England will open their 2026 World Cup campaign against Croatia, while Scotland — making their first men’s finals appearance since 1998 — have been drawn into a group with Brazil.
Thomas Tuchel’s England begin on Wednesday 17 June, with the match due to be played in either Dallas or Toronto. England are in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama. Their group schedule, as currently projected, sees them face Ghana on Tuesday 23 June in Toronto or Boston and finish against Panama on Saturday 27 June in Philadelphia or New York.
Scotland’s first match will be on Saturday 13 June in Boston or New York, against Haiti. They are in Group C with Morocco and five-time champions Brazil. Scotland then meet Morocco on Friday 19 June in Boston or Philadelphia and play Brazil on Wednesday 24 June in Atlanta or Miami.
Wales or Northern Ireland could join hosts Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B if either side advances through two rounds of UEFA play-offs in March. The Republic of Ireland would be placed with Mexico, South Africa and South Korea if they qualify through their play-off route.
The expanded 48-team tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026 across Canada, Mexico and the United States, with 104 matches staged in 16 cities. Mexico will host the opening game at Estadio Azteca, where they will face South Africa.
The full draw included a number of undecided play-off slots. UEFA play-off paths were listed as: Play-off A (Italy, Wales, Bosnia-Herzegovina or Northern Ireland), B (Ukraine, Poland, Albania or Sweden), C (Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo or Romania) and D (Denmark, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland or North Macedonia). Two intercontinental FIFA play-off slots were also unresolved: FIFA play-off 1 (DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia) and FIFA play-off 2 (Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname).
Exact venues and kick-off schedules for each team will be finalised in a separate draw on Saturday at 17:00 GMT, though many likely host cities have already been indicated.
The 48 teams were allocated into 12 groups of four, drawn from four pots determined by FIFA rankings. The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout rounds, together with the eight best third-placed teams.
A notable change for 2026 is special seedings for the four highest-ranked nations — Spain, Argentina, France and England — designed so they cannot meet before the semi-finals if they each win their groups. As a result, England could face a winner from Brazil’s group in the quarter-finals, and if they top their group they would play one of the eight best third-placed teams in the first knockout round.
Tuchel, whose side cruised through qualifying without conceding a goal, described the draw as a tough one with a difficult opener. He stressed respect for all opponents, noting Croatia’s quality and Ghana’s World Cup pedigree, and said England will prepare thoroughly to try to win the group.
Scotland boss Steve Clarke welcomed the draw, pleased they avoided another European team and that their opponents represent three different continents. Reflecting on facing Brazil — one of the sides in Scotland’s 1998 group — Clarke said he hopes his team can “bring a little bit of magic.” Scotland sealed their place with a dramatic late victory in qualifying.
The televised draw in Washington DC lasted more than two hours and featured a high-profile line-up of hosts and guests. FIFA president Gianni Infantino presented the newly introduced FIFA Peace Prize to former US President Donald Trump during the ceremony. Infantino described the tournament’s American schedule for fans as akin to watching “104 Super Bowls in one month.” Presenters included Kevin Hart, Heidi Klum and Danny Ramirez, with performances from Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Lauryn Hill. Sporting stars taking part in the draw included Tom Brady, Aaron Judge, Shaquille O’Neal and Wayne Gretzky.
Co-host nations Mexico, Canada and the United States had pre-assigned group positions so they would play all their group matches on home soil. The expansion from 32 to 48 teams makes the 2026 World Cup the largest in the competition’s history.