FIFA has announced that the draw for the final phase of the 2014 World Cup will be based on the FIFA rankings for the month of October, rather than November, as initially planned. This decision aims to avoid favoring European teams participating in the play-off matches scheduled for November 15 and 19, 2013.
The top seeds for the World Cup draw will be determined based on the October rankings, set to be published on the 17th of that month. The first seven nations (if they qualify) and Brazil, as the host country currently ranked eighth, will be designated as seeds.
Unlike past practices where FIFA considered teams’ performances in recent World Cups, this time, the draw will solely rely on the October rankings.
FIFA’s decision is seen as a way to ensure fairness for European nations involved in the play-offs, eliminating any potential advantage for those teams. It is worth noting that FIFA had previously used rankings to conduct the draw for the play-offs in the African zone for the 2014 World Cup, but adjustments were made later due to reservations from certain teams about their opponents and subsequent sanctions for serious faults.
