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According to the procedures officially announced by FIFA, the draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026 finals will begin by placing the 12 teams from each of the four pots into separate containers.The three host nations will be placed in Pot 1, while the four pots for the teams that qualified through the European play-offs and the two pots for the teams that qualified through the intercontinental play-offs will be placed in Pot 4, ensuring a balanced distribution of teams during the draw.The draw ceremony is scheduled to begin with all the teams from Pot 1 being drawn to groups A to L. The remaining teams will then be drawn from Pots B through D.FIFA has imposed specific restrictions on the World Cup 2026 draw process. The three host nations will first be designated with different colored balls to ensure a predetermined selection process: the green ball will represent Mexico, placing them at the top of Group A; the red ball will represent Canada, placing them at the top of Group B; and the blue ball will represent the United States, placing them at the top of Group C.As for the remaining nine teams in the pot 1, they will be allocated balls of the same color, and each team will be placed at the top of the group that will be determined by the draw, thus ensuring an organized and balanced distribution.In this context, FIFA was keen to avoid the two highest-ranked teams (Spain, ranked first, and Argentina, ranked second) facing each other before the final (in the event that they topped their groups in the first round), by placing them in two separate paths leading to the semi-finals, in order to maintain a balance in the distribution of teams. The same will apply to both (France, ranked third) and (England, ranked fourth), where the two paths will be chosen randomly, in an effort to avoid the best-ranked teams facing each other early on.As for Pots 2, 3, and 4, each team's position within its group will be determined according to the draw procedure. This ensures that each team's position within its group is determined based on the pot from which it was drawn and the group it was placed in.FIFA will apply the principle of no more than one team from the same confederation being in the same group. This applies to all confederations except UEFA, which has 16 teams participating in the tournament. Since this number of teams cannot be distributed across the 12 groups, no more than two European teams can be in any one group.The implementation of the principle of separation means that no more than one team from the same continental federation should be in one group, by applying the continental federations’ restriction to the three teams that will compete within each of the two paths related to the two seats allocated for the global play-off in Pot 4.FIFA had set Dec. 6 as the date for announcing the details of the group stage matches, in order to achieve the best possible conditions for all teams, and to enable fans in different countries around the world to follow their favorite teams across different time zones, according to the rule followed in determining the stadiums of the matches and the timing of their start. (QNA)

The draw for the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup took place Wednesday in Jakarta, Indonesia. The draw ceremony saw 16 teams divided into four groups, each containing four teams, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the quarterfinals.Host nation Indonesia was drawn into Group A alongside Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, and South Korea.Group B: Thailand, Vietnam, Kuwait, and Lebanon.Group C: Uzbekistan, four-time champions Japan, Tajikistan and Australia.Group D: Iran, the record holder with 13 titles, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) on Sunday launched the second "My Values Draw My Identity" project for the 2025-2026 academic year, in its revamped format across private schools and kindergartens. This year, the project embarks on a new phase of expansion and development, with new partners joining its ranks to further reinforce its mission. These partners include the Qatar Cancer Society, the Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center (Fanar), the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Analysis and Outreach Hub (Doha), the UNICEF Gulf Area Office, and the UNICEF Representative Office for Yemen, highlighted Dr. Rania Mohammed, Director of Private Schools and Kindergartens Affairs and Acting Director of Private Schools Licensing. Dr. Rania Mohammed added that the project absorbs every effort to protect values and deepen identity. In its belief in the criticality of planning and continuity, MoEHE's Department of Private Schools and Kindergartens Affairs has been committed this year to deliver the five initiatives according to a defined timeline, allowing each initiative to progress along its full trajectory, from planning to execution, to instill values in students' behavior and encourage the active engagement of parents and teachers at every stage. These initiatives are not merely activities, but practical tools to monitor enduring values and promote the national identity, in a manner that embodies the nation's vision to prepare generations conscious of their duties, firmly anchored in their roots, open to the horizons of the future, and equipped to serve the homeland while actively engaging in its renaissance, she pointed out. Dr. Mohammed further emphasized that the project is not merely an initiative, but a covenant for future generations to promote an educational environment that absorbs their values and dreams, enabling the homeland to build citizens grounded in the heritage of their past while actively shaping their future. The project, spearheaded by the department in collaboration with the Tarbeya Center for Tomorrow's Pioneers, has become a guiding beacon, directing steps toward pouring authentic values and the national identity firmly into students' consciousness, she said. Dr. Mohammed noted that the project's outputs were clearly visible in 2024, with participation from all private schools and kindergartens, which presented quintessential models of integrated educational work in coordination with 21 national partners, including ministries and institutions. This, she added, was achieved through multiple initiatives under the project, themed: Heritage and Authenticity (Al-'Iraqa wa Al-Asala), Safe Sailing (Al-Ibhaar Al-Amin), Aseel, Ikhaa', and Nature and Your Soul is a Trust. Throughout the 2024-2025 academic year, the project maintained its confidence momentum, extending its reach to 352 private schools and kindergartens, benefiting approximately 240,000 students through lectures and orientation workshops, Dr. Mohammed outlined. She noted that the project witnessed extensive engagement from over 133,000 students in diverse activities, alongside the notable involvement of more than 39,000 parents. A total of 192 activities and events were delivered, encompassing lectures, workshops, challenges, e-games, family and creative activities, competitions, theatrical performances, storytelling, and murals, conducted in both Arabic and English, Dr. Mohammed highlighted. She affirmed that the pedagogical impact of the project was assessed by 523 stakeholders from private schools and kindergartens, with findings confirming that the provided activities were highly appropriate for the targeted age groups and had directly contributed to deepening values and ethical behavior in students, while also motivating parents and teachers to active engagement. Partnership in this national project is a badge of trust and great responsibility. The center was given the opportunity to sit with the MoEHE team at the planning table to consolidate, structure, and implement the project, said Dr. Shawkat Talafha, Executive Director of the "My Values Draw My Identity" Project and Director General of the Tarbeya Center for Tomorrow's Pioneers. He added that the center dedicated its expertise to developing the pedagogical content, along with its skills to measure the values, monitor their impact and performance, in lockstep with a team of experts in the department who wield the educational mission and uphold the motto of Excellence and Development. Dr. Talafha affirmed that these experts were best suited to manage and monitor the project's steps and findings, while also reflecting on field feedback to sharpen work plans, driving both enhancement and excellence, mapping partnerships, and paving the way for anyone seeking to contribute to this noble educational endeavor.