POTS (Subject to change with CONCACAF, although doing my best to predict/cover bases here)

POT 1

• USA
• Canada
• Mexico
• Spain
• Argentina
• France
• England
• Brazil
• Portugal
• Netherlands
• Belgium
• Germany

POT 2

• Croatia
• Morocco
• Colombia
• Uruguay
• Switzerland
• Japan
• Senegal
• Iran
• Korea
• Austria
• Ecuador
• Australia

POT 3

• Norway
• Panama *
• Egypt
• Algeria
• Paraguay
• Tunisia
• Scotland
• Ivory Coast
• Uzbekistan
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• South Africa

POT 4

• Jordan
• Cape Verde
• Ghana
• New Zealand
• CONCACAF 2*
• CONCACAF 3*
• UEFA 1
• UEFA 2
• UEFA 3
• UEFA 4
• Intercontinental 1
• Intercontinental 2

* The main things that can change around depending on CONCACAF's qualification results are (in order of FIFA Ranking) This is why I've just named CONCACAF 2 and 3 for Pot 4 - and made a prediction of Panama qualifying, as that's probably the most likely outcome:

• In Group 3 - If Costa Rica qualifies, they will be in Pot 3
• In Group 1 - If Panama qualifies, they will be Pot 3
• In Group 3 - If Honduras qualifies, they will be Pot 3

All other outcomes in CONCACAF would lead to all 3 nations being placed in Pot 4, with Jordan going into Pot 3.

NicCarBel said:

POTS (Subject to change with CONCACAF, although doing my best to predict/cover bases here)

POT 1

• USA
• Canada
• Mexico
• Spain
• Argentina
• France
• England
• Brazil
• Portugal
• Netherlands
• Belgium
• Germany

POT 2

• Croatia
• Morocco
• Colombia
• Uruguay
• Switzerland
• Japan
• Senegal
• Iran
• Korea
• Australia
• Ecuador
• Australia

POT 3

• Norway
• Panama *
• Egypt
• Algeria
• Paraguay
• Tunisia
• Scotland
• Ivory Coast
• Uzbekistan
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• South Africa

POT 4

• Jordan
• Cape Verde
• Jamaica
• Ghana
• New Zealand
• CONCACAF 2*
• CONCACAF 3*
• UEFA 1
• UEFA 2
• UEFA 3
• UEFA 4
• Intercontinental 1
• Intercontinental 2

* The main things that can change around depending on CONCACAF's qualification results are (in order of FIFA Ranking) This is why I've just named CONCACAF 2 and 3 for Pot 4 - and made a prediction of Panama qualifying, as that's probably the most likely outcome:

• In Group 3 - If Costa Rica qualifies, they will be in Pot 3
• In Group 1 - If Panama qualifies, they will be Pot 3
• In Group 3 - If Honduras qualifies, they will be Pot 3

All other outcomes in CONCACAF would lead to all 3 nations being placed in Pot 4, with Jordan going into Pot 3.

Click to expand...

You have Australia in twice in Pot 2.

Also 13 Pot 4.

dr. bellows said:

You have Australia in twice in Pot 2.

Click to expand...

I fell for the old Austria/Australia trick - I must be American

In the event FIFA decide to FIFA and they do go ahead with that "lets put the playoffs where the highest country is ranked" plan - this is the pots (again CONCACAF will change things)
POT 1

• USA
• Canada
• Mexico
• Spain
• Argentina
• France
• England
• Brazil
• Portugal
• Netherlands
• Belgium
• Germany

POT 2

• Croatia
• Morocco
• Colombia
• Uruguay
• Switzerland
• Japan
• Senegal
• Iran
• Korea
• Austria
• UEFA 1 (Italy)
• UEFA 2 (Denmark)

POT 3

• Ecuador
• Australia
• Norway
• Panama *
• Egypt
• Algeria
• Paraguay
• Tunisia
• Scotland
• Ivory Coast
• UEFA 3 (Turkey)
• UEFA 4 (Ukraine)

POT 4

• Jordan
• Cape Verde
• Ghana
• New Zealand
• CONCACAF 2*
• CONCACAF 3*
• Saudi Arabia
• South Africa
• Uzbekistan
• Qatar
• Intercontinental 1* (Iraq) - I might have these ranked off, could be Pot 3 or 4, depending who makes playoffs from CONCACAF
• Intercontinental 2* (Congo) - I might have these ranked off, could be Pot 3 or 4, depending who makes playoffs from CONCACAF

