Canada will play Qatar, Switzerland, and the winner of a European playoff featuring Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The group stage matchups were announced Friday as part of a star-studded draw held in Washington, D.C., which was attended by world leaders, soccer legends and celebrities.
Canada’s first game in Toronto will be against the winner of the European playoff on June 12. The men’s national team will then head to Vancouver to play its second game against Qatar on June 18. Canada will remain in Vancouver to play Switzerland on June 24.
If Canada finishes at the top of their group, they’ll stay in Vancouver for the round of 32 and round of 16.
A second-place finish will also allow them to advance out of the group stage.
If Canada is among the top eight third-place teams, they can also make it to the round of 32.
These are the opening matchups.
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H | Group I | Group J | Group K | Group L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | Canada | Brazil | U.S. | Germany | Netherlands | Belgium | Spain | France | Argentina | Portugal | England |
| South Africa | UEFA playoff winner A | Morocco | Paraguay | Curacao | Japan | Egypt | Cabo Verde | Senegal | Algeria | FIFA playoff winner 1 | Croatia |
| South Korea | Qatar | Haiti | Australia | Cote d’Ivoire | UEFA playoff winner B | Iran | Saudi Arabia | FIFA playoff winner 2 | Austria | Uzbekistan | Ghana |
| UEFA playoff winner D | Switzerland | Scotland | UEFA playoff winner C | Ecuador | Tunisia | New Zealand | Uruguay | Norway | Jordan | Colombia | Panama |
-Alex Arsenych, Digital Journalist, CTV News Toronto
The first FIFA World Cup game played on Canadian soil will be between Canada and the winner of a European playoff featuring Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Toronto.
The playoffs begin in late March and will see the winners of Italy-Northern Ireland and Wales-Bosnia face off for a spot in Group B.
- Phil Tsekouras, Digital Journalist, CTV News Toronto