The Fifa World Cup organising Committee meets today (tuesday 6 December 2005) to work out and then announce the 6 seeded countries for the upcoming
World Cup Finals in 2006The
Fifa official national team rankings only have England as 9th best team in the world, after teams like Mexico and the USA. It is unlikely those national sides will be ranked above England in the seedings.
The bookies have the 3 lions as 3rd favourites to win the World Cup Jules Rimet trophy, but they don't decide who gets seeded, more is the pity.
The other national football teams vying for seeding are Brazil, Argentina from South America and the European nations - Czech Republic, Holland, France, Italy and Spain.
I think England should be ranked as one of the 6 top seeds, along with Brazil, Argentina, France, Italy and Holland in that order.
Being seeded is helpful, as England will be assured of not having to play against the other seeded soccer outfits in the group stages of the finals.
Sven Goran Eriksson agrees.
Sven On Fifa Seedings
"The world ranking is important but it is also what you did in the last two or three World Cups. I doubt very much the US and Mexico will be seeded before us.
We asked Fifa if we would be seeded or not and what are the rules and they did not answer.
I hope we are seeded because that will be very important. If we are not we cannot protest about it.
We are one of five or six teams that can do it. The players are convinced, like I am, that we can win the World Cup.
If we do not have any injuries and are not tired at the end of the Premier League season we have a good chance."
England Seeding Hopes Related
Sven Hopes for SeedingFifa International Team Official Rankings
Posted at 12:00 AM, Tuesday, December 06, 2005