NicCarBel said:

I fell for the old Austria/Australia trick - I must be American

Click to expand...

lol

NicCarBel said:

In the event FIFA decide to FIFA and they do go ahead with that "lets put the playoffs where the highest country is ranked" plan - this is the pots (again CONCACAF will change things)
POT 1

• USA
• Canada
• Mexico
• Spain
• Argentina
• France
• England
• Brazil
• Portugal
• Netherlands
• Belgium
• Germany

POT 2

• Croatia
• Morocco
• Colombia
• Uruguay
• Switzerland
• Japan
• Senegal
• Iran
• Korea
• Austria
• UEFA 1 (Italy)
• UEFA 2 (Denmark)

POT 3

• Ecuador
• Australia
• Norway
• Panama *
• Egypt
• Algeria
• Paraguay
• Tunisia
• Scotland
• Ivory Coast
• UEFA 3 (Turkey)
• UEFA 4 (Ukraine)

POT 4

• Jordan
• Cape Verde
• Ghana
• New Zealand
• CONCACAF 2*
• CONCACAF 3*
• Saudi Arabia
• South Africa
• Uzbekistan
• Qatar
• Intercontinental 1* (Iraq) - I might have these ranked off, could be Pot 3 or 4, depending who makes playoffs from CONCACAF
• Intercontinental 2* (Congo) - I might have these ranked off, could be Pot 3 or 4, depending who makes playoffs from CONCACAF

Click to expand...

Good work. Thanks.

Christ, wouldn't USA/Canada/Mex hate being in Pot 1 !
I can stomach us in P3.

Solely using the first method:

My Group of Dreams (which I think is the same as I said mid-qualifying):
Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand

Group of Death:
Argentina/Brazil, Australia, Norway, Any UEFA Playoff winners

So we are pot 2 confirmed? Lots of online reaction from the football world questioning us. I do and don't get it. Shows how much good qualification results are worth.

JS96 said:

So we are pot 2 confirmed? Lots of online reaction from the football world questioning us. I do and don't get it. Shows how much good qualification results are worth.

Click to expand...

Depends until we get confirmation on how FIFA are treating the playoff spots, as we’ve heard reports both ways.

If it’s the way 2022 was treated - and we all thought 2026 would be - then yes, Pot 2 confirmed

If I reading correctly, the following countries will contest the inyer-confederation playoffs for the final 2 spots:

Iraq
DR Congo
Bolivia
 Jamaica
Suriname
New Caledonia

dr. bellows said:

If I reading correctly, the following countries will contest the inyer-confederation playoffs for the final 2 spots:

Iraq
DR Congo
Bolivia
 Jamaica
Suriname
New Caledonia

Click to expand...

Yep correct: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(inter-confederation_play-offs)

If we continue to play the way we have s been playing, it won’t matter one little bit which pot we are in, we will struggle against most teams.

dr. bellows said:

If I reading correctly, the following countries will contest the inyer-confederation playoffs for the final 2 spots:

Iraq
DR Congo
Bolivia
 Jamaica
Suriname
New Caledonia

Click to expand...

Yes - I have that above (including the structure).

Essentially Bolivia, Jamaica, Suriname and New Caledonia will be randomly drawn into two matches for the first round (single leg, USA hosting I believe).

The winners of those matches will face off against either Iraq or DR Congo (single leg, also in USA) with the two winners qualifying for the World Cup

Brenton1986 said:

big drama all of a sudden as according to FOX Sports website in United States now reporting that teams in UEFA & inter-confederation playoffs will be pot four that could now mean Scotland v Denmark in Glasgow on Wednesday Morning is significant now.

2026 World Cup Draw: How to Watch? How Does It Work? What Are Pots? | FOX Sports

Get ready for today's 2026 World Cup Draw: how to watch, how it works, and what the pots mean for team placement.

www.foxsports.com

Click to expand...

I was aware of the Playoff team pot issue but hadn't factored in Scotland qualifying directly which hopefully means a pot 2 outcome.

I think Iraq being seeded means we are unlikely to be drawn against Iraq's ICP group path in either case. Which either means more likelihood of one other of the pot 4 teams which could mean a higher likelihood of a Pot 4 Euro team in our group (if Euro playoffs are seeded pot 4) or a higher likelihood of the weaker African qualifiers or New Zealand or the other ICP playoff winner (if Euro playoffs are seeded pot 3 and pot 4).

