FIFA rule change months ago handed top four seeds easier World Cup semi-final routes

A FIFA rule change announced in November 2025 has drawn fresh scrutiny after it effectively cleared easier paths to the World Cup semi-finals for the tournament’s top four seeded nations — Spain, Argentina, France and England — all of whom duly won their groups and advanced to the quarter-finals.

The rule guaranteed that the top four seeds would be kept apart until at least the semi-final stage. Spain and Argentina were paired as the first and second seeds respectively, placed into groups on opposite sides of the draw, while France and England were similarly paired on the other half. The arrangement mirrors seeding structures used at Wimbledon and in the UEFA Champions League’s current format.

With all four nations having won their groups, the rule has taken full effect. The quarter-final line-up now reads: Spain vs Belgium, Argentina vs Switzerland, France vs Morocco, and England vs Norway — matchups in which each of the four seeded giants are heavy favourites. Should all four progress, the semi-finals would pit Spain against France and Argentina against England.

The timing and outcome have intensified long-standing questions about FIFA’s approach to protecting its most marketable nations in the latter stages of major tournaments. The governing body has faced similar accusations before, and the current World Cup has provided fresh ammunition for critics.

Those concerns have been compounded by Egypt’s planned official complaint to FIFA over the refereeing of their Round of 16 defeat to Argentina. The Pharaohs were eliminated after Argentina completed a dramatic three-goal comeback in 14 minutes, with Egypt’s camp pointing to two decisions by French referee François Letexier that they believe proved decisive. Egypt are seeking a formal explanation for what they have described as “controversial” calls and are calling for an investigation into the officiating team’s conduct during the match.