This article was originally published on www.si.com as Best, Worst Possible 2026 World Cup Groups for Canada. Canada ended their 36-year wait to reach the FIFA World Cup by qualifying for Qatar, but they face an entirely different proposition during next summer’s tournament.

Thirty-six years after their first appearance at the World Cup where they lost all three matches and failed to score, Canada will now feature in consecutive finals for the first time.

World Cup co-hosts United States, Canada and Mexico will be joined in the pot of No. 1 seeds by Spain, Argentina, France, England, Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Scotland is back in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years. Same for Austria and Norway, which hasn’t been in soccer’s biggest dance since France 1998.

Canada is easing entry for foreign workers supporting the 2026 FIFA World Cup and FIFA Congress. These individuals can work without a permit from December 2025 to July 2026. This streamlines processes for tournament operations.

Explaining the 2026 World Cup draw, including how the seedings and pots work and which teams have already qualified.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico will be the first edition of the 48-team expanded tournament. And heading into 2026, just six spots remain — four of which will come from UEFA's qualifying playoffs. We found out the paths for those teams on Thursday, and yes, Italy still has a chance to make the World Cup.

The fate of 48 national teams will be revealed at 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 5 as the official 2026 World Cup draw takes place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. This landmark event will chart the journey toward the biggest tournament in football history, hosted next summer across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

During a FIFA announcement from the Oval Office several months ago, Donald Trump disrespectfully claimed he allowed Canada and Mexico to host some of the FIFA World Cup games. He smugly remarked, "see how nice I am?

New CaledoniaRD Congo / @x.com/_BeFootballThe draw for the intercontinental playoffs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Canada,