Top Seeds Set for World Cup 2026 Draw as Italy Faces Playoff Pressure

Football’s global spotlight turned to the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament on Wednesday, as the governing body released updated rankings that finalized the top-seeded teams for the December 5 draw. 

The announcement followed the completion of qualifying campaigns across four continents and confirmed a powerful lineup of No. 1 seeds—one that includes Germany but excludes Croatia, despite the latter’s strong recent World Cup performances.

Co-hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico automatically claimed top-seeded positions and will join leading nations Spain, Argentina, France, England, Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany in the elite pot. 

Croatia, a semifinalist in 2022 and runner-up in 2018, narrowly missed out and will instead begin in pot 2 during the draw ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend the event.

The updated FIFA rankings also shaped Thursday’s draw for the March playoff brackets, which will determine the final six slots in the expanded 48-nation tournament. Sixteen European teams will compete for four of those berths, while six teams from other regions will battle in intercontinental brackets for the remaining two places.

Italy stands out as the marquee team in the European playoffs. The four-time world champions, ranked 12th, are seeking to avoid an unprecedented third straight World Cup absence. Their route to the playoffs came after finishing second in a qualifying group topped by Norway—whose star forward Erling Haaland makes his nation a formidable pot 3 threat.

On Thursday, Italy will be drawn at home against a fourth-seeded opponent. A dramatic storyline looms: they could once again meet North Macedonia, the team that stunned them in 2022 and denied them a place at the last World Cup. Should Italy advance from the March 26 semifinal, they will face the winner of the No. 2 vs. No. 3 seeded match in their bracket. Hosting rights for the March 31 playoff finals will be determined by Thursday’s draw rather than FIFA rankings.

Winners of the four European playoff brackets will enter December’s World Cup draw as placeholders from low-ranked pot 4, regardless of their pedigree.

Beyond Europe, the intercontinental playoffs will feature top-seeded Iraq and Congo, each awaiting winners from semifinals involving Bolivia, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname.

European Playoffs Seedings:
Pot 1: Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Ukraine
Pot 2: Poland, Wales, Czech Republic, Slovakia
Pot 3: Ireland, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo
Pot 4: Northern Ireland, Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia

Intercontinental Playoffs:
Seeded: Congo, Iraq
Unseeded: Bolivia, Jamaica, New Caledonia, Suriname