Draw from 6 p.m. in the ticker
Who will Germany face at the World Cup?
Updated 12/5/2025 – 5:14 p.mReading time: 3 minutes
The German national team wants to fight for the World Cup title in 2026. The groups will be drawn on Friday. You can follow the event in the live ticker here.
The German national team around national coach Julian Nagelsmann is not threatened with a real “hammer group” at the World Cup next year. However, the DFB team could face, for example, Croatia or Morocco at the tournament, which will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico. An encounter with Italy would also be conceivable if the four-time world champions qualify via the playoffs.
5:15 p.m.: The German delegation has already arrived at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The DFB is there with five people. In addition to national coach Julian Nagelsmann, sports director Rudi Völler, president Bernd Neuendorf, general secretary Holger Blask and managing director Andreas Retting are also present at the draw.
5:10 p.m.: The European teams are an exception. Up to two can end up in a group. Like at the 2024 European Championship, Germany could face Scotland (pot 3) or Switzerland (pot 2).
5:05 p.m.: But which teams could Germany end up in a group with? At least it is clear that the DFB team can only be assigned a team from a different continental association. For example, if Germany pulls Senegal from Pot 2, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Ivory Coast and South Africa would no longer be opponents in Pot 3 because, like Senegal, they are part of the African association. Cape Verde and Ghana from pot 4 could not be opponents of the DFB team either.
4:55 p.m.: Back to the procedure today: Draw pot 4 has a special feature compared to the other three pots. So far only 42 of 48 teams have qualified for the tournament. The final decision about the six currently missing World Cup participants will only be made in the playoffs in the spring. During the draw, these are drawn from draw pot 4 as placeholders. The German team may only find out two of three opponents this evening.
4:45 p.m.: Fifa is also awarding a “Peace Prize” for the first time. Several media outlets have already reported that US President Donald Trump will win this.
4:42 p.m.: The event in Washington will also focus on celebrities from film, television and music. The spectacle will be moderated by German supermodel Heidi Klum, together with actors Kevin Hart and Danny Ramirez. There will also be a lot of music on offer: In addition to Andrea Bocelli and Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and the “Band Village People” (“YMCA”) will offer an entertaining program.