Washington, D.C. – Football fans around the world will be glued to their screens today, Friday, as the draw for the final round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers takes place at 8 p.m. Dubai time (7 p.m. Mecca time) at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, one of the most prominent cultural landmarks in the United States.
- High-level attendance
- A mix of sports and entertainment
- The start of the qualifiers and their numbers
- 42 teams guaranteed qualification
- Crucial reminders remaining
- An expanded system… 48 teams and 12 groups
- Historical contributions
- Lottery mechanism
- New knockout system
- Around 32 teams in the knockout stages
- Next date: Match schedule
- Kick-off
High-level attendance
The event will be attended by a number of high-profile figures, including US President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. An Iranian delegation, including coach Amir Ghalenoei and international relations official Omid Jamali, will also be present following Tehran’s reversal of its boycott decision.
The Kennedy Center is a national cultural center and memorial to the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy, attracting millions of visitors annually through more than 2,000 exhibits and events.
A mix of sports and entertainment
The event will be presented with a global artistic touch, through the participation of model Heidi Klum, comedian Kevin Hart, and actor Danny Ramirez.
Rio Ferdinand and Samantha Johnson will also participate in the draw, along with American sports stars Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge, and Shaquille O’Neal.
The entertainment segment will feature international stars, most notably Andrea Bocelli, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, and the Village People. The performances will combine music, entertainment, and a sporting theme.
The start of the qualifiers and their numbers
The qualifiers began on September 7, 2023, with three matches in the South American qualifiers. Colombian Rafael Santos Borré scored the first goal of the World Cup qualifying campaign.
Up to November 18, 2025, 883 matches had been played, during which 2480 goals had been scored, at an average of 2.81 goals per match.
42 teams guaranteed qualification
Forty-two countries have so far confirmed their participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals. These include the host nations, the United States, Mexico, and Canada, along with teams from Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, Oceania, and CONCACAF.
Crucial reminders remaining
Six spots remain up for grabs:
Four spots from the European qualifiers across four different paths. These include matches against teams such as Italy, Ukraine, Turkey, Denmark, and others.
Two tickets from the joint continental qualifiers where teams such as Jamaica, New Caledonia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Bolivia and Suriname compete.
An expanded system… 48 teams and 12 groups
For the first time in the tournament’s history, 48 teams will be represented in the finals, divided into 12 groups of four teams each.
The list of participating teams will be completed after the remaining play-off matches, with the final draw to be completed on March 31, 2026.
Historical contributions
Four teams are making their first appearance:
Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, Uzbekistan.
Curaçao will become the smallest country by population to participate in the history of the World Cup (155,000 inhabitants).
Lottery mechanism
The teams were divided into four pots based on the FIFA rankings. The draw will begin by placing the teams in Pot 1 into groups 1 through 12, followed by the subsequent pots in succession.
No two teams from the same continent may be in the same group, with the exception of Europe.
New knockout system
FIFA has introduced an additional amendment, whereby the top contenders — namely Spain, Argentina, France and England — will avoid facing each other in the early rounds if they top their groups.
Around 32 teams in the knockout stages
The top two teams from each group, plus the 8 best third-placed teams, will qualify to complete the new round of 32.
Thus, the champion team will play 8 matches instead of 7 as in the previous system.
Next date: Match schedule
Twenty-four hours after the draw, the detailed schedule of matches will be announced at another FIFA event on Saturday evening.
Kick-off
The FIFA World Cup will kick off on June 11, 2026 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and conclude on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
