of the most anticipated moments ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 as all 48 participating teams await their group-stage fate during the official Draw in Washington, DC Taking place at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the ceremony marks the beginning of a historic chapter in world football, as this edition becomes the first to feature an expanded lineup of 48 nations.
Scheduled for 10:30 PM IST, the draw will determine the structure of 12 groups, each comprising four teams. Hosts USA, Canada, and Mexico, who will jointly stage the tournament, already know their respective groups, while four nations are poised to make their World Cup debuts: Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. Their arrival reflects the growing global reach and competitive diversity of the sport.
The draw is expected to be a glittering event attended by major international dignitaries, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney. FIFA president Gianni Infantino will preside over the proceedings, adding to the prestige of the evening.
For fans in India, the draw will not be available on television. Instead, enthusiasts can follow the action live through digital platforms, including the FIFA+ app and official FIFA World Cup social media channels. This ensures that viewers worldwide remain connected to the buildup of the tournament, which is set to kick off on June 11, 2026.
The teams have been seeded into four pots based on FIFA rankings and qualification pathways. Pot 1 features top-ranked powerhouses such as Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, alongside the three host nations. Pot 2 includes strong contenders like Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, and Senegal, promising competitive group combinations.
Pot 3 brings together teams such as Norway, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, and Ivory Coast, while Pot 4 contains debutants Jordan, Cape Verde, and Curacao, as well as Ghana, Haiti, New Zealand, four European playoff winners, and two intercontinental playoff qualifiers. The mix of established football giants and rising nations sets the stage for an exciting and unpredictable group-stage landscape.
This edition of the World Cup is not only the largest but also one of the most logistically complex, spanning three countries and multiple time zones. As excitement builds, attention now turns to how the draw will shape the competition's early narrative and which teams will emerge with advantageous or challenging paths.
With the ceremonial proceedings underway and anticipation running high, the footballing world gathers to witness the roadmap to glory for each of the 48 teams. The expanded format promises more matches, more stories, and more opportunities for underdogs to shine on football's biggest platform.
