When is World Cup 2026 draw and how to watch: Donald Trump plays part as Scotland back in football's big time
Here’s who Scotland could face in the World Cup and where you can watch the draw
America, Canada and Mexico are preparing for a Tartan Army invasion next summer as Scotland gets ready to enter its first World Cup since 1998.
A night for the ages at Hampden against Denmark has set the nation on its way to the biggest stage in football, after a 4-2 victory versus the Danes. It means the dreaded play-offs in March have been swerved and full focus for Steve Clarke can go on fine tuning his squad for a momentous few weeks next summer.
For players, the season turns not only about club achievement, but doing enough to make a case for a spot on the plane. Fans meanwhile will already be in trip planning mode but intrigue over who Scotland will face now rises to the top of the agenda. Here’s all you need to know about the World Cup 2026 draw.
When is the World Cup draw?
The draw for the 2026 World Cup takes place at 5pm GMT/12pm EST on December 5th. It takes place at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC and US president Donald Trump is expected to be in attendance.
How do I watch the World Cup draw?
The Tartan Army and supporters around the world can stream the draw live on FIFA.com. The timing in GMT is the same as above.
When is the World Cup?
This edition of football’s biggest tournament starts on June 11th at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, with the games hosted between America, Canada and Mexico. The tournament across three nation culminates with the final on July 19th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, United States.
How does the World Cup’s new format work
Increased to 48 nations for this edition, the competing countries will be divided into 12 groups containing four teams each, one from each of the four draw pots. The first pot will have the host nations of USA, Canada and Mexico alongside the nine top countries on FIFA’s rankings who have made the tournament.
Pots two, three and four have the next 12 best-ranked sides in order so the groups are balanced and so, in theory, the best teams do not face each other until later in the tournament. Teams who are from the same confederation are kept apart in the group stage, except for European nations, where the 16-strong contingent outnumber the groups. A maximum of two European nations can be in one group.
Who has qualified for the World Cup so far?
- England
- France
- Croatia
- Portugal
- Norway
- Germany
- Spain
- Belgium
- Netherlands
- Scotland
- Australia
- Iran
- Japan
- Jordan
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Uzbekistan
- Algeria
- Cape Verde
- Egypt
- Ghana
- Ivory Coast
- Morocco
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Tunisia
- Canada (co-host)
- Mexico (co-host)
- United States (co-host)
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
- New Zealand
What X said after Scotland vs Denmark
Speaking after Scotland against Denmark, Clarke said: “Right in the last part of the game, the crowd was still with us. Everybody was in the stadium, nobody left because they could smell magic.
“I’ve said it for a long time now, how good the players are and how determined they are to be good for their country. They showed that. I couldn’t be happier for my players. It’s fantastic. It’s going to be good and it’s going to be a good Christmas in the Clarke household, I promise you.”