World Cup 2026 Interactive Draw
About the FIFA World Cup Draw
This interactive simulator follows the official rules for the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage draw, which features an expanded format with 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four. The key principles are:
Seeding: Teams are organized into four pots based on their FIFA world ranking. The top-ranked teams are in Pot 1.
Host Nations: The three host nations—USA, Mexico, and Canada—are automatically placed in Pot 1 and are pre-assigned to their respective groups (Group A, B, and C).
Geographical Separation: Teams from the same confederation are kept apart in different groups. The only exception is Europe (UEFA), which can have up to two teams in a single group. This ensures variety and competitive balance.
The simulator generates a random draw that respects all these official rules. You can also customize the pots by swapping teams with popular alternate squads before starting the draw.
How WC26 group stage works (quick guide)
Format: 48 teams → 12 groups of 4. Top 2 in each group + the best 8 third-place teams advance to a 32-team knockout.
Seeding: Groups are formed by 4 pots (12 teams each), based on FIFA ranking with host nations in Pot 1. No more than one team per confederation in a group (except UEFA, max two).
Knockout: Round of 32 → Round of 16 → QFs → SFs → Final. Single-elimination.
Mock draw: This tool mirrors the official structure for practice only. Official Draw timing is TBA by FIFA.
Alternate Teams
Can’t find a team in the current drawing? You can switch teams if you think another nation has a real shot to make WC26. If you still can’t find your team, send us a message and we’ll add it.
Seeding Pots
Teams marked with + or * cannot be switched.