For the first time in history, the FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams, an increase from the 32 nations that competed in Qatar in 2022.Â
So far, 42 teams have already qualified for the tournament, with the remaining six nations set to join via the play-offs.
The projected seedings of the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw reveal how the four pots could look once the play-offs are completed.
Projected 2026 FIFA World Cup Pots Revealed Ahead of Group-Stage Draw
Italy Projected to Qualify for 2026 FIFA World Cup
Four of the remaining six teams will qualify for the 2026 World Cup via UEFA play-offs, with the other two coming through Inter-Confederation play-offs.
Based on the pedigree and the quality of teams in the knockout phase, Italy are projected to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Denmark, Turkey, and Poland are expected to join the four-time winners.
DR Congo and Iraq, meanwhile, are expected to qualify through the Inter-Confederation play-offs.
Teams Competing in UEFA Play-Offs
A total of 16 teams will compete in the UEFA play-offs in March. The play-off draw will be held on Thursday, 20 November.
- Italy
- Wales
- Slovakia
- Ukraine
- Republic of Ireland
- Poland
- Albania
- Czechia
- Northern Ireland
- Denmark
- Romania
- Sweden
- Turkey
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Kosovo
- North Macedonia
Team Competing in Inter-Confederation Play-Offs
Six teams will compete in the Inter-Confederation play-offs for the two World Cup slots. Fixtures will be revealed on Thursday.
- New Caledonia (OFC)
- Iraq (AFC)
- DR Congo (CAF)
- Bolivia (CONMEBOL)
- Jamaica (CONCACAF)
- Suriname (CONCACAF)
World Cup 2026 Pots With Six Projected Play-Off Winners
Despite a 50% jump in the number of participating nations, FIFA will continue to use the four-pot system, with each pot containing 12 teams.
FIFA’s world rankings will determine the pots, except for host nations Mexico, the United States, and Canada, who automatically go to pot one.
So, pot one will have the best-ranked nations (except the host trio), and pot four will have the lowest-ranked 12 teams in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Assuming Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Poland, DR Congo, and Iraq qualify via the play-offs, here is how the four pots would look:
POT 1
Behind host nations Mexico, USA, and Canada, we have the top-ranked FIFA nation, Spain, followed by Argentina in second. France, England, Portugal, and Belgium also feature.
- Mexico (Host)
- United States (Host)
- Canada (Host)
- Spain
- Argentina
- France
- England
- Portugal
- Netherlands
- Brazil
- Belgium
- Germany
POT 2
If Italy and Denmark qualify, they will go straight to pot number two.
The pot also features South American giants, Colombia and Uruguay, 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia, and Asian powerhouses Japan and South Korea.
- Croatia
- Morocco
- Italy (Play-Offs)*
- Colombia
- Uruguay
- Switzerland
- Japan
- Senegal
- Denmark (Play-Offs)*
- Iran
- South Korea
- Austria
POT 3
Despite enjoying a record-breaking World Cup qualifying campaign, Norway are set to be in pot three. Italy, who lost 7-1 on aggregate to Erling Haaland’s side, will go to pot two if they qualify.
Turkey and Poland will be in pot three if they qualify via UEFA play-offs.
- Ecuador
- Australia
- Turkey (Play-Offs)*
- Norway
- Panama
- Poland (Play-Offs)*
- Egypt
- Algeria
- Scotland
- Paraguay
- Tunisia
- Ivory Coast
POT 4
Pot four will have debutants Uzbekistan, Cabo Verde, Curacao, and Jordan. Iraq and DR Congo will feature in pot four if they qualify through the play-off route.
Sitting in the 52nd position in the FIFA Men’s World Rankings, Qatar are the highest-ranked team in Pot 4.
- Uzbekistan
- Qatar
- DR Congo (Play-Offs)*
- Saudi Arabia
- Iraq (Play-Offs)*
- South Africa
- Jordan
- Cabo Verde
- Curacao
- Ghana
- Haiti
- New Zealand
When is the 2026 World Cup Group-Stage Draw?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup group-stage draw will take place at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C. on 5th December.
However, only 42 of the 48 teams will learn their fate in the first week of December. FIFA will use placeholders for the remaining six spots, to be filled after the play-offs in March.
