FIFA Rankings 2025 Set Top Seeds for Dec. 5 World Cup Draw as Germany Leads the Lineup
The stage is set for the Dec. 5 World Cup draw 2025, with the top-seeded teams officially confirmed after FIFA rankings 2025 were updated on Wednesday. The announcement came just a day after qualifying wrapped up across four continents, shaping the final picture for the global tournament.
For the upcoming FIFA World Cup draw 2025 , co-hosts United States, Canada and Mexico will take their place among the No. 1 seeds. Joining them at the top are heavyweights Spain, defending champion Argentina, France, England, Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany—ensuring a competitive lineup for the World Cup seedings this year.
One of the biggest talking points from the updated FIFA rankings 2025 is Croatia’s slip into pot 2. Despite finishing as a semifinalist in 2022 and a finalist in 2018, Croatia won’t feature among the top seeds at the Dec. 5 World Cup draw, to be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC—an event where President Donald Trump is expected to be present.
Beyond the main draw, the FIFA World Cup seedings also set the tone for Thursday’s draw for the critical March playoff brackets. These playoffs will determine the final six teams that will complete the expanded 48-nation lineup for the tournament, adding extra intensity to the World Cup 2026 qualifiers .
A total of 22 teams will participate in the playoff stage—16 from Europe battling for four World Cup places, and six others fighting for two spots in the intercontinental brackets. These matchups form a vital part of the European playoffs and intercontinental playoffs segments of the tournament structure.
Italy headlines the European playoffs, entering the knockout race with the pressure of avoiding a third straight World Cup playoff exit. The four-time world champions finished runner-up behind Norway in qualifying, pushing them into this tense stage of the World Cup seedings. With Norway powered by Erling Haaland, the Norwegians stand out as a dangerous pot 3 opponent in the upcoming World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
On Thursday, Italy will be drawn at home against a fourth-seeded team in the European playoffs, creating the possibility of another high-stakes clash with North Macedonia—the same team that stunned Italy in 2022. A win on March 26 will take Italy into a playoff final five days later, facing the winner of the No. 2 seed vs. No. 3 seed matchup. For this round of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, home advantage in playoff finals will be decided by the draw, not by FIFA rankings 2025.
The teams that emerge victorious from the four European playoff brackets will serve as the pot 4 placeholders in the Dec. 5 World Cup draw, giving them a clear but challenging starting point in the global tournament structure.
Meanwhile, the intercontinental playoffs will see top seeds Iraq and Congo awaiting the winners of semifinals featuring Bolivia, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname. These fixtures will determine the final two teams locking their spot in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers and, ultimately, the main event next year.
To make the picture even clearer, here are the updated seeding lists for both playoff regions as part of the FIFA World Cup draw 2025:
For the upcoming FIFA World Cup draw 2025 , co-hosts United States, Canada and Mexico will take their place among the No. 1 seeds. Joining them at the top are heavyweights Spain, defending champion Argentina, France, England, Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany—ensuring a competitive lineup for the World Cup seedings this year.
One of the biggest talking points from the updated FIFA rankings 2025 is Croatia’s slip into pot 2. Despite finishing as a semifinalist in 2022 and a finalist in 2018, Croatia won’t feature among the top seeds at the Dec. 5 World Cup draw, to be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC—an event where President Donald Trump is expected to be present.
Beyond the main draw, the FIFA World Cup seedings also set the tone for Thursday’s draw for the critical March playoff brackets. These playoffs will determine the final six teams that will complete the expanded 48-nation lineup for the tournament, adding extra intensity to the World Cup 2026 qualifiers .
A total of 22 teams will participate in the playoff stage—16 from Europe battling for four World Cup places, and six others fighting for two spots in the intercontinental brackets. These matchups form a vital part of the European playoffs and intercontinental playoffs segments of the tournament structure.
Italy headlines the European playoffs, entering the knockout race with the pressure of avoiding a third straight World Cup playoff exit. The four-time world champions finished runner-up behind Norway in qualifying, pushing them into this tense stage of the World Cup seedings. With Norway powered by Erling Haaland, the Norwegians stand out as a dangerous pot 3 opponent in the upcoming World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
On Thursday, Italy will be drawn at home against a fourth-seeded team in the European playoffs, creating the possibility of another high-stakes clash with North Macedonia—the same team that stunned Italy in 2022. A win on March 26 will take Italy into a playoff final five days later, facing the winner of the No. 2 seed vs. No. 3 seed matchup. For this round of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, home advantage in playoff finals will be decided by the draw, not by FIFA rankings 2025.
The teams that emerge victorious from the four European playoff brackets will serve as the pot 4 placeholders in the Dec. 5 World Cup draw, giving them a clear but challenging starting point in the global tournament structure.
Meanwhile, the intercontinental playoffs will see top seeds Iraq and Congo awaiting the winners of semifinals featuring Bolivia, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname. These fixtures will determine the final two teams locking their spot in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers and, ultimately, the main event next year.
To make the picture even clearer, here are the updated seeding lists for both playoff regions as part of the FIFA World Cup draw 2025:
European Playoffs Seedings (World Cup 2026 Qualifiers)
- 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 (World Cup Seedings & Rankings)
- Seeded: Congo, Iraq
- Unseeded: Bolivia, Jamaica, New Caledonia, Suriname
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