FIFA Announces a major update to the World Cup draw ahead of next summer’s tournament, introducing a Wimbledon-style seeding system that could favor England.
Under this new format, FIFA Announces that the top two teams in the FIFA rankings will be placed on opposite sides of the draw, along with the third and fourth-ranked sides. This ensures that football powerhouses—Spain, Argentina, France, and England—would avoid facing each other until the semi-finals if they top their groups.
FIFA Announces How the Seeding Works
FIFA inform that if the seeded teams win their groups, World Cup holders Argentina will not meet European champions Spain until the final. Similarly, England could avoid a clash with France—who defeated them in the 2022 quarter-finals—until the later stages of the tournament.
FIFA has explained that this change is intended to “ensure competitive balance” ahead of the first-ever 48-team World Cup, which will feature an expanded knockout stage. FIFA Announces this as part of its effort to make the tournament fairer and more competitive.
FIFA Announces that England has been placed in Pot 1 of the World Cup draw, which is scheduled for Friday, December 5, in Washington DC. Scotland is in Pot 3, while Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Wales—if they qualify via the play-offs—would enter Pot 4.
Match Schedule Confirmation
Finally, FIFA Announces that the full match schedule, including stadiums and kick-off times, will be confirmed on Saturday, December 6.
This new system, could give England a clearer path in the expanded tournament, avoiding some of the strongest opposition until the later stages.
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