FIFA has revealed the top-seeded teams for the upcoming World Cup tournament draw set for December 5. Following the conclusion of the direct qualification rounds, the rankings reflect Spain at the top, closely followed by defending champion Argentina. The full list of top teams includes:
- Spain
- Argentina
- France
- England
- Portugal
- Brazil
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- Germany
The World Cup co-hosts—United States, Canada, and Mexico—will join these nations in the No. 1 seeds pot for next summer’s 48-team tournament.
Croatia, which reached the semifinals in 2022, has dropped to pot 2 for the draw ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Intercontinental and European Playoff Teams Set
The latest FIFA rankings have established the seeding for the playoff drawing on Thursday, determining the final six teams to join the expanded World Cup lineup.
The playoff will consist of 22 teams: 16 from Europe competing for four World Cup spots, plus six from other regions aiming for two spots in the intercontinental brackets.
Italy stands out in the European playoff brackets as they seek to overcome a recent trend of exiting the playoffs early. After finishing as runners-up in their qualifying group behind Norway, the four-time world champions will need to face a fourth-seeded team on Thursday, potentially North Macedonia, which previously eliminated them in 2022.
The draw will occur at home, with preliminary matchups deciding the thrill of playoff finals on March 26 and concluding five days later.
The teams that advance from the European playoff brackets are expected to come from low-ranked pots in the December 5 draw.
The intercontinental brackets will see top-ranked teams Iraq and Congo awaiting the results of playoff semifinals involving Bolivia, Jamaica, New Caledonia, and Suriname.
