World Cup draw: Ireland could face Mexico, South Korea and South Africa if they win playoffs
Ellen O'Donoghue
- The World Cup draw started at 5 pm in Washington, DC and is now completed.
- With the Republic of Ireland being in Path D, it means they will be in Group A if they qualify.
- They will play Mexico, South Africa and Korea Republic - if they win their play-off matches against the Czech Republic and either North Macedonia or Denmark.
- Ireland plays the Czechs on Thursday, March 26th, 2026, and either Denmark or North Macedonia on Tuesday, March 31st.
Group A: Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, Euro Path D (Republic of Ireland if they qualify)
The winner of European Play-Off Path D has been drawn into Group A alongside Mexico, South Africa & Korea Republic at the #FIFAWorldCup2026draw pic.twitter.com/MAMpoHxf1y
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) December 5, 2025
Group B: Canada, Qatar, Switzerland, Euro Path A (Northern Ireland if they qualify)
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Euro Path C
Group E: Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Curacao
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, Euro Path B
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Cape Verde
Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Interconfederation Path 2
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia, Interconfederation Path 1
Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana
7.10pm
The draw is over, more than two hours after it started. Ending with YMCA.
6.57pm
Right, Pot 4 is next. That's us (if we get through). The Republic of Ireland will be known as Uefa Playoff Path D. Northern Ireland as Path A.
Right, Path D has been drawn in Group A. That means the Republic of Ireland is to play Mexico, South Africa and Korea Republic next summer if they win playoff matches.
Northern Ireland, potentially with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.
Shamrock Rovers player Pico Lopes of Cape Verde could play Spain in his first World Cup game.
6.45pm
Pot 3 next. Remember, we're in Pot 4 (if we get through).
Mexico against South Africa will be the first game of the World Cup.
Qatar in Group B, Paraguay can't be in C with Brazil so will go to B. Ivory Coast in E. Tunisia in F. Scotland in B with Brazil.
Scotland got a tough group, as they look to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time ever.
6.37pm
Pot 2:
Korea Republic join Mexico, Switzerland with Canada, Morocco with Brazil. Australia in with the USA. Ecuador join Germany. Japan will meet the Netherlands. Iran in with Belgium. Uruguay in with Spain. Senegal join France. Austria join World Cup holders Argentina. Portugal get Colombia and England will face Croatia.
Potential group of deaths emerging as Brazil get Morocco, and Spain get Uruguay. France will be against Senegal in a repeat of the opening match of the 2002 World Cup.
USA and Australia already look like the best group to get. England's first game will be against Croatia, who they have met quite a few times in major tournaments or qualifying.
It also means that the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland can’t get England.
6.34pm
Shaq went to draw a bit early, after Rio told him to. Maybe he can sense things have been dragged out a bit. Now though, we've another video showing us the teams in Pot 2.
6.21pm
We're finally starting the draw, Pot 1 is starting.
Group A: Mexico
Group B: Canada
Group C: Brazil
Group D: USA
Group E: Germany
Group F: Netherlands
Group G: Belgium
Group H: Spain
Group I: France
Group J: Argentina
Group K: Portugal
Group L: England
England in Group L. It's a big competition, and a lot of letters.
6.20pm
Oh god, one more big surprise before the draw.
It's Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge, Shaquille O'Neal, Tom Brady coming on stage to draw the lots. I don't think they are soccer players.
At least, we might be getting somewhere now, though.
6.15pm
Ferdinand asks if they can stop calling the game soccer and call it football instead.
Draw co-conductor, Samantha Johnson now on stage. And another video.
6.07pm
Carli Lloyd is now talking about USA co-hosting the tournament.
Klum and Hart saying the draw is taking place now soon, again.
Ah here. Rio Ferdinand is now trying to act, joined in a video with Salma Hayek and Matthew McConaughey. Ferdinand is the draw conductor. Now taking the stage though, thankfully.
6pm
Nevermind, false alarm. The draw has not started.
Hugo Sanchez, the Mexican legend, spoke instead.
Lauryn Hill is now performing.
It's Bob Marley's birthday so tributes are now being paid to him during her performance.
5.53pm
The draw is starting, finally.
Mexico have been drawn in Group A.
Canada have been drawn in Group B.
USA have been drawn in Group D.
The first team out was Canada, drawn by the Canadian Prime Minister.
Next out was Mexico, drawn by the Mexican president, and then shockingly, Trump pulled out the USA.
5.50pm
Gianni is now showing the draw assistants, or the public, I'm not sure which, how the draw will take place.
5.47pm
The draw will be taking place soon, according to Gianni, or if you're talking to Trump, then Johnny.
The draw assistants are coming on stage now: Canada's prime minister, Mexico's president, and Donald Trump, who has taken off his peace medal.
5.35pm
“In this spirit, we honour a dynamic leader...” - The Honourable Donald Trump. The Nobel Peace Prize he never got, courtesy of Infantino and Fifa, The Irish Times said. Presented by four Marines, a very American draw.
Infantino told Trump he can wear the medal wherever he wants to go. Trump says, “I’m going to put it on right now.” It is a massive trophy, that looks like the World Cup trophy with four hands grabbing it.
Trump says "This is truly one of the great honours of my life. We have saved millions and millions of lives. "
This is the first ever FIFA Peace prize.
Trump talks about Congo, then boasts about all his achievements. Praises Gianni, pronouncing it like “Johnny”.
Now, Lionel Scaloni brings the World Cup trophy on stage, with white gloves. The winning manager for Argentina.
5.30pm
Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger have performed, and now Trump is going to get his 2025 Fifa Peace Prize.
5.13pm
Heidi Klum has said 500 million people will be watching the draw, and Fifa president Gianni Infantino has taken to the stage.
"Fifa is the official happiness provider for humanity,” he says, giving Donald Trump a shoutout.
Claudia Sheinbaum, the president of Mexico, and Mark Carney, the prime minister of Canada, and their spouses are also in attendance.
5.05pm
Andrea Bocelli singing Nessun Dorma has started the ceremony. Donald Trump is in the audience, sitting beside Fifa president Gianni Infantino. We will likely hear from both of them very soon.
Hosts Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart are now on stage. This is pure showbiz.
The Republic of Ireland will learn its possible group at next summer's World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA after 5pm.
The draw takes place at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC, at 5pm for the newly expanded 48-team tournament.
Heimir Hallgrímsson will be there, leading an FAI delegation.
It is expected to go on for a while, and Rio Ferdinand will be joined by Sam Johnson and a host of sporting greats, including Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O’Neal, as the draw conductor.
Ireland is to face the Czech Republic in the play-offs next March, so the draw is somewhat hypothetical for Ireland.
We require winning two play-off games, but we will at least know then who they will be playing and whether qualifying will give Ireland a chance of going far in the tournament or not.
They will be in pot 4, where there is a smattering of quality in all pots, but pot 1 has the big hitters, and the not-quite-so-strong hosts of the USA, Mexico, and Canada, so they would be better ones to get.
Pot 1 will include the host nations – the USA, Canada, and Mexico, alongside Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
Pot 2, based on Fifa rankings, will be Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria and Australia.
Pot 3 includes Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
Pot 4 includes Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand and the six outstanding qualifiers.
The Republic of Ireland will be known as Uefa Playoff Path D. Northern Ireland as Path A.
