FIFA announced on Tuesday that the top four seeded teams at the 2026 World Cup will be placed in separate halves of the draw for the expanded 48-team tournament, ensuring they cannot meet before the semi-finals.
Under the format, world number one Spain and defending champions Argentina, ranked second, will be allocated to opposite sides of the bracket. The same structure applies to third-ranked France and fourth-ranked England. If each team wins its group, the two highest-ranked nations would only be able to face each other in the final.
FIFA also released the four seeding pots for the 48 qualified nations and outlined the procedures for the official draw, scheduled for December 5 at 1700 GMT in Washington, D.C.
All four top seeds are placed in Pot 1, alongside tournament co-hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Germany also secured a place in Pot 1 after narrowly maintaining its seeding status.
The draw will begin with the 12 teams in Pot 1 before proceeding sequentially through Pots 2, 3, and 4. Six places at the World Cup remain undecided, with 18 nations competing in the March play-offs.
Italy, four-time world champions and currently ranked 12th, must qualify through the play-offs and could enter the tournament in Pot 4. First-time qualifiers Uzbekistan are positioned in Pot 3, while fellow debutants Jordan, Cape Verde, and Curaçao are listed in Pot 4.
Pot allocations:
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, United States, 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, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, European play-off winners A–D, Inter-confederation play-off winners 1 and 2
