⚽ 2026 FIFA World Cup Groups: A Deep Dive on World Cup Group Play
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins a new era for the international tournament as the field expands to 48 teams for the first time, which means we're going to be treated to 12 groups of action to draw from instead of the standard eight.
The action across the three host nations of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. That means each group is going to contend with interesting travel barriers as they navigate their round robins.
The opener is a Group A clash at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11. Here is our definitive guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Groups.
⚽ 2026 World Cup qualified teams by group
There are 48 teams vying to win the 2026 World Cup, broken into their 12 groups.
- Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
- Group B: Canada, Qatar, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
- Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
- Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, Sweden
- Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zeland
- Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
- Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq
- Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
- Group K: Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia, DR Congo
- Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
📅 Key dates and schedules
Here is a look at the key dates for each group's three matchdays. All four teams in each group play on each matchday.
| Group | Matchday 1 | Matchday 2 | Matchday 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | June 11, 2026 | June 18, 2026 | June 24, 2026 |
| Group B | June 12, 2026 | June 18, 2026 | June 24, 2026 |
| Group C | June 13, 2026 | June 19, 2026 | June 24, 2026 |
| Group D | June 12, 2026 and June 13, 2026 | June 19, 2026 | June 25, 2026 |
| Group E | June 14, 2026 | June 20, 2026 | June 25, 2026 |
| Group F | June 14, 2026 | June 20, 2026 | June 25, 2026 |
| Group G | June 15, 2026 | June 21, 2026 | June 26, 2026 |
| Group H | June 15, 2026 | June 21, 2026 | June 26, 2026 |
| Group I | June 16, 2026 | June 22, 2026 | June 26, 2026 |
| Group J | June 16, 2026 | June 22, 2026 | June 27, 2026 |
| Group K | June 17, 2026 | June 23, 2026 | June 27, 2026 |
| Group L | June 17, 2026 | June 23, 2026 | June 27, 2026 |
Group Stage travel for each team
Not all Group Stage travel is equal across the 48 squads, and, on average, the numbers aren't as high as in some previous years. This year, the teams will travel 5,167 miles, and while they were spoiled in Qatar 2022 (86 miles), Russia 2018 (5,441 miles), and Brazil 2014 (7,054 miles), they traveled farther distances.
Here's a look at the distance each team will travel in the Group Stage.
Group A
| Team | Distance (miles) |
|---|---|
| Czech Republic | 2,811 |
| South Africa | 2,440 |
| Mexico | 580 |
| South Korea | 396 |
Group B
| Team | Distance (miles) |
|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3,144 |
| Canada | 2,084 |
| Switzerland | 1,394 |
| Qatar | 943 |
Group C
| Team | Distance (miles) |
|---|---|
| Haiti | 1,262 |
| Scotland | 1,225 |
| Brazil | 1,094 |
| Morocco | 1,087 |
Group D
| Team | Distance (miles) |
|---|---|
| USA | 1,930 |
| Turkey | 1,533 |
| Australia | 828 |
| Paraguay | 309 |
Group E
| Team | Distance (miles) |
|---|---|
| Ecuador | 2,122 |
| Curacao | 1,679 |
| Germany | 1,638 |
| Ivory Coast | 678 |
Group F
| Team | Distance (miles) |
|---|---|
| Japan | 1,044 |
| Tunisia | 982 |
| Netherlands | 875 |
| Sweden | 639 |
Group G
| Team | Distance (miles) |
|---|---|
| Belgium | 2,049 |
| New Zealand | 1,084 |
| Iran | 965 |
| Egypt | 238 |
🇮🇷 Complications from the war in Iran
As of early April, Iran is expected to participate in the World Cup despite the ongoing war in Iran. There have been hints from the Iranian government that they would pull out, with pushback from FIFA about the penalties for doing so.
Iran's football federations (FFIRI) reportedly negotiated with FIFA to have it's scheduled matches moved to Mexico, but FIFA denied the request.
Concerns have been raised about travel bans, players defecting, and security issues in cities where their matches may be played.
If Iran were to withdraw, it has been rumored that the United Arab Emirates would be next in line to replace them following Iraq's qualification.
Group H
| Team | Distance (miles) |
|---|---|
| Cape Verde | 1,533 |
| Uruguay | 1,510 |
| Spain | 1,469 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1,294 |
Group I
| Team | Distance (miles) |
|---|---|
| Iraq | 590 |
| Norway | 341 |
| Senegal | 336 |
| France | 334 |
Group J
| Team | Distance (miles) |
|---|---|
| Algeria | 2,972 |
| Austria | 1,898 |
| Jordan | 1,437 |
| Argentina | 461 |
Group K
| Team | Distance (miles) |
|---|---|
| DR Congo | 2,270 |
| Colombia | 1,800 |
| Uzbekistan | 1,453 |
| Portugal | 960 |
Group L
| Team | Distance (miles) |
|---|---|
| England | 1,721 |
| Croatia | 1,558 |
| Ghana | 679 |
| Panama | 336 |
✨ Unique nations
With the expansion to 48 teams, the door has been opened for some new arrivals on the world stage.
Debutants
Curacao (CONCACAF), Uzbekistan (AFC), Jordan (AFC), and Cabo Verde (CAF) will be making their first appearance.
Uzbekistan finished second in AFC Group A to punch its ticket, while Jordan finished second in AFC Group B. Cape Verde had an impressive run through the CAF Group D, finishing ahead of Cameroon.
Curacao's path through CONCACAF was unique, as the United States, Mexico, and Canada all automatically qualified as host teams. That changed the complexity of the qualification path.
Biggest and smallest
Curacao holds the distinction of being both the smallest qualified nation in both population and land mass. The 171 square mile nation has a population of approximately 156,000, which makes them the smallest nation to ever qualify.
The largest participating nation by population is the host nation of the United States, which a population of approximately 342 million. The largest participating nation by landmass is also a host nation, Canada.
Record-setting and drought-breaking
A few countries have the distinction of setting records and breaking droughts this year.
- Brazil: Brazil is the only team to qualify for every World Cup since 1930, extending its streak to 23 years
- Germany: Germany has the next longest qualification streak at 19
- Mexico: Mexico will be the first nation to have hosted the World Cup three times
- Norway, Scotland, Austria: All snapped World Cup qualification droughts that dated back to 1998
📅 Knockout stages
Select teams will move to the knockout stages following the Group Stage. Those rounds are set for the following dates:
- Round of 32: June 28-July 3, 2026
- Round of 16: July 4-7, 2026
- Quarterfinals: July 9-11, 2026
- Semifinals: July 14-15, 2026
- Match for third place: July 18, 2026
- Final: July 19, 2026
⌛️ Last minute tickets?
If you haven't scored tickets yet to the event, but you're thinking you want to catch some of the best football the planet has to offer, there will be a batch of last-minute tickets available via FIFA in early April. Try your luck over at FIFA.com/tickets.
⚽ More World Cup pages
- When is the World Cup
- Where is the World Cup
- World Cup schedule
- Who is playing in the World Cup
- World Cup groups
❓ 2026 World Cup FAQs
When does the 2026 World Cup start?
The 2026 World Cup starts on June 11. The first two games of the tournament are Mexico vs. South Africa at Estadio Azteca and South Korea vs. UEFA Path D winner at Estadio Akron.
When is the 2026 World Cup final?
The 2026 World Cup final is on July 19. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., is the location for the game.
Where is the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 will be held at 16 venues throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Who is the favorite to win the 2026 World Cup?
Spain is the betting favorite to win the 2026 World Cup.
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