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The 12 Official Groups of the 2026 World Cup

The official draw took place on December 5, 2025 in Washington, DC. The 48 qualified teams were distributed into 12 groups (A to L) of 4 teams each. England is in Group L with Croatia, Ghana, Panama.

🎯 How does the 12-group format work?

Each team plays 3 matches in its group. The top 2 from each group automatically qualify for the knockout stage, plus the 8 best third-placed teams. In total, 32 teams reach the Round of 32, a novelty of the 48-team format.

📋 Official composition of the 12 groups

Source: official FIFA draw, December 5, 2025

Group A

  • Mexico Mexico
  • South Africa South Africa
  • South Korea South Korea
  • Czechia Czechia

Group B

  • Canada Canada
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • Qatar Qatar
  • Switzerland Switzerland

Group C

  • Brazil Brazil
  • Morocco Morocco
  • Haiti Haiti
  • Scotland Scotland

Group D

  • United States United States
  • Paraguay Paraguay
  • Australia Australia
  • Türkiye Türkiye

Group E

  • Germany Germany
  • Curaçao Curaçao
  • Côte d'Ivoire Côte d'Ivoire
  • Ecuador Ecuador

Group F

  • Netherlands Netherlands
  • Japan Japan
  • Sweden Sweden
  • Tunisia Tunisia

Group G

  • Belgium Belgium
  • Egypt Egypt
  • Iran Iran
  • New Zealand New Zealand

Group H

  • Spain Spain
  • Cabo Verde Cabo Verde
  • Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
  • Uruguay Uruguay

Group I

  • France France
  • Senegal Senegal
  • Iraq Iraq
  • Norway Norway

Group J

  • Argentina Argentina
  • Algeria Algeria
  • Austria Austria
  • Jordan Jordan

Group K

  • Portugal Portugal
  • DR Congo DR Congo
  • Uzbekistan Uzbekistan
  • Colombia Colombia

Group L 🇬🇧

  • England England
  • Croatia Croatia
  • Ghana Ghana
  • Panama Panama

🇬🇧 Group L — England's group

England joins Croatia, Ghana, Panama in Group L. On paper, a manageable group for the Three Lions, but Croatia and Ghana could spring surprises. You can make free predictions for every Group L match on United Pronos.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Is Italy qualified for the 2026 World Cup?

No, Italy did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup. They were eliminated in the UEFA playoffs in March 2026.

Which group is France in?

France is in Group I with Senegal, Iraq, Norway.

How many teams compete at the 2026 World Cup?

48 teams, distributed across 12 groups (A to L) of 4 teams each.

How many teams qualify for the Round of 32?

32 teams reach the Round of 32: the top 2 from each group + the 8 best third-placed teams.

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