Bafana's surprising World Cup draw pot
Hugo Broos has been given an idea of what awaits Bafana Bafana at the World Cup draw after FIFA finally confirmed the procedures of how teams will be seeded.
Bafana will play at their fourth World Cup next year, with the latest FIFA rankings used to determine where they will sit for the draw.
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The November rankings have Bafana in position 61, making them the seventh lowest-ranked team of those whose qualification is already confirmed.
Jordan (66), Cape Verde Islands (68), Ghana (72), Curacao (82), Haiti (854), and New Zealand (86) are below Bafana.
Teams from the same confederation will be kept apart at the World Cup draw in the group stage, except for UEFA, where there are more teams (16) than groups (12).
No group will have more than two teams from UEFA.
FIFA has now decided to throw all play-offs winners (to be determined in March) into Pot 4, which could include Italy – who are ranked as high as 12.
This has had the consequence of pushing Bafana into Pot 3 of the draw to divide the teams into 12 groups of four.
"The following draw principles have been established to ensure a competitive balance – both in the group stage and, depending on sporting results, into the knockout stage – while retaining, insofar as possible, the random element inherent in tournament draws," reads the statement from FIFA.
"The hosts – Canada, Mexico and the USA – will be allocated to pot 1, and the 39 qualified teams will be allocated to the pots according to the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking issued on 19 November 2025.
"Lastly, the two FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-off Tournament placeholders as well as the four European play-off placeholders will be allocated to pot 4.
"Based on the ranking, the top nine teams will be allocated to pot 1, along with the hosts, Canada, Mexico and the USA.
"The next 12 highest-ranked teams will be allocated to pot 2, followed by the next 12 highest-ranked teams in pot 3.
"Pot 4 will include the next six highest-ranked teams along with the six placeholders for the FIFA and European play-offs scheduled to be played during the 23-31 March 2026 International Match Window," stipulates the world governing body.
This means Pot 1 has Canada, Mexico, and USA, along with Spain (1), Argentina (2), France (3), England (4), Brazil (5), Portugal (6), Netherlands (7), Belgium (8), and Germany (9).
Pot 2 – Croatia (10), Morocco (11), Colombia (13), Uruguay (16), Switzerland (17), Japan (18), Senegal (19), IR Iran (20), Korea Republic (22), Ecuador (23), Austria (24), Australia (26).
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Pot 3 – Panama (30), Egypt (34), Algeria (35), Scotland (36), Paraguay (39), Tunisia (40), Cote d’Ivoire (42), Uzbekistan (50), Qatar (51), Saudi Arabia (60), and South Africa (61).
Pot 4 – Jordan (66), Cabo Verde (68), Ghana (72), Curacao (82), Haiti (84), New Zealand (86) plus the four UEFA Play-Offs winners and two from the inter-continental play-offs.
Photo: FIFA
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