In another moment that will, surely, drive home the reality that Canada’s men’s team are headed for a FIFA World Cup, the official group stage draw will take place this Friday morning.

In a ceremony held in Doha, Qatar, the draw will determine opponents for each of the 29 qualified teams for next winter’s World Cup, as well as the three playoff winners that have yet to punch their ticket. The draw, televised in Canada by TSN, will officially get underway at 12 pm ET.

Canada has been placed in Pot 4 for its first time back at the World Cup since 1986, having fallen to 38th in the latest FIFA World Rankings (which determine World Cup seeding) following their defeat to Panama on Wednesday night. They’ll share that pot with Cameroon, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, and the three playoff winners (one from Europe — either Wales, Scotland, or Ukraine — plus the winners of Peru vs. Australia/United Arab Emirates and Costa Rica vs. New Zealand).

The final three places in Pot 4 will be filled later this year, when the remaining playoff matches are held.

For their group, Canada will draw one nation from each of the other three pots, although they will not be able to draw a fellow Concacaf member — that is, the United States or Mexico, both of which are in Pot 2.

The full pots are as follows:

Pot 1: Qatar (host), Brazil, Belgium, France, Argentina, England, Spain, Portugal

Pot 2: Mexico, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Uruguay, Switzerland, United States, Croatia

Pot 3: Senegal, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Serbia, Poland, South Korea, Tunisia

Pot 4: Cameroon, Canada, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, UEFA Playoff Winner, CONMEBOL vs. AFC Playoff Winner, CONCACAF vs. OFC Playoff Winner

The draw format will see each team from Pot 1 first assigned to a Group (A through H), followed by drawing each team from Pot 2 one at a time, and so on until all eight groups are filled with four combatants. Qatar, as hosts, are automatically assigned to Group A, position 1. Teams from the same continental confederation — except for UEFA due to Europe having so many teams qualified — cannot draw one another.

During Friday’s World Cup draw, join CanPL.ca’s Kristian Jack and Charlie O’Connor-Clarke, as they react to the full ceremony live on YouTube during a special watchalong show. Stay tuned to @CPLsoccer on social media for more details.