Twelve groups of four—a structure the World Cup has never attempted before
En menos de dos semanas, el mundo del fútbol se reunirá en Washington D.C. para conocer el destino de treinta y dos naciones en el sorteo del Mundial 2026, un torneo que por primera vez en su historia adoptará doce grupos de cuatro equipos. Este cambio estructural, nacido de la expansión del campo y la complejidad logística de tres países anfitriones, representa una ruptura con casi un siglo de tradición. El sorteo del 5 de diciembre no es solo un evento administrativo: es el momento en que la geografía del deseo competitivo toma forma.
- FIFA rompe con décadas de precedente al introducir doce grupos de cuatro equipos, un formato que ningún Mundial ha intentado antes y que redefine la lógica competitiva del torneo.
- La presencia de tres países anfitriones —Estados Unidos, México y Canadá— obliga a un sistema de bolas de colores que garantiza su separación en grupos distintos, añadiendo una capa de complejidad inédita al sorteo.
- Los cuatro bombos ya están definidos, con potencias como Argentina, Francia, Brasil y España en el primero, creando una jerarquía que determinará qué naciones enfrentan los caminos más exigentes desde el inicio.
- El torneo se extenderá por treinta y nueve días a través de cuarenta y un estadios, desde el mítico Azteca en Ciudad de México hasta el MetLife Stadium en Nueva Jersey, donde se disputará la final el 19 de julio de 2026.
- Aún quedan plazas por definir en el cuarto bombo, lo que significa que varias selecciones conocerán su grupo antes de saber si han clasificado, añadiendo una tensión adicional al calendario de clasificatorias en curso.
En menos de doscientos días, el fútbol mundial aterriza en Norteamérica. El 5 de diciembre, en el Centro John F. Kennedy de Washington D.C., FIFA realizará el sorteo que definirá cómo treinta y dos naciones quedarán distribuidas en doce grupos de cuatro equipos, una estructura que el torneo nunca había utilizado en su historia.
El cambio no es menor. Durante décadas, el Mundial operó bajo la lógica de ocho grupos de cuatro equipos. Ahora, la expansión del campo y la realidad de organizar un torneo entre tres países han forzado una reconfiguración completa. Los equipos ya han sido divididos en cuatro bombos de doce equipos cada uno. El primero reúne a los favoritos históricos: los tres anfitriones más España, Argentina, Francia, Inglaterra, Brasil, Portugal, Países Bajos, Bélgica y Alemania. Los bombos siguientes agrupan a potencias regionales, selecciones emergentes y los clasificados de los torneos aún en disputa.
Los países anfitriones reciben un trato especial: México ocupará la posición A1 con una bola verde, Canadá la B1 con una roja, y Estados Unidos la D1 con una azul. Los nueve equipos restantes del primer bombo sortearán su grupo de forma automática, garantizando que ningún anfitrión comparta grupo con otro y que cada uno juegue al menos un partido en casa.
El torneo se disputará entre el 11 de junio y el 19 de julio de 2026, en cuarenta y un estadios repartidos entre los tres países. El partido inaugural será en el Estadio Azteca de Ciudad de México, con capacidad para ochenta y tres mil espectadores. La final se jugará en el MetLife Stadium de Nueva Jersey, ante ochenta y dos mil quinientos aficionados. Con el formato definido y la red de estadios confirmada, el sorteo del 5 de diciembre será el último gran acto antes de que el torneo más grande de la historia tome su forma definitiva.
In less than two hundred days, the World Cup arrives in North America. On December 5th, in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., FIFA will conduct the draw that determines how thirty-two nations will be divided into twelve groups of four teams—a structural experiment the tournament has never attempted before.
The format itself marks a departure from a century of precedent. For the first time, the World Cup will not organize teams into eight groups of four or sixteen groups of three, but rather twelve groups of four. This change reflects the expanded field and the logistical realities of hosting across three countries. The draw will bring together coaches and officials from the qualified nations, along with those still competing for the remaining spots, to learn their opening opponents.
FIFA has already sorted the teams into four pots, each containing twelve entries. The first pot holds the tournament's traditional heavyweights: the three host nations—Canada, Mexico, and the United States—alongside Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. The second pot includes recent tournament regulars and regional powers: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, and Australia. The third pot draws from emerging and established sides across Africa, Europe, and South America: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. The fourth pot contains the remaining qualified nations and slots reserved for winners of ongoing qualifying tournaments.
The host nations receive special treatment in the draw. Mexico will occupy position A1, identified by a green ball. Canada takes position B1 with a red ball. The United States claims position D1 with a blue ball. The other nine teams from the first pot will draw balls of a single color and automatically fill the number-one slot in their assigned groups. This arrangement guarantees that no group will contain more than one host nation, and ensures each host plays at least one match at home.
The tournament itself will unfold across the summer of the Northern Hemisphere, running from June 11 through July 19, 2026—a span of thirty-nine days. The opening match will be played at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, a stadium with a capacity of eighty-three thousand. The final will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which holds eighty-two thousand five hundred spectators.
Forty-one stadiums across the three nations will host matches. Mexico provides three venues: the Azteca in Mexico City with eighty-three thousand seats, the Akron in Guadalajara with forty-eight thousand, and the BBVA in Monterrey with fifty-three thousand five hundred. The United States contributes twelve stadiums, ranging from the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, which seats ninety-four thousand, to smaller venues like Gillette Stadium in Boston with sixty-five thousand. Canada's contribution rounds out the infrastructure, though the source material does not specify which Canadian cities and stadiums will be used.
The draw on December 5th will set the stage for what promises to be the largest World Cup ever held. With the group stage format finalized and the stadium network confirmed, the only remaining uncertainty is how the final qualifying spots will be filled and which teams will emerge from each group to advance to the knockout rounds.
Citas Notables
The tournament will be held during the summer of the Northern Hemisphere, returning to the mid-year schedule that was standard before Qatar 2022.— FIFA official calendar
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does FIFA need a completely new group format? Couldn't they have just expanded the old system?
The old eight-group structure worked when there were thirty-two teams. But with forty-eight teams now, you'd either have sixteen groups of three—which creates mathematical problems with tiebreakers—or you'd need something different. Twelve groups of four is cleaner. Every team plays three matches, no weird scenarios.
And the host nations getting their own colored balls—that's about fairness, or about guaranteeing them home matches?
Both, really. It ensures no host nation faces another host nation in the group stage, which would be awkward. But it also means each host gets at least one guaranteed home match, which matters for revenue and fan experience. It's a practical solution to a real problem.
Forty-one stadiums across three countries sounds logistically complicated. How do teams even prepare?
It is complicated. Teams will be traveling constantly, crossing borders, adjusting to different climates and time zones. The opening match in Mexico City, then potentially matches in the U.S. or Canada. It's not like a traditional World Cup where everything is contained. That's a genuine competitive variable.
The final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey—why there and not somewhere more iconic?
Capacity, mainly. MetLife holds over eighty thousand. It's also in the New York metropolitan area, the largest media market in the U.S. From a business standpoint, that's where you want the final. It's not romantic, but it's practical.
What happens to teams that haven't qualified yet? They're still competing for spots in December?
Yes. The fourth pot has slots reserved for winners of ongoing qualifying tournaments. So when the draw happens, some groups will have a placeholder—a team that hasn't been determined yet. Those teams will find out their group assignment once they've actually qualified.