England begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against Croatia, while Scotland will be drawn alongside Brazil in next summer’s tournament.
Thomas Tuchel’s England will open their tournament in Dallas or Toronto on Wednesday June 17, before also facing Ghana and Panama in Group L.
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Scotland’s first match at the Men’s World Cup for 28 years will be against Haiti on Saturday June 13, in either Boston or New York, followed by matches against Morocco and Brazil in Group C.
Wales or Northern Ireland would join Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B, should they go through two rounds of the UEFA play-offs in March.
The Republic of Ireland could meet Mexico, South Africa and South Korea if they qualify.
The first-ever 48-team World Cup will take place in Canada, Mexico and the United States between June 11 and July 19, 2026.
The full draw for the 2026 World Cup
*UEFA A play-offs: Italy, Wales, Bosnia-Herzegovina or Northern Ireland
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*UEFA Playoff B: Ukraine, Poland, Albania or Sweden
*UEFA Playoff C: Türkiye, Slovakia, Kosovo or Romania
*UEFA Playoff D: Denmark, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland or North Macedonia
*Fifa play-off 1: DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia
*Fifa Play-off 2: Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname
(BBC)
Where and when each nation will play their matches will be confirmed in a separate draw on Saturday at 17:00 GMT, but there is some certainty at this stage.
After their opening match against Croatia – six days after the start of the tournament – England will face Ghana on Tuesday June 23 in Toronto or Boston, before their final group match against Panama on Saturday June 27 in Philadelphia or New York.
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After its first Men’s World Cup match since 1998 against Haiti, Scotland will face Morocco on Friday June 19 in Boston or Philadelphia, while its meeting with Brazil will take place on Wednesday June 24 in Atlanta or Miami.
Mexico will face South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in the opening match of the expanded tournament, which will feature 104 matches taking place across 16 cities.
In a major change to the draw, the top four nations in the Fifa world rankings – Spain, Argentina, France and England – have been allocated special seeds which ensure they cannot meet before the semi-finals, provided each wins their group.
England, finalists of Euro 2024, could meet the winner of the Brazilian group in the quarter-finals.
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If they win their group, the Three Lions will face one of the eight best-performing third-placed teams in the first round of knockout matches.
Drawn from pot three, Scotland must face Fifa’s fifth and 11th highest ranked nations, Brazil – who they will face for the fifth time at a World Cup – and Morocco in a bid to reach the round of 16.
There will be 12 groups of four teams in next summer’s tournament. The groups were drawn from four pots, in which the teams were placed according to their position in the FIFA rankings.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the round of 16, along with the top eight third-placed teams.
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England verdict: ‘Tough group, tough opening match’
England head coach Tuchel oversaw a flawless World Cup qualifying campaign, with his side winning all eight of their matches without conceding a goal.
Speaking to BBC Sport after the draw, the German said: “Tough group, tough opening match. Croatia and Ghana (are) two World Cup regulars and two proud, strong nations. I don’t know much about Panama at the moment, but we will find out before the tournament starts.
“For me, I have only known group football in the form of the Champions League and the way to approach it has been to always give it the utmost respect and focus on winning the group. It always seems difficult, like our group now, but we are confident and we will be well prepared when we arrive.”
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Croatia were the highest-ranked nation England could have drawn from pot two, and they were the team England lost to in the 2018 World Cup semi-final.
In the group stage of the same tournament, England beat Panama 6-1.
“No one should be underestimated. Of course Croatia is a remarkable nation, but Ghana is always full of talent, can always surprise and has a great history in the FIFA World Cup,” Tuchel said.
“Panama will try to make the most of its role as an underdog. No one can be underestimated, everyone deserves the greatest respect.”
Verdict in Scotland: “We will bring a little magic”
Scotland surprised Denmark with two goals in stoppage time as they secured their World Cup qualification in a dramatic winner-take-all final group match last month.
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Nearly three decades after their last appearance at the men’s World Cup, they will meet two of the nations they faced at France 98 in Brazil and Morocco, as well as a lesser-known group, Haiti.
Scotland boss Steve Clarke told BBC Sport: “The draw is fantastic. One of the big things in my head was the absence of European teams. So we’re playing three big teams from three different continents of the world and that’s what the World Cup is about.”
Ahead of facing five-time world champions Brazil, Clarke said: “We’re going to bring a bit of magic as well, we hope.
“It’s great to play them. Going back to 1998, when Brazil and Morocco were in the group, it’s a bit of a fluke.”
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A World Cup of “104 Super Bowls”
US President Donald Trump received the new FIFA Peace Prize during a drawing ceremony that lasted more than two hours in Washington DC.
Trump received a trophy, medal and certificate from FIFA President Gianni Infantino and said the award, created to recognize an individual’s actions for peace and unity, was “one of the greatest honors of my life.”
FIFA president Infantino described the 2026 World Cup for American viewers as the equivalent of watching “104 Super Bowls in a month.”
The event was hosted by comedian Kevin Hart, model Heidi Klum and actor Danny Ramirez, and featured live musical performances by Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Lauryn Hill.
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Former England and Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand made the draw, accompanied by American sports greats Tom Brady, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O’Neal, as well as Canadian ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.
Co-hosts Mexico, Canada and the United States had predetermined group positions to ensure they will play all group matches in their own countries.
But Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum each drew the ball from their own nations to begin the proceedings.
