[FOOTBALL] 2018 World Cup Draw

[Weaver]

The highly anticipated draw for the 2018 World Cup finals kicks off in Moscow on Friday afternoon and BBC Two will be covering all the action from 3pm.

The Match of the Day and BT Sport football host Gary Lineker, who has faced criticism for taking on the role after previously speaking out against Fifa over its various corruption scandals, will be co-presenting with the Russian journalist Maria Komandnaya.

The 32 teams who have qualified will be split into eight four-team groups, drawn from four pots. The groups will contain one team from each pot.

Teams have been placed in the pots according to their position in the Fifa world rankings for October. The exception to that are the hosts Russia, who are automatically in pot one.

So Pot One contains the seven highest-ranked teams plus Russia, pot two has the next eight teams in the rankings, and so on. England are in pot two.

England can face only one other European team as there can be a maximum of two European sides per group. No other football confederation can have more than one team in a group, so no South American sides will go head-to-head in the group phase for example.

The lineup of the pots is
Pot one Russia (hosts), Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, France

Pot two Spain, Peru, Switzerland, England, Colombia, Uruguay, Mexico, Croatia

Pot three Denmark, Iceland, Costa Rica, Sweden, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Iran

Pot four Serbia, Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Morocco, Panama, South Korea, Saudi Arabia

The four pots will be emptied by drawing the eight teams they each contain one by one and placing them in the eight groups of four teams (Groups A to H). Russia, as hosts, will occupy the top position in Group A, while the seven other seeds will occupy the top spots in Groups B to H. The positions of all the other teams (from pots two, three and four) will be decided when they are drawn.

As is customary at final draws, a ball will be drawn from the team pots and then another from the group pots to determine the position in which the team in question will play.

England’s worst-case scenario
Based on the latest Fifa rankings Germany, Costa Rica and Nigeria.

Guardian verdict Brazil, Iceland and Nigeria.

Best-case scenario
Based on Fifa rankings Russia, Senegal and Saudi Arabia.

Guardian verdict Poland, Tunisia and Panama.

Lineker and Komandnaya will be assisted at the draw by eight major names from World Cups past: France’s Laurent Blanc, England’s Gordon Banks, Brazil’s Cafu, Italy’s Fabio Cannavaro, Uruguay’s Diego Forlán, Argentina’s Diego Maradona, Spain’s Carles Puyol and Russia’s Nikita Simonyan.

In the UK, if you can’t watch BBC Two then you can listen to it on Radio 5 Live. Meanwhile, you can also follow Simon Burnton talking you the draw – and all the razzmatazz around it – as it happens on the Guardian website. After the draw, readers can join the discussion and ask our expert panel questions during a special Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/guardianfootball.


I thought we had a thread already, but couldn’t find on the first five pages (shout-out for Jimmy’s 0-0 Challenge still being on Page 4, by the way)

Who do you all want England/your country to draw? And who do you want to avoid?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Official poster:

935482510506627075

I like it.

[Shindig]

Looks vintage.

[Ian]

With Sir Wayne fighting his way back into the team we're the team to beat, I'd say.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Serbia in pot four is a right clusterfuck, not because they're any good, but because it fucks up the continental balance.

We'll get the most boring possible draw which is Poland, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

[-james-]

931492775606013952


Possibly already been posted, possibly by me, but this is pretty cool. Can't wait for Iran - Morocco.

[ItalAussie]

Serbia's numbers are really messed up because they can't draw two European teams. Which means that you get some fantastic long-shots, like (Denmark/Iceland/Sweden)-Serbia at about 2% each.

[Bernanke]

This is so Eurovision.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Odds (best available across all sites) pre-draw:

Germany @ 6
Brazil @ 8
Spain @ 9.5
Argentina @ 10
France @ 12
Belgium @ 15
England @ 25
Portugal @ 31
Colombia @ 51
Uruguay @ 51
Russia @ 51
Mexico @ 81
Croatia @ 101
Switzerland @ 101
Poland @ 201
Sweden @ 201
Denmark @ 201
Serbia @ 201
Nigeria @ 201
Senegal @ 251
Australia @ 301
Egypt @ 351
Japan @ 351
Costa Rica @ 401
Peru @ 501
Iceland @ 501
Iran @ 501
Morocco @ 501
Tunisia @ 501
South Korea @ 501
Panama @ 1501
Saudi Arabia @ 1501.

Shearer's group to avoid is Poland, England, Iran and Panama :cab:

[Weaver]

Draw is starting on BBC 2 now.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Iran would niggle us off the park and then imprison a family of four to celebrate.

To be honest, I'm not convinced we'll beat any of the other 31 in a competitive scenario. Maybe Switzerland since their players have even less national identity than ours.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Portugal/Spain should get the wankers going.

