Ukraine national team in the fourth pot of the 2026 World Cup draw: what it means

The Ukraine national football team learned which pot it will be in during the draw for the final part of the 2026 World Cup. The information was published on the official FIFA website, reports 'Glavkom'.

On November 25, FIFA approved the distribution of teams into pots for the draw of the final tournament, which will take place on December 5. Ukraine, like all playoff participants, ended up in the fourth and last pot. The first pot includes the tournament hosts (Canada, Mexico, USA) and teams with the highest points in the FIFA ranking.

Grouping stage pots for the 2026 World Cup

• Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
• Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
• Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
• Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, two winners of the intercontinental playoff, and four winners of the European playoff

It is worth noting that to qualify for the World Cup, Ukraine needs to overcome two more opponents. In the playoff semifinal on March 26, 2026, our team will meet the Sweden national team. If victorious, the Ukrainians will face the winner of the pair Poland – Albania in the final match.

The Ukraine national football team has completed the first stage of the European qualification for the World Cup, which will take place next year in three North American countries.

The last and decisive match was against Iceland, which Ukraine lost 3:5 in the first match, but due to several setbacks (including against Azerbaijan), these two teams approached with the same number of points. However, the advantage was on the side of the opponents of the 'blue-yellow', so a victory in the match in Warsaw was necessary.

World Cup qualification. Group D

Ukraine – Iceland 2:0 (0:0)

Goals: Zubkov, 83, Hutsuliak, 90+3

The Ukraine national team gained an important victory over Azerbaijan in the qualification for the World Cup.

It should be noted that Ukraine won a tense match against Iceland in the World Cup qualification match.

World Cup qualification. Group D

Iceland – Ukraine 3:5 (1:3)

Goals: Ellertsson, 35, Gudmundsson, 59, 75 – Malinovskyi, 14, 45+5, Hutsuliak, 45, Kalyuzhny, 85, Ocheretko, 89

In the second round of the qualification for the 2026 World Cup, the Ukraine national football team drew with Azerbaijan – 1:1.

World Cup qualification. Group D

Azerbaijan – Ukraine 1:1 (0:0).

Goals: Mahmudov (72, pen.) – Sudakov (51).

Earlier, the Ukraine national team suffered a defeat against France with a score of 0:2 in the qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup. The match took place at the stadium in Wroclaw, Poland.

It is worth noting that during an important qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup between Ukraine and France, Ukrainian fans demonstrated their support for the national team by unfurling a huge banner with the inscription 'Fortress of Europe'.

The Ukrainian national team ended up in the fourth and last pot for the draw of the 2026 World Cup in football. Victories in the playoffs and overcoming two more opponents will allow our footballers to earn the right to participate in the final part of the tournament, which will take place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.