England have been confirmed as one of the top seven seeded teams for the 2022 FIFA World Cup draw, which takes place on Friday. The Three Lions, currently fifth in the FIFA world rankings, are guaranteed a place in Pot A alongside hosts Qatar, Belgium, Brazil, France, Argentina, and Spain. Portugal could also join them if they overcome North Macedonia in their play-off final on Tuesday.
As a top seed, England will avoid facing the other seeded nations until at least the knockout stages. This means they could potentially avoid France until the final, a significant boost given France's status as defending champions. Additionally, Italy's failure to qualify means England will not face the side that defeated them in the Euro 2020 final.
However, England could still face strong opponents from Pot 2, including the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany. The Netherlands are back at the World Cup after missing out in 2018, while Denmark were semi-finalists at Euro 2020. Germany, who England beat 2-0 in the Euro 2020 last 16, represent a potential tough draw.
England secured their World Cup place by topping their qualifying group with an unbeaten record, winning eight and drawing two of ten matches. They scored 39 goals and conceded just three. Recent friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast also count towards the FIFA rankings used for seeding.
With a maximum of two European teams allowed per group, England's draw could see them pitted against some formidable sides. Nonetheless, their status as a top seed provides a significant advantage as they aim to build on their Euro 2020 final appearance.