[Weaver]

I wonder if Ronaldo will play for Portugal or Spain?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That dig by Gary :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Russia already bollocksed, although them against Uruguay could be peak cheating for all time.

[phonics]

Gary Lineker turning up because FIFA paid him a shit-ton has to be one of the more hypocritical things I've seen in the last few years and it's been a high bar for that over the last couple.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

What a draw.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Oh Christ, Egypt as well, it'll be like a red card carnival.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Taz will be loving that :rasta:

[Trancemeister]

Germany, well thats a 5-0 defeat.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Do Tunisia offer anything at all?

Could be the next Algeria, it's going to be a turgid match.

[Lewis]

Just to get it in early, there is no way we're losing a competitive game against Belgium.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Do Tunisia offer anything at all?

Absolutely zero. That they've even qualified owes to the far superior DR Congo shitting the bed when 2-0 up and cruising.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

On paper that's a a nothing group for England.

Southgate will fuck it up though.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If we don't win that group, football should stop in this country and never again be played.

[SincereTheRebel]

I thought this dig by the BBC to ITV was funny

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/41819164?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=5a217a8ce4b0af5adb84533d%26Saudi%20Ara bia%20in%20opening%20game%26&ns_fee=0#post_5a217a8ce4b0af5adb84533d

[Jimmy Floyd]

The real question is whether Dave is taking the van to Stalingrad for our opener.

[Amigo]

This draw could have gone better.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Even our last 16 draw is kind. This is our year, boys.

Some of the other groups are pretty tasty actually. I like France's, Germany's and Argentina's.

[Lewis]

Dave lost the van keys when he was caught using it to shuttle Momentum around, so I vote that John gets them.

[-james-]

This draw could have gone better.

I'd be RELISHING it if I were you. Pressure is ALL ON the other sides in the group.

[Giggles]

What was the draw?

[Byron]

What was the draw?

Group A: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Egypt
Group B: Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Iran
Group C: France, Australia, Peru, Denmark
Group D: Argentina, Iceland, Croatia, Nigeria
Group E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia
Group F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea
Group G: Belgium, England, Tunisia, Panama
Group H: Poland, Colombia, Senegal, Japan

[Giggles]

F could be decent but it really just screams 'too many teams'. I'll tune in for round 2.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Has anyone worked out the kickoff times our time? Is it 11, 2 and 5? Russia seems to have a time zone per city.

[Jimmy Floyd]

F could be decent but it really just screams 'too many teams'. I'll tune in for round 2.

You'll love the 48 team version in Qatar then.

[Dave.]

Group G

June 18

Belgium v Panama, Sochi (1500)

Tunisia v England, Volgograd (1800)

June 23

Belgium v Tunisia, Spartak Stadium, Moscow (1200)

June 24

England v Panama, Nizhny Novgorod (1200)

June 28

England v Belgium, Kaliningrad (1800)

Panama v Tunisia, Saransk (1800)

[Byron]

Are those GMT times? If so then I'm sensing a lunchtime piss-up to see us beaten by Panama.

[Dave.]

Are those GMT times? If so then I'm sensing a lunchtime piss-up to see us beaten by Panama.

Yes, GMT.

[Dave.]

Scrap that, different sites are showing me different times. :moop:

[Giggles]

Just Google the Russian times in GMT. Would take 2 minutes. There's probably evem a world clock app on your phone that would tell you.

[Weaver]

I think England’s games are 7pm Monday, 1pm Sunday and 7pm Thursday or something like that.

[Giggles]

Volgograd is GMT +3
Nizhny Novgorod is GMT +3
Kaliningrad is GMT +2

Add one more for WEST.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We're on BST then (not GMT) and Russia has about 50 different time zones. It's either 11, 2 and 5 or 12, 3 and 6, I'm just not sure which.

[-james-]

Soccerway has GMT times. http://int.soccerway.com/international/world/world-cup/2018-russia/group-stage/r32579/?ICID=SN_04_102


Look at those first few days. If you're not watching every minute you can then I don't want to talk to you.

[Giggles]

There's 3 games I'd turn on the TV for in those first 4 days.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Seems to be 1, 4 and 7 actually. Maybe I don't know what BST is.

[Dave.]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/schedule/group-stage

[Baz]

Go big on Suarez golden boot @ 28/1

When he’s got 12 in the group stages alone. :drool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It's more likely that the Egyptians will wind him up and he'll get sent off.

[niko_cee]

Even our last 16 draw is kind. This is our year, boys.


