World Cup Groups 2026
12 groups · 48 teams · Group stage: Jun 11 – Jul 4, 2026
The 2026 World Cup groups will be published when available. Check back soon.
How do the 2026 World Cup groups work?
The 2026 World Cup is the first in history with 12 groups of 4 teams (48 teams total). Each group plays 6 matches in a round-robin format. The top 2 from each group (24 teams) plus the 8 best third-placed teams advance to the new Round of 32, debuting in this edition.
Tiebreaker criteria within the group: 1) points, 2) goal difference, 3) goals scored, 4) head-to-head result, 5) fair play record, and as a last resort, drawing of lots.