Overview
- Reports from Football Meets Data and Calcio e Finanza, relayed by Football Italia and others, say FIFA is considering using world rankings to set all four group-stage pots.
- Under the current system, teams qualifying via play-offs are placed in Pot 4, whereas the proposal would end automatic Pot 4 placement for those teams.
- If adopted and if Italy qualify through the play-offs, their ranking could place them in Pot 1 rather than Pot 4, avoiding other top seeds in the group stage.
- Analyses cited in the coverage suggest wider reshuffling across pots, with scenarios such as Germany moving to Pot 2 if Italy enter Pot 1.
- Italy remain second in Group I, three points behind Norway with a large goal-difference gap, so a play-off route is likely and qualification is still required.