2026 World Cup Draw: Schedule, How to Watch

Before the World Cup begins next summer, all 48 teams – include the U.S. men's national team and fellow co-hosts Canada and Mexico – will need to know who their opponents will be, which cities they'll play in, and their path to the final. 

How does that get figured out? Get ready for the World Cup draw. 

The World Cup draw will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Dec. 5 at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT.

The draw will air live on FOX and be streamed on FOX One, FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App. Coverage for the event that will decide the groups for all 48 teams will begin with a live pre-show at 11:30 AM ET/8:30 AM PT. 

The draw will take place from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET and upon its conclusion, live coverage on FOX will continue until 3:00 PM ET providing instant analysis, reactions and interviews.

As of now, 42 of the 48 teams are set for the World Cup. The other six teams will be determined in March. However, the draw on Dec. 5 will decide the 12 four-team groups for the World Cup. There are a lot of complicated rules around the draw. With some help from USMNT legend and FOX Sports soccer analyst Alexi Lalas, we explain all you need to know about the draw. 

Supermodel and TV personality Heidi Klum and actor-comedian Kevin Hart will co-host the draw, alongside actor-producer Danny Ramirez. Among the musical performances will include Andrea Bocelli, the Village People and Robbie Williams, who will be joined by the award-winning Nicole Scherzinger.

Seven-time Super Bowl champion and lead NFL on FOX analyst Tom Brady will assist in the drawing of the pots alongside NHL Hall of Famer and four-time Stanley Cup champion Wayne Gretzky, seven-time MLB All-Star Aaron Judge of