Doha: The draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026, conducted today, placed the Arab national teams in relatively balanced groups for the finals, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from 11 June to 19 July next year.
According to Qatar News Agency, Group J brings together Algeria and Jordan-who will be making their debut at the World Cup-alongside defending champions Argentina and Austria. In Group A, tournament co-host Mexico will compete with South Africa, South Korea, and the winner of UEFA Playoff 4, which includes Denmark, North Macedonia, the Czech Republic, and the Republic of Ireland.
The United States, another co-host, is placed in Group D with Paraguay, Australia, and the winner of UEFA Playoff 3, contested by Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, and Kosovo. Germany is the top seed in Group E, joined by Curacao, Cote d'Ivoire, and Ecuador. Last tournament's runners-up, France, lead Group I alongside Senegal, Norway, and the winner of the second intercontinental playoff, where Iraq will face the victor of the Bolivia-Suriname clash.
In Group K, Portugal will face Uzbekistan, Colombia, and the winner of the first intercontinental playoff, featuring New Caledonia vs. Jamaica against the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Group L includes England, Croatia, Ghana, and Panama. Qatar has been placed in Group B with Canada, Switzerland, and the winner of UEFA Playoff 1 (Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, or Northern Ireland).
Morocco joins Group C with Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti, while Tunisia is in Group F with the Netherlands, Japan, and the winner of UEFA Playoff 2 (Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, and Albania). Egypt will compete in Group G with Belgium, Iran, and New Zealand. Saudi Arabia finds itself in Group H with Spain, Cape Verde, and Uruguay.
FIFA imposed several draw restrictions, separating the two highest-ranked teams-Spain and Argentina-to prevent them from meeting before the final. A similar separation was applied to France and England to ensure competitive balance. Additionally, FIFA limited each group to one team from any given confederation, with the exception of UEFA, which has 16 representatives.
The announcement of match dates and kickoff times has been postponed to tomorrow, Saturday, to optimize scheduling for all teams and ensure global fans can follow their national teams across time zones.