FIFA to keep top seeds apart in expanded 2026 World Cup draw

ZURICH – FIFA, football’s world governing body, revealed on Nov 25 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 one another until the semi-final stage.

Top-ranked Spain and World Cup holders Argentina, the second seeds, will be drawn into opposite halves of the draw, and the same will apply to third-ranked France and world No. 4 England.

This will ensure that, should they both win their groups, the two highest-ranked teams will be kept apart until the final.

On Nov 25, FIFA published the four pots into which the 48 qualified teams will be placed, as well as the procedures for the World Cup draw which will take place in Washington, D.C. on Dec 5.

The top four nations are all placed in Pot 1 along with the three host nations – Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The draw will begin with the 12 teams in Pot 1, which includes Germany, who are ninth in the FIFA rankings and narrowly retained their seeded status. The process will then continue with Pots 2, 3 and 4, in that order, FIFA explained.

Six more World Cup spots remain to be filled among the 22 nations still in contention through the European and inter-confederation play-offs in March.

Italy, four-time World Cup winners and 12th in the FIFA rankings, are in the European play-offs and could find themselves in Pot 4 if they qualify.

Debutants Uzbekistan are in Pot 3, and fellow first-timers Jordan, Cape Verde and Curacao are in Pot 4.

In other news, Cristiano Ronaldo avoided the potential of missing the tournament due to suspension when FIFA instead levied a one-year probationary period for the Portugal star on Nov 25.

Ronaldo, 40, was issued a red card during Portugal’s 2-0 defeat by Ireland on Nov 13.

FIFA handed him a three-match ban on Nov 25 for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O’Shea, with the final two matches put on hold for “a one-year probation period”.

That means Ronaldo will be eligible for Portugal’s opening two World Cup matches in 2026.

The incident against Ireland originally earned Ronaldo a yellow card. However, after the contact was reviewed by the referee on video, Ronaldo was sent off with the first red card of his international career, which has seen the Portuguese play a record 226 matches for his nation.

The FIFA disciplinary committee deemed the incident worthy of a three-match ban, extending the automatic one-match ban while deferring the additional two matches for one year.

“If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision shall be deemed automatically revoked and the remaining two matches must be served immediately at the next official match(es) of the Portuguese representative team,” FIFA said in a statement.

“This is without prejudice to any additional sanctions imposed for the new infringement. The three-match suspension is subject to appeal to the FIFA appeal committee.”

Ronaldo served his mandatory one-match suspension when Portugal hosted Armenia in their final World Cup qualifier on Nov 16.

He is in line to play in his sixth World Cup in the summer of 2026.

“He is just a captain that has never been sent off before in 226 games,” Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said after the Ireland match. “I think it was a bit harsh because he cares about the team.” AFP, REUTERS

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