Spain looks for its first World Cup 2026 rivals in Washington

The Spanish national team will learn this Friday, 5 December, from 18:00 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, who their first three opponents will be for the World Cup that will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada from 11 June 2026 until the final on 19 July in New York.

The president of the RFEF, Rafaél Louzán, will lead the Spanish delegation together with the national coach, Luis de la Fuente. Also present in the US capital will be the general secretary, Álvaro de Miguel, and the technical director, Aitor Karanka.

Spain, currently number one in the FIFA rankings, is part of Pot 1, which includes the three host nations along with the highest-ranked teams. All four pots contain 12 teams, completing the total of 48 participants and making this World Cup the largest ever, with 104 matches played across 16 cities.

A total of 12 groups of four teams will be formed. No group may contain two teams from the same confederation, with the sole exception of UEFA, which has 16 teams.

The dates, times and venues for the group-stage matches will not be known until Saturday, 6 December.

Before the World Cup, Spain will play the Finalissima in March 2026 against Argentina, with the date and venue still to be confirmed. It will be a very special match between the reigning European and South American champions.