FIFA considers major changes at 2026 World Cup

Thomas Tuchel's England have booked their place in the 2026 World Cup.

According to information from Calcio e Finanza (Italy) and Football Meets Data , the world football body wants to rank the teams in the final round based entirely on FIFA rankings, instead of keeping the old rules with the play-off group.

In previous World Cups, the 32 teams were divided into four seeding pots (four “pots”) according to their FIFA rankings, with the exception of the teams that made it through the play-offs, which were always placed in Pot 4, the weakest pot. But if the new proposal is approved, these teams will be seeded according to their FIFA rankings.

The change may seem small, but it could have a big impact on the draw. Under the current system, England risked being drawn in the group of death against heavyweights like Italy, who would have had to play in a play-off. But under the new scheme, Italy are more likely to be placed in pot 1 due to their high ranking, meaning they would not be in the same group as England.

This is good news for coach Thomas Tuchel, who is preparing for his first World Cup with the “Three Lions”. England have already booked their tickets to the US, Canada and Mexico after winning all eight matches in the qualifying round, becoming the first European team to qualify.

Tuchel started his plans early. He attended the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the US last summer to learn about the competition conditions and observe his players' performance. The German coach admitted that he wanted the team to "acclimate quickly to the environment in North America" before entering the biggest tournament on the planet.

The 2026 World Cup will have 48 teams, a record number in history. FIFA's desire to adjust the seeding rules shows that they are aiming for a fairer grouping, based on strength rather than qualifying.

If passed, the new rules would significantly change the draw landscape. High-ranked teams like England, France, Portugal and Italy would avoid having to face each other early in the group stage. For fans, the 2026 World Cup may have fewer “groups of death”, but promises more fierce confrontations in the later rounds.

Source: https://znews.vn/fifa-xem-xet-thay-doi-lon-tai-world-cup-2026-post1601489.html