England Women’s u17s will likely be handed a tough draw on Monday the 30th, they are seeded in the fourth pot i.e. the weakest teams.

The 16 qualified teams have been ranked as follows according to FIFA:

“The 16 teams have been divided into four pots according to their rankings in the four previous editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The points scored by each team in each previous edition, from the most recent to the oldest, are taken into account. Five extra points have also been given to every team which has won their continental championship on the way to qualifying for this World Cup.”

Pot A: Jordan, Japan, Germany, North Korea.

Pot B: Nigeria, Spain, Venezuela, Ghana.

Pot C: Canada, USA, Mexico, Brazil.

Pot D: New Zealand, England, Paraguay, Cameroon

Before the draw, it is important to remember that, according to FIFA rules, no group can include more than one team from the same football confederation.

England can therefore only get Jordan, Japan or North Korea from pot A with the easiest team to beat being the host, Jordan.

From pot B Nigeria, Venezuela or Ghana are three tough opponents.

From pot C all four teams can be drawn and are all tough opponents.

In the run-up to the Euro qualification rounds, England u17 took part in the NTC invitational tournament in Carson, California, and the girls did well over there even if the scoreline did not reflect the excellent work.

They lost 2-0 to the USA, drew with Japan 1-1 and lost to Korea 2-0 playing those three games over five days. They therefore have a good idea on some of their potential rivals and will be ready if handed a tough group like Japan, Nigeria and USA for example.