World Cup qualifying draw

The draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifying rounds will take place on July 22, 2023, in Zurich, Switzerland. The 32 teams that have qualified for the World Cup will be drawn into eight groups of four teams. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the World Cup, while the third-placed teams will advance to a play-off round to determine the final two World Cup berths.

The draw will be conducted in two stages. In the first stage, the 32 teams will be divided into four pots based on their FIFA World Rankings. The pots will be as follows:

• Pot 1: The top seven teams in the FIFA World Rankings
• Pot 2: The next eight teams in the FIFA World Rankings
• Pot 3: The next eight teams in the FIFA World Rankings
• Pot 4: The next nine teams in the FIFA World Rankings

In the second stage of the draw, the teams from each pot will be drawn into the eight groups. The teams from Pot 1 will be drawn into the first group, the teams from Pot 2 will be drawn into the second group, and so on. The teams from each group will play each other home and away, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the World Cup.

The World Cup qualifying rounds will begin in September 2023 and will conclude in November 2025.

The draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifying rounds is sure to be a major event on the international football calendar. The draw will determine the path to the World Cup for 32 teams, and it will be sure to provide plenty of excitement and drama.