Five things KC sports fans should watch for in Friday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup draw
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Group J likely sends a Pot 1 heavyweight to Kansas City and Arrowhead.
- Arrowhead will host Group E and F matches plus a Group K R32 fixture.
- If the U.S. finishes third in Group D it could meet Group K winner July 3.
Part of the Kansas City 2026 World Cup puzzle will be completed Friday, when most of the teams will be put into the 12 groups for next year’s tournament.
We’ll get the full picture Saturday, when FIFA announces the matchups for the 72 group-stage games.
A watch party is planned in Kansas City for the World Cup draw, which is Friday at 11 a.m. Central Time in Washington. Forty-eight international soccer squads will be placed in each of the 12 four-team groups, and we’ll get an idea of who could be coming to Kansas City.
Teams will be plucked from four pots, which have been weighted by recent success, to fill out each of the four groups.
Here are five things for fans in Kansas City (and Wichita) to watch for during Friday’s draw.
1. Keep an eye on Group J
Of the four teams drawn into Group J, three are guaranteed to play at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. With co-hosts United States (Group D), Mexico (Group A) and Canada (Group B) already in place, one of the nine top-tier teams will be in Group J.
That Pot 1 list is loaded with Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Six of those nations have won a World Cup title.
There’s a good chance one of those teams could be coming to KC.
“Group J will have a significant presence in Kansas City, and we know that we’ll have at least two Group E teams and two Group F teams,: KC2026 CEO Pam Kramer said. “So again, those three groups take on some very special significance for us on Friday, Dec. 5.”
2. Group K
Kramer didn’t mention it, but local sports fans will want to see which of the Pot 1 teams will be drawn into Group K. That’s because that group winner will be playing a Round-of-32 match at Arrowhead Stadium.
The soccer heavyweights often (but not always) top their group in the World Cup, so it’s possible the top-tier team in Group K will end up in Kansas City.
3. Group E
Kansas City will play host to a Group E match on June 20, meaning two of the four teams will be at Arrowhead Stadium.
Pot 2 includes Croatia and Morocco, which were in the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup, along with Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and Australia. The latter four all made it to the knockout stage three years ago in Qatar.
Thus, there is a decent chance a great team from either Pot 1 or Pots 2 will be in KC in Group E.
4. Group F, too
Because of all the reasons listed above, sports fans in Kansas City will want to keep an eye on Group F, too.
A Group F game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium on June 25.
5. USA in KC?
Team USA is in Group D, and if that group gets loaded with great teams, it could be good news for Kansas City fans.
It’s a long shot, but should the United States finish third in its group and advance, it could play that Group K winner at Arrowhead Stadium. A third-place finisher from Group D, E, I, J or L will advance to that Group of 32 game, Fox Sports reported.
Oh, and it’ll be played on July 3, the day before the America celebrates its 250th birthday. That would be epic.
This story was originally published December 4, 2025 at 10:47 AM.
