GENEVA (AP) — The 2026 World Cup draw next week will reward the four highest-ranked teams — Spain, Argentina, France and England — who will be placed in separate sections of a new tennis-style seeded tournament bracket.

FIFA said Tuesday the top four teams in the latest men’s rankings will, if they finish top of their respective round-robin groups, avoid each other until the semifinals of the June 11-July 19 tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

kAms676?5:?8 492>A:@? pC86?E:?2 H:E9 {:@?6= |6DD: 2?5 E@A\C2?<65 tFC@A62? 492>A:@? $A2:? H:E9 {2>:?6 *2>2= E96C67@C6 42? 6?DFC6 E96J 5@ ?@E >66E F?E:= E96 7:?2= 2E |6E{:76 $E25:F> ?62C }6H *@C<]k^Am

kAm“%@ 6?DFC6 4@>A6E:E:G6 32=2?46[ EH@ D6A2C2E6 A2E9H2JD E@ E96 D6>:7:?2=D 92G6 366? 6DE23=:D965[” uxup D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E[ 2:>:?8 E@ C6H2C5 E62>D H9@D6 4@?D:DE6?E 8@@5 C6DF=ED 92G6 C2:D65 E96:C H@C=5 C2?<:?8]k^Am

kAmpE AC6G:@FD (@C=5 rFAD[ E96 A2E9 7@C E62>D :?E@ 2?5 E9C@F89 E96 @4<@FE A92D6 H2D 564:565 3J H9:49 8C@FA E96J H6C6 5C2H? :?E@]k^Am

kAm%96 5C2H 46C6>@?J 7@C E96 7:CDE cg\E62> (@C=5 rFA H:== 36 96=5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ECF>A\7:72\H@C=5\4FA\5C2H\<6??65J\46?E6C\3fe4a5234_7ce6c66he`36d7_bff73geQms64] d 2E E96 z6??65J r6?E6Ck^2m 😕 (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r][ 😕 E96 AC6D6?46 @7 &]$] !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A]k^Am

kAm%96 ca E62>D E92E 2=C625J BF2=:7:65 :?4=F56 xC2? 2?5 w2:E: H9:49 uxup 6IA64ED H:== A=2J 6I24E=J H96C6 E96J 2C6 5C2H? C682C5=6DD @7 4@>A=:42E65 A@=:E:4D E9@D6 4@F?EC:6D 92G6 H:E9 E96 &]$] %96 `e 9@DE G6?F6D 7@C E96 `_c 82>6D :?4=F56 “ 4:E:6D H:E9 }u{ DE25:F>D 😕 E96 &]$][ E9C66 😕 |6I:4@ 2?5 EH@ 😕 r2?252]k^Am

kAm%96 @E96C D:I 6?EC:6D H:== 36 564:565 😕 |2C49 H96? tFC@A62? 2?5 8=@32= A=2J@77D 3C24<6ED 2C6 D4965F=65[ 2?5 E9@D6 E62>D 2== H:== 4@>6 @FE @7 E96 5C2H A@E @7 =@H6DE\C2?<65 E62>D]k^Am

kAm%92E >62?D 7@FC\E:>6 492>A:@? xE2=J 4@F=5 36 2 52?86C@FD @AE:@? 😕 E96 5C2H @? uC:52J @7 ?6IE H66< E92E H:== D6E E96 >2E49 D4965F=6 3J A=24:?8 E62>D 😕 `a C@F?5\C@3:? 8C@FAD @7 7@FC E62>D 6249]k^Am

kAmtFC@A6 92D `e E62>D 😕 E96 =:?6FA 2?5 2 >2I:>F> @7 EH@ 42? 36 5C2H? :?E@ 2?J @?6 8C@FA] %96 @E96C ba E62>D 😕 E96 E@FC?2>6?E 42??@E 36 5C2H? 😕 2 8C@FA H:E9 2 E62> 7C@> E96 D2>6 4@?E:?6?E]k^Am

kAm%96 E9C66 4@\9@DED 2C6 2>@?8 E96 `a E@A D665D 😕 E96 5C2H[ H9:49 😀 D4965F=65 E@ E2<6 23@FE cd >:?FE6D 5FC:?8 2 D9@H =2DE:?8 23@FE 2? 9@FC 2?5 2 92=7[ uxup D2:5] %96 &]$] H:== @A6? @? yF?6 `a 282:?DE 2 E62> 7C@> A@E b[ E96? 7246 2 E62> 7C@> A@E a 2?5 4=@D6 E96 8C@FA DE286 282:?DE 2 E62> 7C@> A@E c]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAm(@C=5 rFA 5C2H D665:?8Dk^Am

kAm!@E `i $A2:?[ pC86?E:?2[ uC2?46[ t?8=2?5[ qC2K:=[ !@CEF82=[ }6E96C=2?5D[ q6=8:F>[ v6C>2?J[ &?:E65 $E2E6D[ |6I:4@[ r2?252]k^Am

kAm!@E ai rC@2E:2[ |@C@44@[ r@=@>3:2[ &CF8F2J[ $H:EK6C=2?5[ y2A2?[ $6?682=[ xC2?[ $@FE9 z@C62[ t4F25@C[ pFDEC:2[ pFDEC2=:2]k^Am

kAm!@E bi }@CH2J[ !2?2>2[ t8JAE[ p=86C:2[ $4@E=2?5[ !2C28F2J[ %F?:D:2[ xG@CJ r@2DE[ &K36<:DE2?[ “2E2C[ $2F5: pC23:2[ $@FE9 p7C:42]k^Am

kAm!@E ci y@C52?[ r2A6 ‘6C56[ v92?2[ rFC242@[ w2:E:[ }6H +62=2?5[ tFC@A62? A=2J@77 H:??6C `[ tFC@A62? A=2J@77 H:??6C a[ tFC@A62? A=2J@77 H:??6C b[ tFC@A62? A=2J@77 H:??6C c[ x?E6C4@?E:?6?E2= A=2J@77 H:??6C `[ x?E6C4@?E:?6?E2= A=2J@77 H:??6C a]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! D@446Ci k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^D@446CQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^D@446Ck^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Share.

Comments are closed.