Scotland's fourth seed status for World Cup draw confirmed

SCOTLAND will definitely be in Pot Four for next month's World Cup draw in Brazil, a drop of two Pots from the last World Cup.

Fifa will officially announce the European seeding for the draw in Rio de Janeiro in the next few weeks.

But after the latest round of Euro 2012 qualifiers and friendlies this month, the seedings for the draw have become clear and Craig Levein's side will face a tough task to get to South America in three years time.

Although the Scots will go up to 61st place in next month's Fifa Rankings - a rise of four places - they will have to make do with a place in the fourth group of seeds.

They will be in the same Pot as Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Lithuania, Albania, Northern Ireland, Austria, Poland. They could face England, who will be in Pot One.

However, depressingly for the Tartan Army, both Scotland and England were in Pot Two for the 2010 World Cup draw. And while the English have gone up to the top seedings, Scotland have plummeted.

A nightmare draw next month could see Scotland in a qualifying group with Spain, France, Ireland, Finland and Wales.

The best possible draw would see them meet Norway, Slovenia, Hungary, Faroe Islands and San Marino.

The draw in Rio takes place on Saturday, 30 July.

Pot 1: Spain, Netherlands, Germany, England, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Norway, Greece

Pot 2: Serbia, Slovenia, Russia, France, Montenegro, Switzerland, Slovakia, Denmark, Sweden

Pot 3: Turkey, Czech Republic, Israel, Ireland, Ukraine, Belgium, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria

Pot 4: Lithuania, Albania, Hungary, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Poland

Pot 5: Austria, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Macedonia, Moldova, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Wales

Pot 6: Iceland, Luxembourg, Faroe Islands, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, San Marino