So the benefits of being in pot 2 if it happens may be offset by a potentially tougher pot 4 opponent. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in another 2 weeks or so.

GoAussies said:

I was aware of the Playoff team pot issue but hadn't factored in Scotland qualifying directly which hopefully means a pot 2 outcome.

I think Iraq being seeded means we are unlikely to be drawn against Iraq's ICP group path in either case. Which either means more likelihood of one other of the pot 4 teams which could mean a higher likelihood of a Pot 4 Euro team in our group (if Euro playoffs are seeded pot 4) or a higher likelihood of the weaker African qualifiers or New Zealand or the other ICP playoff winner (if Euro playoffs are seeded pot 3 and pot 4).

So the benefits of being in pot 2 if it happens may be offset by a potentially tougher pot 4 opponent. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in another 2 weeks or so.

Click to expand...

From memory - someone mentioned that another tournament (possibly Women's World Cup?) featured this issue (the one you flagged with Iraq) that eventually played out that way, and it just meant that the group did indeed have the two nations from the same confederation. Not sure if/how FIFA will address that, as hypothetically, that means that playoff spot can only go to a group where there is two UEFA nations already (essentially)

2026 FIFA World Cup pots – if FIFA put UEFA playoff winners pot four,
Pot 1: Mexico (co-host) (15), United States (co-host) (14), Canada (co-host) (27), Spain (1), Argentina (2), France (3), England (4), Brazil (5), Portugal (6), Netherlands (7), Belgium (8), Germany (9)
Pot 2: Croatia (10), Morocco (11), Colombia (13), Uruguay (16), Switzerland (17), Japan (18), Senegal (19), Iran (20), South Korea (22), Ecuador (23), Austria (24), Australia (26)
Pot 3: Norway (29), Panama (30), Egypt (34), Algeria (35), Scotland (36), Paraguay (39), Tunisia (41), Ivory Coast (42), Uzbekistan (50), Qatar (54), Saudi Arabia (60), South Africa (61)
Pot 4: Jordan (66), Cape Verde (68), Ghana (72), Curaçao (82), Haiti (84), New Zealand (86), UEFA playoffs Path A winner, UEFA playoffs Path B winner, UEFA playoffs Path C winner, UEFA playoffs Path D winner, Inter Confederation playoffs winner, Inter Confederation playoffs winner

2026 FIFA World Cup pots – if FIFA World Ranking used,
Pot 1: Mexico (co-host) (15), United States (co-host) (14), Canada (co-host) (27), Spain (1), Argentina (2), France (3), England (4), Brazil (5), Portugal (6), Netherlands (7), Belgium (8), Germany (9)
Pot 2: Croatia (10), Morocco (11), UEFA playoffs involving Italy (12), Colombia (13), Uruguay (16), Switzerland (17), Japan (18), Senegal (19), Iran (20), UEFA playoffs involving Denmark (21), South Korea (22), Ecuador (23)
Pot 3: Austria (24), UEFA playoffs involving Turkey (25), Australia (26), UEFA playoffs involving Ukraine (28), Norway (29), Panama (30), Egypt (34), Algeria (35), Scotland (36), Paraguay (39), Tunisia (41), Ivory Coast (42)
Pot 4: Uzbekistan (50), Qatar (54), Inter Confederation playoffs involving DR Congo (56), Inter Confederation playoffs involving Iraq (58), Saudi Arabia (60), South Africa (61), Jordan (66), Cape Verde (68), Ghana (72), Curaçao (82), Haiti (84), New Zealand (86)

Draw: Saturday December 6th 4.00am AEDT live on SBS and SBS On Demand.

2026 FIFA World Cup – UEFA playoffs line up,
Pot 1: Italy (12), Denmark (21), Turkey (25), Ukraine (28)
Pot 2: Poland (31), Wales (32), Czech Republic (44), Slovakia (45)
Pot 3: Ireland (59), Albania (63), Bosnia Herzegovina (71), Kosovo (80)
Pot 4 (UEFA Nations League group winner): Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland

2026 FIFA World Cup – Inter Confederation playoffs line up,
Seeded straight into playoff final: DR Congo (56), Iraq (58)
Unseeded into playoff semi final: Jamaica (70), Bolivia (76), Suriname (123), New Caledonia (149)

draw: tomorrow 11.00pm Melbourne Time (1.00pm Zurich).