Spain at FIFA World Cup 2026 – Who will La Roja play in the group stage?

Spain, the 2010 World Cup winner, met their opponents in the group stage for the 2026 World Cup during the draw, which took place on Friday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.

La Roja secured direct qualification for the World Cup with a 2-2 draw against Turkey in the final qualifying round and will play in its 17th World Cup. It has been drawn in group H at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Who are Spain’s opponents at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

• Cape Verde

• Saudi Arabia

• Uruguay

The World Cup, which started in 1930 as an invitation-only tournament, has grown from just 13 to 32 teams, becoming the biggest competition in international football. Next year’s World Cup will have a larger roster – 48 teams – making it the largest iteration of the tournament.

So far, 42 teams have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the remaining six places, two countries will qualify via inter-confederation play-offs, while the remaining four will be winners of the European qualifying play-offs.

The increased number of teams also introduces an extra round. After 48 teams have been divided into 12 groups of four teams each, the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-place teams, will enter the Round of 32.

Round of 32 matches are single-leg knockouts, involving 90 minutes of regular play, followed by 30 minutes of extra time if the result is not known. If the match is still undecided after 120 minutes plus injury time, the winner will be determined by penalty kicks.

Published on December 6, 2025