World Cup 2026 draw results: Mbappé to face Haaland, Ronaldo - Messi showdown possible in the quarters?

The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by three North American countries - Canada, the United States, and Mexico - from June 11th to July 19th, 2026. This is the first time the tournament has been staged in more than two countries, following the South Korea–Japan co-hosted event in 2002. In December 2025, the World Cup qualifiers concluded and 39 participating teams were confirmed.

The final six teams will be determined through the World Cup Play-offs in March 2026, with four spots from Europe and two from the intercontinental play-offs. On December 6th, 2025, FIFA conducted the Final Draw for the 2026 World Cup. With 48 teams placed into four pots, 12 groups were formed - producing several unexpected matchups.

Attention will turn to Group H, where Luis de la Fuente’s Spain meets Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay. Another standout clash comes in Group I, where France will face Norway - marking the first national-team meeting between Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.

Elsewhere, Brazil will take on Morocco and Scotland in Group C. The Netherlands will share Group F with Japan, Tunisia, and a team from the European play-offs. Defending champions Argentina are in Group J with Algeria and Austria, while Portugal land in Group K alongside Colombia. England headline Group L against Luka Modrić’s Croatia.

A notable aspect of the draw is the pathway to the Knockout Stage. After the group stage, 32 teams - the top two from each group plus the eight best third-place teams - will advance to the Round of 32. From there, the 16 winners will progress to the Round of 16 and be seeded into four brackets based on their group-stage performances.

With this new format, a Ronaldo vs. Messi clash could take place in the quarterfinals - if both Portugal and Argentina top their groups and win their first two knockout-round matches. Such a meeting would be a historic showdown between two of the greatest players in football history, potentially marking the symbolic end of the Ronaldo–Messi era after nearly two decades.