Overview of the Combination Draw (When, Where, and What it Decides)
The draw for the 2026 World Cup will be held at December 5 (early morning December 6 Japan time) will be held.
In this draw, all 48 countries, including the Japanese national team, Group Assignment (12 Groups x 4 Teams) will be decided.
- VenueUnited States (official venues to be announced by FIFA)
- Target48 participating countries
- Details① Pot Division → ② Drawing → ③ Group Determination
- The importance of resultsNot only which countries Japan will fight against, but also80 to 90 percent of which city to play in is also decided here.I will do it.
For spectators,This is the real start of the itinerary planning.Simple overall odds: approximately 1 in 80 to 100
◆ Drawing Procedures (What is Pot Allocation?)
The draw is held with teams divided into "pots" (numbers) based on their FIFA ranking.
- Pot 1Host countries (USA, Canada, Mexico) + top rankings
- Pot 2Upper-to-middle-tier countries
- Pot 3Mid-tier to emerging countries
- Pot 4: Some countries in Asia and Africa, etc.
Depending on which pot the Japanese national team is placed in,The strength of the opponent you face varies greatly.Mechanism.
The drawing is done by selecting one by one from each pot,
Four teams each A-L's 12 groups will be made.
◆ Matters to be decided by lottery / Matters not to be decided by lottery
Winning by lottery
- Group E
- Opponents (3 countries)
- Match order (Game 1 / Game 2 / Game 3)
It will be finalized on the day of the lottery.
“Still undecided” in the lottery
- Kickoff time(Pending official FIFA announcement)
- Final ticket sales schedule
- Stadium details for each match
However,I know the city of the stadium.So
The moment the spectators saw the lottery results,
You'll be able to quickly decide which city to fly to.
◆ Important points from a spectator's perspective
For those attending from Japan, the following four days are particularly important for the lottery:
- Are Japan's host cities for matches close together or spread out?
Directly linked to flight and hotel bookings - be grouped with powerhouses
Ticket price and odds influence - Whether it is held in Mexico
→ Difficulty of public safety and travel distance changes
Depending on the lottery results, The total cost of the trip can change by 200,000 to 400,000 yen. It happens sometimes.
◆ Site Updates (December 5th Update)
We plan to update the following pages on the day of and the day after the drawing:
- Japan national team's Route recommendations and hotel descriptions for each host city
- Analysis of opponents (travel distance, climate, stadium characteristics)
- Predicted ticket difficulty by city and match for the Japan national team
After the drawing is finished, almost all pages will change to “with real data”.
Summary
The draw for the pairings is not only "the day we find out who Japan's opponents will be",
For those attending in person, it's the most important event that determines half of their itinerary..
From the moment of the lottery, airfare and hotel prices begin to fluctuate, so
We will also promptly reflect the latest information on this site and propose optimal travel plans.