England drawn in World Cup 2026 group of death in Thomas Tuchel's nightmare scenario

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The 2026 World Cup draw takes place on Friday and England are set to learn their group stage opponents as the tournament begins to take shape

Abbie Meehan Sports Writer U-35s

14:00, 05 Dec 2025

England are poised to find out their group stage opponents for the 2026 World Cup when the draw is conducted this Friday.

A total of 64 teams, set to be reduced to 48 by next March's play-offs, will be allocated into various groups as the tournament begins to take shape. England are in Pot 1 alongside co-hosts United States, Canada and Mexico, with a host of formidable nations scattered throughout the draw.

Under the guidance of Thomas Tuchel, England sailed through the qualifying rounds without a hitch, winning all their matches with an impressive tally of 22 goals and none conceded. Their position in Pot 1 ensures that they'll avoid some of the world's top teams until the later stages of the tournament, specifically the knockout phases.

However, this doesn't guarantee a smooth journey to the final for England, with several challenging draws potentially awaiting them on Friday. Based on FIFA rankings, there are numerous top-tier teams in Pots 2, 3 and 4 that Tuchel would prefer to avoid.

Croatia and Morocco, both situated in Pot 2, are among the teams England will be hoping to avoid, given their strong performances in recent major tournaments. The Croatians have secured second and third places in their last two tournaments, while it was Morocco that they overcame in the third-place playoff at the 2022 World Cup.

England will also be hoping to steer clear of Uruguay, a team boasting talents such as Federico Valverde, Ronald Araújo and Darwin Nunez. In Pot 3, Norway, ranked 29th, are the highest-rated team on offer, with Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard posing a significant challenge for England's defence.

Scotland may only be ranked 36th in the FIFA rankings, but the historic rivalry between the two nations makes any match a fiercely contested battle. The Scots held England to a goalless draw at Wembley during Euro 2020 and defeated Denmark 4-2 to secure automatic qualification, proving they are not to be underestimated.

Pot 4 also presents potential stumbling blocks for England, with several play-off teams likely to end up here. Countries such as Italy, Poland, Denmark, and Ukraine could all find themselves in this pot and consequently in England's group.

Among those confirmed for Pot 4 are Ghana, who are seasoned World Cup participants and have players like Mohamed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo in their squad. However, England can only be drawn with one other European team in their group, which could potentially simplify matters for the Three Lions.