The excitement and adrenaline of global football reaches a new peak today with the celebration of the final draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., USA.

Starting at noon today in Colombia, the eyes of the world will be on the draw that will determine the composition of the 12 groups for the tournament that, for the first time, will be held in three countries of the continent: Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

The national team draws

It is important to note that, for the first time in history, this edition of the football tournament will feature 48 participating teams, a significant increase from the previous 32. The teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to the new round of 32.

Pot 1 contains the three hosts—the United States, Mexico, and Canada—as well as the top-ranked FIFA teams and strong favorites: Argentina, Spain, England, France, Germany, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Bombo 2 is shared by Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia and Senegal.

Group 3 consists of Norway, Panama, Qatar, Egypt, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Algeria, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan.

Pot 4 consists of Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, and New Zealand, plus six other teams that will be determined in the two March playoffs, the European and the intercontinental, with Italy, Sweden, and Denmark among those hoping to qualify. Bolivia, Jamaica, or Suriname could also be included. For Colombian fans, the event will be broadcast on EL TIEMPO's social media and official website. Fans can also watch it on FIFA.com, its official YouTube channel, and other digital platforms.

The draw is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. local time and Colombian time. In other countries, it will be divided as follows:

2:00 p.m. in Argentina 11:00 a.m. in Mexico City 6:00 p.m. in Spain

Follow the draw minute by minute here:

• At this hour, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, arrives on the red carpet accompanied by the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino.
  Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, and President Donald Trump also arrived at the venue.
• Donald Trump, who has forged a close relationship with Gianni Infantino, will be one of the main guests. It has even been anticipated that he may receive a “FIFA Peace Prize” for doing “exceptional and extraordinary” things to prevent conflicts in the world.
• Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico, landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, near Washington, D.C.; this Friday she will attend the FIFA draw to determine the groups for the 2026 World Cup.
  

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