Pulling Rank

The soccer championship’s top-seeded teams, according to Alan Rothenberg, president of World Cup 1994.:

* 1. Germany

* 2. United States

* 3. Brazil

* 4. Italy

* 5. Belgium

* 6. Argentina

Seedings were decided by a formula giving weight to performances in previous World Cups and regional championships. The United States, which has a dismal record in World Cup competition, is included because it is customary for the host nation to be seeded. However, in the past, host nations have been soccer powers.

World Cup organizers have the right to put only the top six seeded teams in one of the nine U.S. venue cities. The rest of the field will be seeded and assigned to a group at the draw, December 19 at Las Vegas. There will be six groups of four teams.