The seedings for the World Cup in Germany have just been announced with few surprises. The Dutch miss out on seeding in Pot 1.

FIFA has gone to elaborate lengths to justify their preferred method of seeding- press release here. The maths requires a post-grad degree but basically FIFA gets the result they want- they get the eight seeded teams which best suit them and keep most parties happy. The US are only just kept out of Pot 1 by one point over Italy (imagine the outcry if the US had been seeded ahead of both Italy and the Netherlands). The complexity of the seeding is matched by the complexity of the draw

FIFA explains it thusly:

Brazil, England, Spain, Mexico, France, Argentina, Italy and hosts Germany are the eight seeded teams heading the groups for the final draw of the 2006 FIFA World Cupâ„¢ in Leipzig on Friday, 9 December. The FIFA Organising Committee, chaired by Lennart Johansson (Sweden), reached this decision at its meeting today. The committee also approved the composition of the names in the other pots as well as the procedure for the final draw.
The committee based its criteria for seeding the teams on the 32 finalists’ performances at the FIFA World Cup finals in 2002 and 1998 (ratio 2:1) and the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking in the years 2005, 2004 and 2003 (ratio 1:1:1). Brazil consequently attained the maximum of 64 points. Italy with 44 points – a one-point lead over the USA (43) and six points ahead of the Netherlands (38) – also heads a group (cf. the complete tables).

The ratio 1:1 of (2 X WC02 + WC98) + (ranking 05 + 04 + 03).

BBC story

The US coach, Bruce Arena has said Australia is one of the two weakest sides in the World Cup so hopefully, Australia will get in the same group as the US so we can kick their arse! Ironically, his first game in charge saw the US unable to beat the Socceroos. Bring it on!

Australia will be placed in a group with one of the following:

POT ONE- the top seeds
Germany (hosts)
Brazil (holders)
Argentina
England
France
Italy
Mexico

and one of the following

POT THREE- European
Croatia
Czech Republic
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine

and one of the following

POT FOUR Asia, US, CR and TT
Iran
Japan
Saudi Arabia
South Korea
Costa Rica
Trinidad & Tobago
US

and possibly (to be put into Mexico’s or Brazil’s group).
Serbia & Montenegro

Australia will not have to play any of these teams (African and non-seeded S. Americans) in the pool matches:

Angola
Ghana
Ivory Coast
Togo
Tunisia
Ecuador
Paraguay