By Francis Onyach - Reporter
Kenya, 5 December 2025 - The official 2026 FIFA World Cup draw has been completed, officially setting the tone for what promises to be another thrilling global tournament.
With all qualified teams now placed in their groups, fans can begin to visualise the road to glory when the World Cup kicks off.
Defending champions Argentina are in Group J and they will battle Algeria, Austria, and Jordan.
Below is the full group draw as confirmed on Friday (today):
Expected Favourites Going Into the Tournament
Based on the teams that successfully qualified, several nations enter the competition as strong contenders:
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- Brazil – Always among the favourites, with world-class depth and attacking firepower.
- France – Recent finalists, stacked with elite talent across all positions.
- Argentina – Defending Champions riding on momentum and experience, with a balanced squad and big-game mentality.
- Germany – Historically strong and rebuilding well with a young team and with a good run of results in the qualifiers.
- England – Considered one of the most balanced teams, with star quality in midfield and attack.
- Spain – Technically gifted and tactically disciplined, always dangerous on the world stage.
Key Talking Points From the Draw
- Group of Death: From the 12 groups, Group I appears to be the group of death, featuring France, Senegal and Norway.
- Favourable Runs: Spain, Netherlands, and Portugal may have smooth group stage matches if they get off to a good start.
What Happens Next
With the groups now set, national teams will prepare for the upcoming tournament through training camps, warm-up matches, and final squad selections.
Full match schedules, venues, and kick-off times will be released shortly as the countdown continues toward the opening match.
