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The 12 Groups

For the first time, 48 teams are drawn into 12 groups of 4. The draw took place in Miami in December 2025.

Groups A–D (Americas)

Hosted primarily in the United States and Canada. Group A includes hosts USA, kicking off the tournament in Los Angeles.

Groups E–H (Mixed)

Feature a mix of European heavyweights, South American contenders, and African qualifiers.

Groups I–L (Europe-heavy)

Spain, France, Germany, and England are all seeded. These groups tend to attract the largest global audiences.

Third-place rule

The 8 best third-placed teams advance to the Round of 32. This encourages teams to play for a result even after being eliminated from top spot.

Seeding

Teams were seeded using the FIFA World Rankings from October 2025. Host nations USA, Canada, and Mexico were automatically placed as group leaders.