A prominent BBC presenter has launched a scathing attack on the seeding system for the upcoming 2026 World Cup, branding it "s***" and arguing it robs fans of epic early tournament clashes.
Chapman's Blunt Critique of FIFA's Plan
Speaking on the podcast The Sports Agents with Gabby Logan and The Athletic's Adam Crafton, Match of the Day host Mark Chapman did not hold back. He criticised the complex arrangements for the first 48-team World Cup, to be held across Canada, Mexico, and the USA.
Chapman took particular issue with the decision to seed the top four nations in the world—currently Spain, Argentina, France, and England—separately, ensuring they cannot face each other until the semi-finals. "It's a really s*** idea," Chapman stated. He pointed to the legendary 1982 group containing Argentina, Brazil, and Italy as an example of the thrilling football early-stage blockbuster matches can produce.
How the 2026 World Cup Draw Will Work
The historic draw for the expanded tournament is set for Friday, 5th December 2025. Teams will be split into four pots based on the FIFA World Rankings. Pot 1 will contain the three host nations plus the nine highest-ranked qualified teams.
The remaining pots will be filled according to ranking, with the lowest-ranked sides in Pot 4. A key rule states that no group can have more than one team from the same confederation, except for UEFA, which can have one or two European nations per group. This structure, while potentially easing the path for top teams like England, has sparked debate about whether it sanitises the group stage.
England's Form and Tournament Implications
England head into the draw in formidable form, having won all eight of their qualification matches without conceding a single goal. As one of the top-four seeds, they are now guaranteed to avoid Spain, Argentina, and France until the final four, assuming all win their groups.
While this may seem advantageous for the Three Lions' progression, critics like Chapman believe it diminishes the tournament's initial spectacle. The debate centres on whether protecting top teams for later rounds maximises broadcast revenue at the expense of the pure, unpredictable drama that has defined past World Cups.
The full draw will determine the makeup of the 12 initial groups, setting the stage for the biggest World Cup in history when it kicks off in North America in the summer of 2026.
