2026 World Cup 48-Team Overview: The 12 Groups and a Look at Each Team

Updated: June 19, 2026

The 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico, and is the first edition in history to expand to 48 teams. The 48 teams are drawn into 12 groups, labelled A through L in alphabetical order, with 4 teams per group; the top two of each group, plus the 8 best third-placed teams, make up the 32 teams advancing to the knockout stage, the largest scale of any edition to date.

This edition’s line-up has plenty to watch. A total of 4 teams are stepping onto the World Cup stage for the first time — Cabo Verde (Cabo Verde), Curaçao (Curaçao), Jordan and Uzbekistan; among them Curaçao, with a population of only around 150,000, will become the least populous nation ever to play at a World Cup. On the other hand, all 7 traditional powerhouses that have previously won the title are present, including 5-time champions Brazil, 4-time champions Germany, 3-time champions Argentina, as well as France, Uruguay, England and Spain, with old and new forces going head to head.

For Canadian fans, the host side has landed in Group B, sharing the group with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland — a draw seen as “offering both opportunity and challenge.” Below we first walk through all 12 groups in a single summary table, then take a quick group-by-group look.

2026 World Cup 12-Group Summary Table (A–L)

Group-by-Group Look (A to L)

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia. Co-host Mexico headlines and hosts the opening match; Asian heavyweights South Korea and Europe’s Czechia are evenly matched, while South Africa is the African representative — overall seen as a more open group.

Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland. Canada’s group, with the hosts in command and Switzerland a traditional European power; Bosnia and Herzegovina and previous hosts Qatar are not to be underestimated, making this the group Canadian fans are watching most closely.

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland. 5-time champions Brazil facing last edition’s semi-finalists Morocco is a genuine tough fight; Scotland return to the World Cup after many years away, while Haiti represent the CONCACAF region.

Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey. Co-host the United States share the group with South America’s Paraguay, Asia’s Australia and Europe’s Turkey — four teams of contrasting styles, seen as evenly balanced.

Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador. 4-time champions Germany anchor the group, and the focus here is first-time entrant, the small Caribbean nation of Curaçao; Ivory Coast and Ecuador come from Africa and South America respectively.

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia. Europe’s Netherlands and Sweden, Asian regular Japan, and Africa’s Tunisia are in the same group — a highly competitive scramble.

Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand. Belgium’s golden generation is still competitive, Egypt and Iran are the African and Asian representatives, and New Zealand represent Oceania.

Group H: Spain, Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay. This group features two former champions at once — title-contender-level Spain and 2-time champions Uruguay; Cabo Verde is one of the 4 World Cup debutants, competing with Saudi Arabia for hopes of advancing.

Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway. 2-time champions France lead the way, with African power Senegal, Norway’s new generation and Asia’s Iraq sharing the field — a star-studded group.

Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan. Defending and 3-time champions Argentina hold the fort, and this group also includes Jordan, reaching the World Cup for the first time, alongside Algeria and Austria.

Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia. Portugal sharing the group with South America’s Colombia already makes for compelling viewing, and adding first-time entrant Uzbekistan and Africa’s DR Congo makes the competition fierce.

Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama. 1966 champions England run into last edition’s third-place side Croatia, while Ghana and Panama belong to Africa and CONCACAF respectively — a group of traditional powers facing off.

Overall, this edition’s 48 teams span every continent, with old and new forces gathered together; from small nations realizing their dream for the first time to 7 former champions on the same stage, there is more to watch than ever before. Canadian fans might first lock onto Group B’s schedule, then use this summary table to follow the other groups’ exciting clashes.