Socceroos Get Lucky With Place In Second Highest Pot For World Cup Draw

The Socceroos are to beryllium drawn from cookware 2 for nan 2026 World Cup, helping them debar second-tier powers specified arsenic Croatia, Morocco and Colombia successful nan group shape for nan tourney successful North America opening successful June.

Fifa released nan procedures for nan tie connected Wednesday, confirming Tony Popovic’s squad person secured a spot among nan higher seeds contempt 3 caller losses against nan USA, Venezuela and Colombia.

World football’s governing assemblage decided higher classed teams coming retired of nan last information of playoffs would not interfere pinch nan seedings of nan teams already qualified, meaning countries specified arsenic Italy – classed 12 successful nan world – are group to beryllium placed successful cookware four, traditionally reserved for nan weakest qualifiers.

The Socceroos are classed 26 successful nan world, and vanished conscionable supra nan cut-off betwixt pots 2 and three. Norway – who thrashed Italy 4-1 past week – are nan highest classed squad successful cookware 3 astatine 29.

The 2026 tourney has expanded to 48 teams, and its 12 groups will characteristic 1 federation from each pot. The teams that decorativeness successful nan apical 2 of each group advancement to nan knockout stage, arsenic good arsenic nan 8 champion third-placed teams.

Australia’s group will incorporate 1 squad from cookware one, which features nan 3 hosts Canada, Mexico and nan US arsenic good arsenic nan world’s champion sides including holders Argentina, Brazil and European powers specified arsenic France, Germany and England.

The Socceroos’ imaginable opponents from cookware 3 see Scotland – astatine their first World Cup finals since 1998 – Paraguay – who vanished nan Conmebol qualifiers connected nan aforesaid number of points arsenic Brazil – and African Cup of Nations winners Côte d’Ivoire.

The Socceroos person reached nan knockout shape conscionable doubly successful six appearances astatine nan World Cup finals, successful 2006 and 2022. However, they will beryllium expected to execute nan aforesaid fixed nan 2026’s expanded tournament, which will destruct conscionable 16 of nan 48 teams successful nan group stage.

The tie will beryllium held connected 5 December successful Washington (in nan early hours of 6 December Australian time), and nan lucifer schedule will beryllium confirmed nan pursuing day.

Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany

Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, IR Iran, Korea Republic, Ecuador, Austria, Australia

Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa

Pot 4: Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, European Play-Off A, B, C and D, Fifa Play-Off Tournament 1 and 2