Final draw for FIFA 2026 World Cup to take place in December

GENEVA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The final draw for the FIFA 2026 World Cup will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. on December 5, FIFA announced on Friday.

Next year's World Cup will be held in 16 cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States, with 48 teams divided into 12 groups.

The teams representing the host countries will be assigned to positions A1 (Mexico), B1 (Canada) and D1 (USA), as per the match schedule released last year.

In addition to the three host countries, 10 nations have already qualified including defending champion Argentina, along with Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, New Zealand and Uzbekistan.

By the time the draw takes place, 42 of the 48 teams will have been confirmed, with the remaining six spots to be decided through play-off matches scheduled for March next year. ■