Overview:
World number one-ranked Spain have a dream draw alongside debutants Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will kick off on June 11 with joint-hosts Mexico playing South Africa at the Azteca Stadium – iconic venue of the 1970 and 1986 finals.
This will be followed by South Korea against a playoff winner after the complex draw was made on Friday night.
South Africa who are appearing for the first time since 2010, when they drew with Mexico in the opening match but failed to reach the knockout stage.
Mexico’s co-hosts the United States and Canada will join the party the next day, against Paraguay and a playoff winner – possibly Italy – respectively in Los Angeles and Toronto.
Defending champions Argentina were grouped with Algeria, Austria and debutants Jordan, while five-times winners Brazil will play Morocco – semi-finalists in 2022 – Haiti and Scotland.
France’s first game will be versus Senegal in a repeat of one of the biggest tournament upsets, when the Africans stunned the then-holders in their first game of the 2002 tournament. Norway and one of the playoff winners complete their group.
England will start against Croatia, who beat them in the 2018 semi-finals, and also face Panama, who they thrashed 6-1 in the group stage in the same tournament, and Ghana.
Debutants Curacao, with a population of 150,000 making them by far the smallest country ever to reach the finals, face Germany, Ecuador and the Ivory Cost.
World number one-ranked Spain has a dream draw alongside debutants Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
The Netherlands are with Japan, Tunisia and a playoff winner, Belgium have Egypt, Iran and New Zealand, while Portugal face debutants Uzbekistan, Colombia and a playoff winner.
Groups Drawn:
- Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Winner Play-off D
- Group B: Canada, Winner Play-off A, Qatar, Switzerland
- Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
- Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Winner Play-off C
- Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Winner Play-off B, Tunisia
- Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
- Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
- Group I: France, Senegal, Winner Play-off 2, Norway
- Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
- Group K: Portugal, Winner Play-off 1, Colombia, Uzbekistan
- Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama