The Republic of Ireland have been placed among the top seeds for the 2004 European Champions. The seedings were calculated by UEFA according to results from the World Cup 2002 qualifying campaign and qualifying results for Euro 2000.
France were seeded number one, as reigning European champions. The world champions will have to qualify for the tournament, although Portugal - the hosts - have made it through automatically.
Ireland are in sixth spot, courtesy of taking 24 points from 10 games on the road to Japan and South Korea, and 16 points from eight games before Euro 2000.
England are not seeded among the leading 10 countries, mainly due to a disastrous Euro 2000 campaign in which they took only 13 points from eight matches. Placed 17th, they are one of the second seeds along with Scotland for the draw which will take place in January in Portugal.
Wales and Northern Ireland face an even tougher task after being placed in the fourth seeding pot for a competition in which only the group winners will make it through automatically - with the 10 runners-up playing off for five remaining places.
As well as France and Ireland, the other countries included in the 10 top seeds are Sweden, Spain, the Czech Republic, Germany, Romania, Italy, Belgium and Turkey.
Just like Scotland - three places below England - and Holland, Sven-Goran Eriksson's side will therefore have to overcome one of the top 10 seeds if they are to make it through automatically.
The 50 competing countries will be divided into 10 groups of five teams each, with the qualifying programme taking place between September 2002 and November 2003.
Each group is set to comprise one team from each of the five seeding sections, although the precise draw procedure will be confirmed by UEFA's national teams committee at their meeting in January.
While a welcome boost for the Republic, of more immediate concern is the seeding for the 2002 World Cup. Ireland will find out next week if FIFA will seed the country in the second group which would be vital to the team's chances of progressing to the knock-out stages. If Ireland are seeded second it would probably also mean avoiding a group which included either England or Portugal.
TOP SEEDS: France, Sweden, Spain, Czech Republic, Germany, Rep of Ireland, Romania, Italy, Belgium, Turkey.
SECOND SEEDS: Russia, Croatia, Denmark, Holland, Yugoslavia, Poland, England, Slovenia, Ukraine, Scotland.
THIRD SEEDS: Austria, Norway, Slovakia, Israel, Switzerland, Iceland, Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Hungary.
FOURTH SEEDS: Cyprus, Bosnia, Belarus, Wales, Estonia, Latvia, N Ireland, Georgia, Macedonia, Lithuania.
FIFTH SEEDS: Armenia, Moldova, Albania, Faroe Islands, Azerbaijan, Liechenstein, San Marino, Malta, Luxembourg, Andorra.
