WALES face more qualifying heartache - just two weeks after their crushing Euro 2004 play-off exit to Russia.

Soccer chiefs fear Wales' impressive European Championship qualifying campaign would not have had a big enough impact to lift Mark Hughes' men up the seeding ladder for Friday's World Cup 2006 qualifying draw.

The Welsh have traditionally been fourth seeds in World Cup and European Championship draws.

But manager Hughes had hoped Wales' ability to achieve a play-off place on the road to Portugal 2004 would lift them up into a third seed - a feat that would ensure a smoother passage through to Germany 2006.

But Mark Evans, Head of International Affairs at the Football Association of Wales, admitted last night: "I think we will only be fourth seeds again.

"I know we had a fairly good Euro 2004 campaign but I fear it won't be good enough to move us up into the third seeds bag."

FIFA's World Cup organising committee were set to meet today in Frankfurt to confirm the seeding of each nation on the qualification quest.

The complex seeding procedure is worked out by each nation's results in the last two qualification campaigns and by their world ranking position.

Wales currently occupy 58th spot in the rankings.

The qualification groups for the 2006 World Cup are bigger than previous campaigns as six or even seven, in some cases, will battle it out for a berth at the finals.

Europe's leading teams, like France and Italy, will enjoy being first seeds in pot one.

The teams will get weaker the higher the pot number.

The actual qualification draw will take place in Frankfurt on Friday at 4pm (GMT).