The draw for the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, to be held on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, will separate Spain and Argentina, the two top-ranked teams, so that if both win their groups, they could only meet in the final, FIFA announced Tuesday in a statement.
If one of the two teams fails to win its group, the ‘protection’ that keeps them apart until the final disappears. In that case, Spain and Argentina could meet earlier, with the semifinal as the first possible crossover, according to the design of the 2026 World Cup’s direct elimination table.
2026 World Cup format creates separate routes
This ensures that, even if one team does not finish first in its group, the two strongest teams will still not meet in previous rounds, such as the quarterfinals.
This formula, which will also be replicated with France and England, the third and fourth placed teams, aims to “ensure competitive balance”.
The Federation explained that “two separate paths to the semifinals have been established when drawing up the match schedule” to distribute the four top-ranked teams for the 2026 World Cup to be held between the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“This ensures that, should they win their groups, the two top-ranked teams will not meet before the final,” FIFA said.
FIFA introduces changes to the draw
In addition, FIFA has also introduced changes to the draw for the 2026 World Cup with respect to the host countries.
Their balls in the pool will be of a different color to ensure that they are assigned to the first position in Group A for Mexico, the first in Group B for Canada, and the first in Group D for the United States.
In addition to the hosts and the top qualifiers, the first draw will include Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia, in the second.
In the third, Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
And Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, and those yet to qualify, in the fourth.
How the group stage of the 2026 World Cup will be defined
In principle, there shall not be more than one team from the same confederation in the same group.
This rule can only be broken in the case of UEFA, but there will never be more than two.
The groups for the first phase of the 2026 World Cup will be announced on December 5 and the following day the schedule of matches and the stadiums in which they will be played.
With information from EFE
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