Germany, Argentina and Japan could play in Kansas City for 2026 FIFA World Cup
(AP) -- Kansas City is getting a clearer picture of which teams will face off in the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Arrowhead Stadium, with several soccer powerhouses in store.
The FIFA World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., divided a record 48 teams into 12 groups of four on Friday, including which teams are likely to play in Kansas City, which will host six matchups, including a quarterfinal matchup.
The following groups will play a match in Kansas City at some point during the Group Stage during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Germany and Argentina have won two of the last three World Cups.
- Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Côte d'Ivoire, Curaçao
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, Play-Off B
- Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan
Kansas City games will occur as follows:
- Group Stage: Tuesday, June 16, 2026
- Group Stage: Saturday, June 20, 2026
- Group Stage: Thursday, June 25, 2026
- Group Stage: Saturday June 27, 2026
- Round of 32: Friday, July 3, 2026
- Quarterfinal: Saturday, July 11, 2026
Kansas City and Dallas are set to host a match from at least eight different groups combined. Six spots won’t be determined until March, when 22 teams will face off in playoffs.
Here’s a list of the groups from strongest to weakest, using each group’s average FIFA ranking. (For groups with placeholders, the highest-ranked possible qualifier was used.)
Group F – 23.25 (Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA Playoff B)
Group D – 26 (United States, Australia, Paraguay, UEFA Playoff C)
Group B – 26.75 (Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, UEFA Playoff A)
Group I – 27.25 (France, Senegal, Norway, FIFA Playoff 2)
Group L – 29 (England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana)
Group A – 29.75 (Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, UEFA Playoff D)
Group J – 31.75 (Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan)
Group C – 34 (Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti)
Group H – 36.25 (Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde)
Group G – 37 (Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand)
Group K – 37.25 (Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, FIFA Playoff 1)
Group E – 39 (Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao)
