England World Cup 2026 Draw: Who the Three Lions Could Face in North America
England are just days away from finding out their route at the 2026 World Cup — and the Three Lions will soon know exactly which nations stand between them and finally ending nearly 60 years of hurt.
The hype’s already bubbling back home, as it always does. Since ’66 it’s been heartbreak after heartbreak, with Baddiel and Skinner’s Three Lions anthem dragged out every few summers to remind everyone what might’ve been. But this England side has come closer than most, pushed on by Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and a crop of players who look like they actually fancy making a bit of history for once.
England head into the draw as top seeds in Pot One, meaning there’s no early meeting with the big guns like France, Argentina, Spain or Germany. Instead, Gareth Southgate’s lot will be plucked from a pool containing Pot Two, Three and Four opponents — and that’s where things start getting properly tasty. UEFA rules means no more than two European teams in one group, although it’s still possible for England to land a fellow European nation.
Pot Two is hardly a stroll. England could get Croatia, Morocco, Colombia or Uruguay — all sides with proper tournament pedigree. Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria or Australia are also lurking there. Pot Three’s no picnic either: Norway, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay and Tunisia among those waiting to pounce. And the lowest seeds in Pot Four still bring a bit of danger, from Ghana to New Zealand, plus a couple of play-off winners that could easily include Italy or Denmark.
One potential group thrown about behind the scenes is Morocco, Scotland and New Zealand — awkward more than terrifying. But if England land a UEFA side like Croatia or Switzerland from Pot Two, then Scotland is off the table thanks to the “no more than two Europeans” clause. Another scenario could chuck up Colombia, Norway and Ghana. Or maybe something like Australia, Panama and Cape Verde, which actually doesn’t sound too bad on paper.
Scotland? Yes, it can happen — but only if England avoid Croatia, Switzerland or Austria from Pot Two. Draw one of those and the Auld Enemy stays in another group. Miss them, though, and the old rivalry could explode Stateside next summer.
The nightmare draw? Something like Colombia, Egypt and a European play-off winner — Italy, Turkey or Denmark all in that mix. Uruguay, Norway and Ghana also feels like a long, painful fortnight waiting to happen. And Senegal, Paraguay and a European play-off winner wouldn’t be far behind on the panic scale either.
But there is a dream option. Iran from Pot Two, Panama from Pot Three and New Zealand from Pot Four would give England a clean run with no extra UEFA clutter. Or maybe Australia, South Africa and Haiti — manageable, if still mildly tricky.
Either way, by the weekend England will know exactly what their opening act looks like. And once the dust settles, the same old question will start doing the rounds again: is it finally, actually, maybe coming home?