World Cup 2026 group stage draw confirmed: England face Croatia, Scotland drawn with Brazil

The World Cup 2026 group stage draw has been confirmed, placing England in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama, and Scotland in Group C with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti. The 48-team tournament — the largest in the competition’s history — runs from 11 June to 19 July across venues in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The expanded format means 104 matches will be played over 39 days, a significant increase from the 64 games staged at Qatar 2022. The United States will host the bulk of the action with 78 matches, while Canada and Mexico will each stage 13. From the quarter-finals onwards, all remaining games will be held in the US, with the final taking place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July.

The tournament opens at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on 11 June — a venue steeped in World Cup history as the stage for Diego Maradona’s infamous and iconic goals against England at the 1986 edition. It also hosted two memorable finals: Brazil’s 4-1 victory over Italy in 1970, capped by Carlos Alberto’s celebrated team goal, and Argentina’s 3-1 extra-time win over the Netherlands in 1978, in which Mario Kempes scored twice.

Among the other notable group-stage matchups, Argentina — the defending champions — are in Group J with Algeria, Austria and Jordan, while France face Senegal, Iraq and Norway in Group I. Portugal are drawn in Group K alongside Congo DR, Uzbekistan and Colombia.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both expected to feature, with the tournament widely anticipated to be the final World Cup appearance for both players.

Full group breakdown:

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic. Group B: Canada, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland. Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland. Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey. Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, 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, Congo DR, Uzbekistan, Colombia. Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama.