England’s possible opponents in World Cup 2026 group stage revealed
Why are England seeded for the World Cup draw and how does it work?
- FIFA has introduced seeding for the 2026 World Cup draw, ensuring top teams avoid each other until the latter stages of the tournament.
- England, as one of the top four seeded nations, is guaranteed to avoid Spain and Argentina until the semi-finals, and France until the final, provided all top seeds win their groups.
- The draw will feature 12 groups of four teams, with one from each of four pots, and is scheduled for 5 December in Washington DC.
- Group composition rules state that no group can have more than one country from the same confederation, with the exception of Europe, which can have up to two nations.
- England's placement in Pot 1 means they will avoid drawing other top seeds and strong nations such as Brazil, Portugal, and Germany in their initial group.