WC

FIFA World Cup 2026

World Cup 2026 Groups

48 nations split across 12 groups (A–L), each with 4 teams. The top 2 from every group plus the 8 best third-placed teams advance to the Round of 32.

12Groups
4Teams per group
6Matches per group
3Teams advance per group*

* Top 2 guaranteed + 8 best third-placed qualify

Group A

Fixtures →
Mexico
Mexico#15
South Korea
South Korea#25
Czechia
Czechia#41
South Africa
South Africa#60

Group B

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Switzerland
Switzerland#19
Canada
Canada#30
Qatar
Qatar#55
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bosnia & Herzegovina#90

Group C

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Brazil
Brazil#6
Morocco
Morocco#8
Scotland
Scotland#43
Haiti
Haiti#100

Group D

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United States
United States#16
Turkey
Turkey#22
Australia
Australia#27
Paraguay
Paraguay#40

Group E

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Germany
Germany#10
Ecuador
Ecuador#23
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast#34
Curaçao
Curaçao#82

Group F

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Netherlands
Netherlands#7
Japan
Japan#18
Sweden
Sweden#38
Tunisia
Tunisia#44

Group G

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Belgium
Belgium#9
Iran
Iran#21
Egypt
Egypt#29
New Zealand
New Zealand#85

Group H

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Spain
Spain#2
Uruguay
Uruguay#17
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia#61
Cape Verde
Cape Verde#69

Group I

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France
France#1
Senegal
Senegal#14
Norway
Norway#31
Iraq
Iraq#57

Group J

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Argentina
Argentina#3
Austria
Austria#24
Algeria
Algeria#28
Jordan
Jordan#63

Group K

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Portugal
Portugal#5
Colombia
Colombia#13
DR Congo
DR Congo#46
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan#50

Group L

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England
England#4
Croatia
Croatia#11
Panama
Panama#33
Ghana
Ghana#74

How the Group Stage Works

Round Robin

Each team plays all 3 other teams in their group — 6 matches per group, 72 total.

Qualification

Top 2 from each group qualify automatically. The 8 best third-placed teams also advance.

Tiebreakers

Points → Goal difference → Goals scored → Head-to-head → Fair play → Drawing of lots.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many groups are in the 2026 World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has 12 groups (A through L), each containing 4 teams — a total of 48 nations.

How does the 2026 World Cup group stage work?

Each team plays 3 group stage matches. The top 2 teams from each group advance to the Round of 32. Additionally, the 8 best third-placed teams also qualify, giving 32 teams in the knockout round.

How many group stage matches are there in the 2026 World Cup?

There are 72 group stage matches in total — 6 per group across 12 groups.

Which teams are in the toughest group at World Cup 2026?

Group H features Spain (FIFA #2) and Uruguay (FIFA #17), while Group I contains France (FIFA #1) and Senegal (FIFA #14). Group J has Argentina (FIFA #3) — making these among the most competitive groups.

How many teams advance from the group stage?

32 teams advance: the top 2 finishers from each of the 12 groups (24 teams), plus the 8 best third-placed teams from across all groups.

View Group Fixtures

See all match times converted to your local timezone. Filter by group, date or team.

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