The four highest-ranked teams going into next year's Women's World Cup in Brazil won't meet until the semifinal stage if they win their respective groups, FIFA announced in a new ruling Wednesday on how the draw will be conducted.
The change is in accordance with what was done at the men's World Cup earlier this year and will see each of the top four teams drawn in groups with separate pathways.
The top four teams in the world currently are Spain, United States, Germany and England. The final seeding will be done based on rankings as of Dec. 7.
The World Cup draw is set to take place on Dec. 11 at Rio de Janeiro's Museum of Modern Art (MAM).
Spain and Germany have already secured qualification for the World Cup, while the U.S. will secure their spot with a win over El Salvador at the end of this month. England have progressed into the final of the qualification playoff, where they will face Ukraine in a two-legged affair next month.
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As tournament hosts, Brazil will be in Pot 1 and will be joined by the top seven ranked teams. The next eight will be in Pot 2, with the following eight in Pot 3. Pot 4 will include the three teams who come through the playoff round as well as five other teams.
