[gonzo]

Originally Posted by Bilbobaggins

Matt, the problem here is that FIFA said all along that the playoffs would NOT be seeded, it was in their rules of competition before the qualifiers started.

That's not the case though mate, there was nothing specified regarding seeding or not seeding the groups until FIFA brought it up a few weeks back. I agree that they tweaked the rules to suit their own commercial ends when it became apparent some of the major teams may miss out but at no point was it ever officially stated that the groups would be unseeded.