Belgium, Swiss, seeded for World Cup, Italy miss out

Belgium and Switzerland will figure among the eight teams seeded for the World Cup draw, FIFA confirmed on Thursday, in contrast to 2006 champions Italy and 2010 finalists Holland. Italy have paid dear for last week's 2-2 draw with Armenia, slipping four places in the latest world rankings published Thursday. It is this list which FIFA is using to determine the seedings for the December 6 draw for next year's World Cup. Joining hosts Brazil are world champions Spain, Germany, Argentina, Colombia, Belgium, Switzerland, and Uruguay. Should Uruguay fail to qualify - they face a play-off against Jordan - then it is the Dutch who will take their place. The Italians, as a result of their October 15 stalemate with Armenia, drop from fourth to eighth place in the latest world order, behind the Dutch by the narrowest of margins. Brazil are lying 11th in the rankings but as 2014 hosts go into the draw seeded 1. Belgium booked their 2014 ticket by topping Group A ahead of Croatia, while Switzerland guaranteed their presence in Brazil as Group E winners in front of Iceland. Since 2010 FIFA have relied on the rankings to determine seedings rather than a mix of results from major finals and qualifying games. Thursday's rankings are also being used to work out the seeds for Monday's World Cup European zone play-off draw. As already confirmed France, the 1998 World Cup winners and finalists in 2006, miss out and therefore will face one of the four seeded teams - Portugal, Greece, Croatia or Ukraine. Source: AFP