With the expanded format of the 2026 World Cup, the tournament will feature more nations than ever before—bringing a wave of first-time participants. Curacao, Cape Verde, Jordan and Uzbekistan have already secured their debuts, adding fresh storylines to the competition.

You can view the full list of qualified teams here.

Could we see a Group of Death?

Despite the larger field, the draw still has plenty of potential to produce a classic “Group of Death.” Several top-tier sides find themselves outside Pot 1 due to FIFA rankings. Croatia, Morocco and Colombia—teams capable of deep tournament runs—sit in Pot 2. Pot 3 also contains dangerous opponents such as Norway and Ivory Coast, while Pot 4 includes threats like Ghana, with Italy potentially landing there as well.

Because of this, even with the restriction that no more than two European nations can share a group, some sections could look exceptionally strong. For example:

Argentina, Morocco, Norway, Italy

Brazil, Japan, Ivory Coast, Denmark

Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Ghana

These combinations show just how competitive and unpredictable the 2026 draw could become.