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FIFA Giving Italy An Unfair Advantage? New World Cup Seeding Rule Proposal Could Help Gattuso's Azzurri
FIFA Giving Italy An Unfair Advantage? New World Cup Seeding Rule Proposal Could Help Gattuso's Azzurri
FIFA are reportedly considering a major tweak to the 2026 World Cup seeding process, a move that could prove crucial for Italy's hopes — should they once again be forced down the dreaded play-off route.
As it stands, Gennaro Gattuso's Azzurri sit second in Group I, three points behind Norway with two games left in the qualifying campaign. With Norway boasting a huge +16 goal difference advantage, Italy's hopes of finishing top and qualifying directly for the World Cup rest on Norway slipping up against Estonia next week.
Should Italy finish second, they would face another high-stakes play-off: the same path that saw them miss out on both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Under the current system, any team that qualifies via the play-offs is automatically placed in Pot 4 for the World Cup group stage draw. That effectively ranks them among the lowest-seeded teams, guaranteeing a far tougher group that includes top sides from Pots 1, 2, and 3.
However, according to reports from Football Meets Data and Calcio e Finanza, FIFA are now considering revising the rule so that all four pots are based on the official FIFA World Rankings, rather than qualification routes.
If this change is approved, Italy would almost certainly land in Pot 1, given their current ranking among the world's top teams — even if they qualify through the play-offs.
That would spare them from facing other top seeds like Argentina, France, or Brazil in the group stage, drastically improving their prospects at the 2026 tournament.
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The proposed change is part of FIFA's broader review of the expanded 48-team World Cup format, which debuts in North America.
For Italy, it could mean that, after years of qualification heartbreak, simply reaching the World Cup might finally come with a fairer reward.
Source: News18
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