This is the thing. People always fixate on the group you get, but the one you are paired with is equally, if not more, important. Having a shit group is only good if the one next to you doesn't have Brazil winning it and then doing you in the last 16 after you stuff your own one up. England have won out with a wank group, and an even worse paired group, and a last game against Belgium where they'll probably both be trying to lose.

That said, Senegal has Sadio Mané fucking us up written all over it. Copy and paste for Okazaki/Yoshida, Izquierdo and who knows for Poland.

[Giggles]

Isn't it Brazil or Germany in the last 8? RIP.

[niko_cee]

Quarter finals?

:lol:

[Giggles]

With that draw you're pretty much guaranteed.

[ItalAussie]

No obvious Group of Death, but a couple of really well-balanced groups.

Argentina-Iceland-Croatia-Nigeria probably the pick of them, I reckon.

Group H could be fascinating, being as it has the best Asian and African teams both in it.

[ItalAussie]

Also, Australia will be lucky to get a point in a group that is, aside from us, really tasty. Still, you need someone there to get it to 32.

[ItalAussie]

Time to play "who can qualify, and who's making up the numbers?"

Teams who could realistically aim for qualification:
A: Uruguay, Russia
B: Portugal, Spain
C: France, Peru, Denmark
D: Argentina, Iceland, Croatia, Nigeria
E: Brazil, Switzerland, Serbia
F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, Korea
G: England, Belgium
H: Poland, Colombia, Senegal, Japan

Underlined teams should be already booking their second-round accommodation. Argentina just on the cusp, but the group is deep enough that they don't need much to go wrong.

[Pepe]

Group A is complete shit. Rather watch the U S of A's alternative World Cup sponsored by Trump Steaks.
Group B is only worth it because everyone likes seeing Ronaldo cry.
Group C's only interest is to see how much the French manage to bottle it. Alternatively, how much they'll hype themselves up only to be sent home by anyone half decent in the later rounds.
Group D has the CLASSIC Argentina - Nigeria, so I guess that's alright. Hopefully we get to see Messi cry. Bonus points if Amigo's lot causes it.
Group E is pretty shit. I can see Costa Rica going through. I am guessing Brazil will continue to be appalling.
Group F should see us crush the Korean cunts. Sweden will probably get one in on a set piece but apart from that we should win there too. We'll play our best against Germany but will still manage to concede three.
Group G will have you lot moaning about the 1-0 victory over Tunisia, followed by a full-on seethe after a 0-0 draw against Panama. The hype machine will then be on full blast after you beat Belgium, only to then be kicked out by whoever you play next. Yevrah will probably swear to drop football and follow athletics instead again.
Group H would be the worst group in a World Cup ever, but luckily for them Group A exists. Might bring the funniest football of them all, although Poland might try to ruin that.

All in all, my excitement level is at about 2%.

[ItalAussie]

I have Sweden and Germany making it through. Germany are very good, and Sweden are a dark horse to cause deeper upsets for mine.

I'd also like to point out that Senegal and Japan really aren't bad teams. I could see either of them (or even both) getting out of Group H. At which point England and Belgium will send them home, of course.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Think Denmark should be a lot better than Peru.

Egypt could get amongst it in group A as well.

[Baz]

Who’ve Egypt got besides King Mo?

Elneny? :harold: Suarez is gonna run riot.

[ItalAussie]

Think Denmark should be a lot better than Peru.

Egypt could get amongst it in group A as well.

I almost put them in the list, but it's hard to imagine Russia not getting through at home, so they'd have to get over Uruguay. Not impossible, but tough.

[Shindig]

Given the World Cup's history of corruption, I'd see Russia through to the quarters, at least.

[Byron]

Yeah, it'll be 2002 all over again.

[Kikó]

We've got tickets for the Russia- Egypt game in St Petersburg then taking an overnight train to Nizhny for the Argentina -Croatia. Final game will be in Saransk for Portugal- Iran then another free train to Moscow for flights to London.

It should be pretty cool.

[ItalAussie]

Yeah, it'll be 2002 all over again.

To be fair, it's difficult to beat Russian teams in Russia in the CL. I don't see why the same wouldn't be true for the national side.

It won't help them when they run into someone good, but it should get them past teams of similar quality.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It once was, but I'm not sure that's been true in recent years.

[ItalAussie]

That is true, actually. There has been a pretty sharp decline. Still, I reckon home advantage will get them through. Be delighted if it didn't, of course.

[McAvennie]

The scenes if Egypt beat Russia into 2nd place behind Uruguay in group A 🤑

[Jimmy Floyd]

Egypt being the good guys will certainly be a novelty anyway.

The Portugal/Spain group is quite fun, not sure it'll be quite as straightforward for the big boys as everyone will assume.

[ItalAussie]

Egypt being the good guys will certainly be a novelty anyway.

