When two teams are paired, they are placed in opposite halves of the knockout bracket, preventing them from meeting until the final. This system is used in events such as Wimbledon and the new Champions League format, where seeded teams are deliberately kept apart. FIFA aims to ensure that top-ranked countries do not meet in the early knockout rounds, increasing the likelihood of high-profile matchups later in the tournament. The same ranking system was applied in the Club World Cup held earlier this year.
In recent history, France eliminated England from the 2022 World Cup with a 2-1 quarter-final victory, while Spain defeated England in the Euro 2024 final.
FIFA has also confirmed the four pots for the final draw, which will take place on Friday, 5 December, at 17:00 GMT. Scotland will be in pot three, while the six play-off winners, which could include Wales, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, will be placed in pot four. Debutants Uzbekistan are in pot three, while first-time participants Jordan, Cape Verde and Curacao are in pot four.
The 12 World Cup groups will each include one team from each pot. The draw will start with pot one, and co-hosts Mexico, Canada and the United States will have specially marked balls to indicate their predetermined group positions, allowing them to play all matches in their own countries. Teams drawn from pot one will be placed in the first available group in alphabetical order, while the draw computer ensures Spain, Argentina, France and England are positioned in the correct sections of the bracket.
The draw will continue with pots two, three and four. Seeded countries will all occupy position one in their groups, with remaining teams allocated by a pre-determined random grid. No group may contain more than one team from the same confederation, except for four groups that will have two European teams. Inter-confederation play-off teams have limited group options to avoid conflicts with their regions.
While the draw will set the date and order of games, venues and kick-off times will be confirmed on Saturday, 6 December.
