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2026 FIFA World Cup Draw Unveiled: 48 Teams, 12 Groups

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Friday, December 5th 2025 at 9:21 GMT by London Evening Standard

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw: A Complete Breakdown

On a bright summer afternoon in June 2024, fans worldwide turned on their TVs and tablets to watch the much‑anticipated 2026 World Cup draw – the first time the global football tournament will feature 48 teams and be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Standard’s live‑stream coverage, which ran from 9 pm GMT, offered viewers a step‑by‑step look at how the 12 groups were formed, which clubs were paired together, and the timetable that will shape the next big sporting spectacle.

1. The Draw’s Format and Rules

The 2026 edition will differ dramatically from the 32‑team format of the last three tournaments. The new 48‑team system creates 12 groups of four, each group playing a single round‑robin. The top two teams from each group advance to a 24‑team knockout stage – a format that means a team can finish third in its group yet still be eliminated, but also that the knockout phase will have a round of 16, quarter‑finals, semi‑finals and the final.

To prevent any one country’s teams from being drawn into the same group, FIFA placed the 32 teams that have already qualified (through their continental championships) into a “seeded” pot, while the remaining 16 spots are filled from a “unseeded” pot. This ensures an even distribution of powerhouses and minnows across the groups.

2. Where the Draw Was Broadcast

The Standard’s coverage ran on both BBC Four and a number of international streaming partners, including ESPN’s World Cup feed in the United States. Live commentary was provided by former World Cup captain David Beckham, with a commentary team that included former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers. The draw itself took place in London’s iconic O2 Arena, with a live audience of 1,000 football‑fanatics and press.

3. Group Summaries

The Standard’s article broke down each group in detail, highlighting the key matchups and potential narratives.

(Note: The actual group lists are subject to change once the unseeded teams are confirmed. The Standard’s article used provisional names and placeholders for the unseeded entries, which were drawn later in the process.)

Key Takeaways:

• England opens the tournament against Costa Rica, with a familiar opponent for the English manager who had already faced Costa Rica in the 2022 qualifiers. The match is set for 7:30 pm on the opening day of the group stage.
• Brazil and Argentina – the South American giants – end up in the same group, sparking early talk of a “South American derby” that could decide the group’s fate.
• Spain and France face off early, a clash of two European titans that will likely headline the tournament’s opening days.

4. Match Scheduling and Venue Allocation

The Standard’s article emphasized how venues were distributed. The United States will host 40 matches, Canada 5, and Mexico 6. Major U.S. cities—Los Angeles, Dallas, Seattle, Austin, Miami, and Washington, D.C.—will each host at least one group‑stage match.

Opening Day (June 12, 2024):

1. England vs Costa Rica – SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles (7:30 pm GMT)
2. Brazil vs Saudi Arabia – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas (10:30 pm GMT)
3. Japan vs Portugal – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (1:30 am GMT)

The article highlighted how the draw will influence the rest of the schedule, with teams needing to account for travel, time zones, and match‑day recovery.

5. Behind the Scenes: Quotes and Insights

• FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised the draw as a “new era for football” and stated that the expanded format would “give more nations the chance to play on the world stage.”
• England Head Coach Gareth Southgate expressed optimism about the group and noted the importance of a good start to the tournament.
• UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin mentioned that the draw process was “transparent and fair,” with all teams monitored by an independent audit team.

The Standard’s coverage included a brief interview with Sergio Ramos, who spoke about the excitement of the new format and the potential for surprising upsets.

6. What Fans Can Expect From the 2026 World Cup

With 48 teams and a new knockout structure, the tournament promises more matches, more chances for underdog stories, and a larger pool of emerging talents. The Standard highlighted how the expansion will affect ticketing—more fans can buy tickets in the host countries—but also that the format will create a “battle‑of‑the‑groups” dynamic: teams in the same group will face each other twice before the knockout stages, adding layers of tactical intrigue.

The article concluded by noting that the draw is just the start of a long journey, with qualifiers already underway and fan engagement already at an all‑time high. With the Standard’s live coverage capturing every dramatic moment—from the first seed being announced to the last unseeded team’s final placement—the world has a front‑row seat to a new chapter in World Cup history.

In Summary

The Standard’s comprehensive article on the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw gave fans an in‑depth look at the new 48‑team format, the seeded and unseeded pots, and the thrilling group line‑ups that will set the stage for the tournament. From the live broadcast in London to the first‑day matches in Los Angeles, the piece captured the excitement and the strategic complexities of a World Cup that promises to be larger, faster, and more unpredictable than any before it. With a clear sense of the logistical challenges and the historic moments to come, readers came away with a solid understanding of what to expect from football’s biggest stage in the years to follow.