FIFA World Cup 2026 Groups A to L
All 12 groups, every confirmed team line-up, and how the new 48-team format decides who reaches the knockouts. Updated as of 26 June 2026.
How the 48-team group stage works
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first edition with 48 teams, up from 32. The 48 sides are split into 12 groups of four, labelled Group A through Group L. Each team plays the other three in its group once, so every group produces six matches and the full group stage runs to 72 matches.
Qualifying from each group is simple at the top. The team that finishes first and the team that finishes second both go through. Those 24 sides are then joined by the eight best third-placed teams across all 12 groups. That adds up to 32 teams who move into the Round of 32, a brand new knockout round that did not exist in the old 32-team format.
Because eight of the 12 third-placed teams survive, the table for third place is compared across every group at once. That keeps more sides alive deep into the group stage. From the Round of 32, the path runs to the Round of 16, the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, the third-place play-off and the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July 2026. Across the whole tournament there are 104 matches: 72 in the group stage and 32 in the knockouts. You can follow the bracket on our Round of 32 guide.
All 12 World Cup 2026 groups (A to L)
The line-ups below are confirmed from the official final draw held on 5 December 2025. All 48 places are settled, with no play-offs outstanding.
| Group | Four teams |
|---|---|
| Group A | Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia |
| Group B | Canada, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland |
| Group C | Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland |
| Group D | USA, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye |
| Group E | Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Ecuador |
| Group F | Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia |
| Group G | Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand |
| Group H | Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay |
| Group I | France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway |
| Group J | Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan |
| Group K | Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia |
| Group L | England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama |
Live standings change match by match
As of 26 June 2026, the group stage is in its final matchdays, and the knockout rounds begin on 28 June. Group positions, points and the order of the third-placed teams can change after every result, so we do not freeze a live table here. For the current standings and confirmed scores, always check the official source at fifa.com.
The one confirmed result so far was the opening match on 11 June, when Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. For every other fixture and score, follow the live updates on FIFA's site or check our schedule in Malaysian time.
Notable groups to watch
Four debutant nations
Four countries are at a World Cup for the first time. Cape Verde, which FIFA lists under its official name Cabo Verde, are in Group H. Curaçao, in Group E, become the smallest nation ever to qualify, with a population of around 160,000. Jordan line up in Group J, and Uzbekistan in Group K are the first Central Asian side to reach the finals.
A record nine Asian teams
The AFC has a record nine nations at these finals: Australia (Group D), Iran (Group G), Iraq (Group I), Japan (Group F), Jordan (Group J), Qatar (Group B), Saudi Arabia (Group H), South Korea (Group A) and Uzbekistan (Group K). We follow all of them on our Asian teams at World Cup 2026 page. Malaysia did not qualify and has never reached a World Cup finals.
Champions and a spelling note
Defending champions Argentina, winners in 2022, headline Group J alongside Algeria, Austria and Jordan. One detail to get right in Group E: the African side there is Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), not Costa Rica, which some listings mixed up. Czechia and Türkiye are the correct, official names for the teams in Groups A and D, and Curaçao is spelled with the cedilla.
FAQ
There are 12 groups of four teams, labelled Group A through Group L, for 48 teams in total. This is the first World Cup with 48 teams, up from 32.
The top two teams in every group advance automatically. They are joined by the eight best third-placed teams across all 12 groups, making 32 teams who reach the new Round of 32.
No. Malaysia did not qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and has never reached a World Cup finals.
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