US EditionWorld Cup 2026: Fifa to Keep Top Seeds Apart in Draw
- On December 5, 2025 the World Cup group-stage draw will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., at noon ET, placing 48 teams into four pots and 12 groups with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump attending.
- FIFA introduced a tennis-style seeding system for the knockout phase this year, placing seeded countries in position one with a pre-determined allocation grid to reward higher-ranked teams.
- Pot compositions list the top seeds, including co-hosts and nine top-ranked teams, followed by the next 12, then the next dozen teams, and lower-ranked qualifiers plus playoff winners in Pot 4.
- Kick-Off times and stadium allocations will be released on December 6, and FIFA says the televised draw will last 45–50 minutes within a longer show.
- The seeding ensures top-ranked teams occupy separate knockout pathways, with Spain and Argentina placed opposite, France and England separated, and playoff winners assigned groups before March qualifiers end.
123 Articles
123 Articles
2026 World Cup draw can separate top-ranked Spain, Argentina, France and England until semifinals
GENEVA (AP) — The 2026 World Cup draw next week will reward the four highest-ranked teams — Spain, Argentina, France and England — who will be placed in separate sections of a new tennis-style seeded tournament bracket.
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Hong-seok Ahn = In the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, the match between the 1st to 4th ranked teams in the FIFA rankings will only take place in the semifinals.
2026 World Cup draw can separate top-ranked Spain, Argentina, France and England until semifinals
2026 World Cup draw can separate top-ranked Spain, Argentina, France and England until semifinals. | Peter Morrison, Associated Press. GENEVA (AP) — The 2026 World Cup draw next week will reward the four highest-ranked teams — Spain, Argentina, France and England — who will be placed in separate sections of a new tennis-style seeded tournament bracket. FIFA said Tuesday the top four teams in the latest men’s rankings will, if they finish top of …
FIFA to keep top seeds apart in expanded 2026 World Cup draw
FIFA revealed on Tuesday that the top four seeded nations at the 2026 World Cup will occupy two separate halves of the draw for the expanded 48-team tournament, meaning they could avoid facing each other until the semi-final stage.
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