2026 World Cup: FIFA Reveals Seeding Pots Ahead Of Draws
FIFA has released the final seedings for the 2026 World Cup ahead of the tournament draw scheduled for December 5, confirming how the top teams will be separated on the bracket.
The four highest-ranked nations — Spain (1), Argentina (2), France (3), and England (4) — will remain apart until the semi-finals if they top their groups.
This protection means Spain and Argentina cannot face each other until the final, while France and England would also only meet at that stage.
FIFA will use a “tennis-style” bracket, ensuring these heavyweight clashes are only possible from the last four.
However, if any of the top seeds fail to win their group but still progress, their ranking protection will no longer apply and they could face stronger opponents earlier in the knockout rounds.
2026 FIFA World Cup Draw Pots
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, Korea Republic, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, European Play-Off A, B, C and D, FIFA Play-Off Tournament 1 and 2.