With the FIFA World Rankings for October released on Monday, these are the set of rankings which will be used to place the 32 qualified teams in pots for the 2018 World Cup draw in Moscow on December 1.
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How the tournament will look in Russia next summer is starting to take shape, but things are still a little undecided with nine places still up for grabs during the next international break in November.
With Pot 1 fully confirmed, Pot 2 is also looking incredibly strong with five of the eight teams confirmed and 2010 world champs Spain have been placed in the second spot.
Some tasty “Group of Death” scenarios could be set up and remember, teams from the same confederation cannot be drawn together, except from UEFA as two European teams can be drawn in the same groups for the World Cup due to 13 spots handed to UEFA.
Below is a look at how the four pots may well end up as we have assumed the highest-ranked teams will all qualify for the World Cup during the next international break when playoffs and the final round of games take place.
2018 World Cup pots (if the highest-ranked teams all prevail in playoffs/final round of games)
Pot 1: Russia, Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, France
Pot 2: Spain, Peru*, Switzerland*, England, Colombia, Italy*, Mexico, Uruguay
Pot 3: Croatia*, Denmark*, Iceland, Costa Rica, Tunisia*, Egypt, Senegal*, Iran
Pot 4: DR Congo*, Serbia, Nigeria, Australia*, Japan, Panama, South Korea, Saudi Arabia
*denotes teams yet to qualify heading into playoffs/final round of games
Four different Group of Death scenarios
Germany, Spain, Egypt, Japan
Brazil, England, Senegal, Serbia
Argentina, Mexico, Croatia, Nigeria
Belgium, Colombia, Costa Rica, South Korea
