Where to watch the 2026 World Cup draw: TV channels and online streaming in the United States

W ith six months to go until the start of the 2026 World Cup , the excitement is already building. The tournament will officially kick off on June 11 in Mexico City , but before the ball gets rolling, one of the most eagerly awaited moments will arrive: the group stage draw.

Of the 48 places, a total of 42 teams have already qualified and will know their path on December 5, when FIFA holds the official draw. The remaining six places will be decided in March through UEFA qualifiers and intercontinental playoffs.

When and where will the 2026 World Cup draw take place?

The draw will take place on Friday, December 5 at 17:00 GMT (12:00 ET; 22:30 IST; 04:00 AEDT on Saturday). The venue will be the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C , one of the most iconic cultural venues in the United States.

FIFA has prepared an event in keeping with the new format of the tournament, which for the first time will feature 48 teams in 12 groups of four.

How to watch the draw live?

In addition, the event will be available to watch for free globally on FIFA.com and on FIFA's official YouTube channel. ESPN will also offer live coverage.

This is how the draw for the 48 teams will work

The 48 teams -including the playoff teams- will be divided into four pots of 12 . The ranking will be determined according to the FIFA Ranking of November 19: the best ranked teams will go to Pot 1, the next to Pot 2, and so on.

The hosts United States, Mexico and Canada will automatically be in Pot 1 and already have assigned groups . Teams from the same pot cannot be in the same group.

Draw order and group allocation

The procedure will begin with Pot 1 , although the three hosts already have their place and schedule in the group stage. Each country will be placed in its pre-established position and then the remaining places in the pot will be filled.

The process will then be repeated with Pots 2, 3 and 4 in that order, completing each pot before moving on to the next. The groups will be filled in alphabetical order.

The historic twist: a tennis-style format to avoid early clashes

FIFA introduced an unprecedented change this year: a "tennis-style ranking" system to order the tournament routes. This means that the four highest-ranked teams - Spain, Argentina, France and England - will be placed in opposite brackets, ensuring that they cannot meet until the semi-finals, as long as they win their groups.

This approach seeks to increase competitive balance and avoid favorites clashing in early rounds, a decision that will significantly alter the development of the tournament.