Croatia among top seeds for World Cup draw as FIFA rankings released

Croatia in Pot 1

The draw for European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, the United States, and Canada is scheduled to take place in Zürich on Friday, 13 December, at midday (CET).

Good news for Croatia as they have secured a place in Pot 1 as top seeds for the draw.

Croatia, along with fellow quarter-finalists from the UEFA Nations League – Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain – have earned places in Pot 1.

They are joined by England, Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria, who qualified based on their positions in FIFA’s latest rankings.

The remaining teams have been allocated into four additional seeding pots, also determined by the latest FIFA rankings. The final seeding ensures a balanced distribution of teams as they compete for 16 European spots at the World Cup.

Competition Format

A total of 54 European nations will compete in the qualifiers, divided into 12 groups of four or five teams. Matches will follow a home-and-away format, running from March to November 2025.

Group winners will secure direct qualification for the World Cup, while the runners-up will advance to a play-off round.

Impact of Nations League Final Four

For teams still in contention in the UEFA Nations League, such as Croatia, the draw presents unique challenges. Since the Nations League Final Four takes place in June 2024, the draw will refer to the participants as “Winner of Quarter-final 1”, “Loser of Quarter-final 1”, and so on.

This approach allows flexibility, as the outcomes of these matches will determine the specific group allocations.

Winners of the Nations League quarter-finals will be placed into groups with four teams and will play their qualifiers from September to November 2025.

Meanwhile, quarter-final losers may be drawn into groups with either four or five teams.

Croatia’s Pathway

Croatia, ranked 13th in the latest FIFA standings, faces France in the Nations League quarter-finals next March. Their placement in the qualifiers will depend on this result. A win would guarantee a place in a smaller group, while a loss would introduce the possibility of being placed in a larger group.

Seedings for the Draw

• Pot 1: France, Spain, England, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Croatia, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria.

• Pot 2: Ukraine, Sweden, Turkey, Wales, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Romania, Greece, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Norway.

• Pot 3: Scotland, Slovenia, Republic of Ireland, Albania, North Macedonia, Georgia, Finland, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel.

• Pot 4: Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Belarus, Kosovo, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Lithuania.

• Pot 5: Moldova, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, San Marino.

FIFA Rankings and Recent Results

Argentina remains at the top of the FIFA rankings, followed by France in second place. Spain, England, and Brazil round out the top five. Portugal has climbed to sixth, while Belgium dropped to eighth. The Netherlands moved up to seventh, and Germany re-entered the top ten, advancing to ninth.

Croatia’s performance in November, a 0-1 loss to Scotland and a 1-1 draw with Portugal in the Nations League, saw them slip one position to 13th. Their upcoming matches against France and other Nations League rivals could influence their FIFA ranking further.

The next FIFA rankings will be published on 19 December, providing an updated view of the global football hierarchy after a busy autumn of international fixtures.