Canada definitely won't play these countries in group stage at FIFA World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is beginning to take shape.
The largest World Cup ever will feature 48 countries competing in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, beginning in June.
To date, 42 countries have qualified for the tournament, with the final six countries to be decided via the UEFA playoffs (4) and inter-continental playoffs (2) in March.
The FIFA World Cup draw is set for Friday, Dec. 5, in Washington, D.C. Four countries will be drawn into each of the 12 groups, with one taken from each of the four pots below.
Placeholders will be drawn for the six countries that have yet to qualify, which could notably include Italy.
As one of the host nations, Canada has the advantage of being drawn from Pot 1, which raises the odds of being drawn into a more favourable group. Each pot is organized by FIFA world ranking, with the exception of the host nations in Pot 1 and teams that qualify via the playoff in Pot 4.
Canada was in Pot 4 for the last men’s World Cup.
Canada is in Pot 1 (FIFA)
While we don’t yet know who Canada will play in the group stage, we now have a list of teams they definitely won’t face.
Canada cannot be drawn into a group with another Pot 1 country, which means they won’t play these teams in the group stage:
- Mexico
- USA
- Spain
- Argentina
- France
- England
- Brazil
- Portugal
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- Germany
No more than one country from the same confederation can be drawn into the same group, with the exception of UEFA. That means Canada also cannot be drawn into a group with the three qualified Concacaf teams (Panama, Haiti, Curaçao). Canada also can’t be drawn into a group with either FIFA inter-continental qualifier, as it’s possible that each one could come from Concacaf (Jamaica and Suriname).
- Panama (Pot 3)
- Haiti (Pot 4)
- Curaçao (Pot 4)
- Congo DR (FIFA playoff 1, Pot 4)
- New Caledonia (FIFA playoff 1, Pot 4)
- Jamaica (FIFA playoff 1, Pot 4)
- Iraq (FIFA playoff 2, Pot 4)
- Bolivia (FIFA playoff 2, Pot 4)
- Suriname (FIFA playoff 2, Pot 4)
Another stipulation is that every group must have at least one European country in it, but not more than two.
That means Canada will have at least one of these countries in their group:
- Croatia (Pot 2)
- Switzerland (Pot 2)
- Austria (Pot 2)
- Norway (Pot 3)
- Scotland (Pot 3)
- Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, or Bosnia and Herzegovina (UEFA playoff A)
- Poland, Albania, Ukraine, or Sweden (UEFA playoff B)
- TĂźrkiye, Romania, Slovakia, or Kosovo (UEFA playoff C)
- Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia, or the Republic of Ireland (UEFA playoff D)
Keeping in mind Canada can’t be drawn into a group with another Concacaf team, and must be drawn into a group with 1-2 UEFA countries, the most difficult group possible for Canada, by world ranking, would be:
- Pot 1: Canada (27th)
- Pot 2: Croatia (10th)
- Pot 3: Egypt (34th)
- Pot 4: Italy (12th)
The easiest possible group, by world ranking, is this:
- Pot 1: Canada (27th)
- Pot 2: Australia (26th)
- Pot 3: South Africa (61st)
- Pot 4: Kosovo (80th)
A day after the groups are set, we’ll find out the match schedule on Dec. 6, including what cities each country will visit. Canadian soccer fans will be keeping a close eye on which teams will be visiting Vancouver and Toronto.