There is no Group of Death in the 2018 World Cup finals draw held on Friday at Moscow's State Kremlin Palace concert hall. It was expertly hosted by former England striker and BBC Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, who played at the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, and Russian sports journalist Maria Komandnaya. The legendary Pele was among the spectators as were the coaches of the qualified nations.
The 32 countries were seeded based on the October 2017 FIFA world rankings. There were four pots— each containing eight teams. Russia was joined in pot one by the seven highest-ranked teams, with the next eight in pot two, the following eight in pot three and the lowest ranked eight in pot four. There were four Asian nations, Australia (42), Japan (43), South Korea (62) and Saudi Arabia (63) and debutants Panama (49) in Pot four.
The guests at the draw included representatives from each of the eight nations to have won the World Cup: Laurent Blanc (France), Gordon Banks (England), Cafu (Brazil), Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), Diego Forlan (Uruguay), Diego Maradona (Argentina), Carles Puyol (Spain) and Miroslav Klose (Germany). These chosen eight players helped in the drawing of lots from the eight bowls, which not only decided the groupings but the position of each country in a group. Since the 1990 World Cup, FIFA has invited celebrities or former players to conduct the draw ceremony. For the Italia 90 draw ceremony, the ravishing Sophia Loren and famous musician Luciano Pavarotti were the celebrities who conducted the draw.
Hosts Russia, favourites Germany, Brazil, Spain, France and Argentina all got relatively easy groups. Unlike Brazil 2014, when 2010 World Cup champions Spain (from Group B) and the 1966 World Cup winners England (from Group D) got eliminated in the group league phase itself, all the fancied teams should sail through to the knock out round of sixteen.
Of the eight groups, only Group B seems comparatively tough. Spain, traditional slow starters in the World Cup (lost their opening matches in both the 2010 and 2014 World Cups), face a battle of attrition with neighbours and European champions Portugal. The other two teams in this group are also quite formidable—Iran and Morocco. In Asia, Iran was unbeaten in two different groups. They qualified after 18 games without a defeat that included a run of 12 consecutive clean sheets. Morocco also qualified without conceding a goal in their six-game African group, finishing top ahead of Ivory Coast.
Spain and Portugal are fancied to qualify from this group but Iran and Morocco are no pushovers. Iran coached by Carlos Quieros will be keen to do better than in 2014 when they secured just one point in group F with a goalless draw against Nigeria. Also, the outcome of this group will not be known till the last round of matches featuring Portugal vs Iran and Spain vs Morocco.
Among the five Asian qualifiers, Japan in group H (the easiest group with the least glamorous teams) has the best chance to make it to the round of sixteen. They are pitted against Poland, Senegal and Colombia. With Shinji Kagasawa, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Okazaki in top form Japan could sneak through to the last sixteen. This is a very open group and Senegal quarter finalists in 2002 World Cup and Colombia quarter finalists in 2014 are also capable of qualifying.
Debutants Iceland, the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup finals, have a baptism by fire when they start against runners up Argentina in a group D match. The other debutants Panama start against the in-form Belgium in Group G.
All the favourite teams should qualify for the knock out round of sixteen but for some countries it will be imperative to finish first in their groups. Five times champions Brazil in Group E and holders Germany in Group F will be determined to finish as top of their respective groups to avoid playing each other in the round of sixteen. The two most successful nations in the World Cup will face each other in the round of sixteen, if either Germany or Brazil stumble in their group and finish second.
Hosts Russia should also progress from a relatively easy Aroup A along with Uruguay. But it is difficult to see Russia progressing beyond the round of sixteen as they will then meet either Portugal or Spain.
If matches go according to form there should be some mouth watering clashes in the quarter final of the 2018 World Cup, Spain vs Portugal, France vs Argentina, Germany vs Brazil and England vs Brazil. The 2018 World Cup will again see the domination of Europe and South America. Nigeria probably has the best chance of upsetting the calculations and reaching the last eight. But they will have to overcome either formidable Argentina or France.
Notably, Nigeria will play Argentina for the fifth time in the world cup since they first qualified in 1994.
So the first World Cup in Eastern Europe could witness an all South American dream final of Brazil (bottom half of the draw) vs Argentina (top half of the draw). It could also be yet another, the fourth Germany vs Argentina final or Germany vs France final. With Eden Hazard in peak form, Belgium will be the dark horses of Russia 2018. Spain and England also came through their European qualifying groups unbeaten, so can be considered as potential champions.
Defending champions Germany are the bookmakers' favourites to win the World Cup, followed by Brazil, Spain, Argentina, France, Belgium and then England. Joachim Low's Germany is bidding to become the first country to win back-to-back World Cups since Pele's Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
