2026 World Cup draw: The Winners and Losers

Martin Macdonald

• 5 Dec 2025 15:25 CST
• 4 min read

Nieuws

The draw for the 2026 World Cup group stage has been finalised and some nations will undoubtedly be happier than others.

The next edition of the World Cup will be the biggest ever, with 48 nations set to compete in fixtures in venues across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

After a rough 85 minutes of pageantry, the draw in Washington D.C. finally commenced, with teams from pots one to four eventually selected for their groups.

Let's look at the winners and losers of the draw.

Winners of the World Cup draw

USA

With Donald Trump given a starring role at the World Cup ceremony and handed the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, fans have suggested the draw may have been rigged. Why? Because the USA have been handed a favourable opening set of fixtures.

The joint-host nation were automatically drawn into Group D and they will face Paraguay, Australia and the winner of UEFA Play-Off C, which will be one of Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo or Romania.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side will fancy their chance of topping the group and therefore likely securing themselves an easier tie in the round of 32.

Spain

Spain head into the 2026 World Cup as the tournament favourites following their 2-1 victory over England in last summer’s European Championship final, and they have been given an easy group stage to navigate.

Luis de la Fuente’s team is one of the most talented on the planet and they will kick off their World Cup campaign with a tie against newcomers Cape Verde, who they will expect to swat aside with considerable comfort.

Saudi Arabia and Uruguay are also in Group H and although the former beat Argentina at the 2022 World Cup, they aren’t to be feared, while the latter no longer boast the attacking weapons they had during the 2010s.

Portugal

Luck has shone on Portugal over the last couple of weeks as first, Cristiano Ronaldo's suspension for the first two matches was controversially overturned by FIFA and then, they were put in a very winnable World Cup group alongside Uzbekistan, Colombia and the winner of the playoff between DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia.

Ronaldo, in particular, will be looking forward to adding to his already outrageous international goals tally when he faces Uzbekistan and the winner of the playoff.

Colombia will provide sterner opposition, but they don't even need to beat the South American side to qualify with complete ease.

The draw for the 2026 World Cup 🌎✅🍿 pic.twitter.com/fkoDBSi3KB

— Prime Video Sport UK (@primevideosport) December 5, 2025

Losers of the World Cup draw

Panama

Any draw that Panama received was going to be tough, but they just aren't going to qualify from Group L against England, Croatia and Ghana.

In England and Croatia, they face one of the tournament favourites plus the 2018 finalists.

Ghana, meanwhile, are one of the more exciting African teams in the tournament with stars in their ranks like Antoine Semenyo and Mohammed Kudus.

They'll get their participation badge and head home.

France

It may seem harsh to call France losers of the draw as they go into the tournament as one of the top four favourites to win the whole thing alongside England, Spain and Argentina.

However, this is a much tougher group than they would have hoped for.

Bolivia, Suriname, or Iraq will arrive as group minnows via the playoffs, but Senegal and Norway will certainly not be easy opponents.

The danger from Norway is clear, as the Scandinavian side have the most potent striker in the world in their ranks in Erling Haaland.

As for Senegal, France still hold scars from their opening match of the 2002 World Cup in which they lost 1-0 against the African nation thanks to a solitary goal from Papa Bouba Diop.

Revenge is on the cards there but Senegal are an excellent side again brimming with talent.

Haiti

Haiti head into their first World Cup since 1974 and they face an immensely uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages.

They will face five-time winners Brazil, 2022 revelations Morocco and a Scott McTominay-inspired Scotland in Group C, with very little chance of picking up a single point.

They could, of course, spring a surprise, however the team 84th in the FIFA World Ranking could be the whipping boys of next summer’s tournament if Brazil, Morocco and Scotland all perform as expected.