The Portugal/Spain group is quite fun, not sure it'll be quite as straightforward for the big boys as everyone will assume.

Iran and Morocco are both fiddly opponents capable of causing an upset.

People (including me up there) are writing the three North African teams off, but Tunisia is the only one that is actually rubbish. The others could cause some issues to bigger sides along the way.

I rather like the Egyptian team. Solid defence first, and relying on creative attackers to get the job done up front.

[John Arne]

I have Sweden and Germany making it through. Germany are very good, and Sweden are a dark horse to cause deeper upsets for mine.

I'd also like to point out that Senegal and Japan really aren't bad teams. I could see either of them (or even both) getting out of Group H. At which point England and Belgium will send them home, of course.

Japan will lose all three games, I reckon. They're going through an identity crises with Halilhodzic going super tight and rather conservative - even going so far as to drop Kagawa and Hasebe recently (although there were also rumours of "injury"). Either way, his style hasn't gone down too well on the streets of Purple Sanga.

[Yevrah]

Horrible draw for us. None of those sides will try and beat us so it's going to be eye bleedingly dull.

[Shindig]

I look forward to your analytical anguish.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Halilhodzic? Jesus, he gets about.

[Amigo]

Panama and Tunisia's teams are amazing. I don't think I recognise a single player.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Surely Khazri, he was playing for Sunderland for a bit before they got relegated. He even scored a free kick past De Gea.

Blas Perez is a don for Panama, the rest are unknowns for me.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Msakni is the creative man for Tunisia, and to a lesser extent Khazri. The rest of them are just clogging shitmunchers and their game plan is feign injury and waste time until behind, then try and win set pieces. Still, it beats their game plan in the last World Cup qualification, which was lose a lot and then do furious research into the opposition fielding ineligible players (happened about 3 times).

Panama I've heard of three players, all over 35 and all because I played FM too much ten years ago. USA going out to them is a genuine embarrassment.

[Amigo]

Felipe Baloy is a name I sort of recognize (from Football Manager) but I don't think I've ever seen him play.

[Ian]

You might not get a single entertaining game in that Brazil group.

[Giggles]

There's going to be very few until the shit is gone.

[Lewis]

I get a France vs Germany final out of this.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I got the same too, with Germany winning it.

I also have Poland dumping out England thanks to Lewandowski.

[Pepe]

Felipe Baloy is still playing? Bloody hell.

He was a bit of a beast.

[ItalAussie]

Knockout matches between talented teams too scared to lose are so often highly organized dross.

Bring on the group stages any day. Teams with players I might not see every week, and nothing to lose.

[Giggles]

Knockout matches between talented teams too scared to lose are so often highly organized dross.

Bring on the group stages any day. Teams with players I might not see every week, and nothing to lose.

Too much shit that shouldn't be there for the groups to be worthwhile.

[John Arne]

Knockout matches between talented teams too scared to lose are so often highly organized dross.

Bring on the group stages any day. Teams with players I might not see every week, and nothing to lose.

I've found the opposite in recent WC tournaments. Group games, whilst interesting match-ups, have been cagey and boring as all hell. Teams constantly fighting for that valuable 1pt, knowing that 1 defeat almost puts you out.

[ItalAussie]

Too much shit that shouldn't be there for the groups to be worthwhile.

Isn't that your fourth post saying basically the same thing? You're sad that your lot didn't make it. We get it. Nobody's forcing you to watch anything before the quarter-finals.

Or we could just have a Germany-Brazil-Spain-Argentina four-team playoff for eternity. Variety is spice.

[Giggles]

Isn't that your fourth post saying basically the same thing? You're sad that your lot didn't make it. We get it.

Or we could just have a Germany-Brazil-Spain-Argentina four-team playoff for eternity. Variety is spice.


Our lot don't deserve to be there nor more than half the teams in it shouldn't be there either. The tournament needs a whole revamp towards quality so that most of them (including 'my lot') never make a tournament again.

There's more than four teams that should be in it though. That suggestion is idiotic.

[ItalAussie]

Our lot don't deserve to be there nor more than half the teams in it shouldn't be there either. The tournament needs a whole revamp towards quality so that most of them (including 'my lot') never make a tournament again.

There's more than four teams that should be in it though. That suggestion is idiotic.

The World Cup has literally never been what you're saying it should be though. From the very first iteration onwards, you've had Cuba, Haiti, Zaire, Dutch East Indies, Saudi Arabia, Jamaica, and Togo. Some of them have even made a memorable mark, like the USA in 1950, Algeria in 1982, Saudi Arabia in 1994, or Senegal in 2002. All of them created memorable World Cup moments that wouldn't have happened if it was just the same eight teams going around again and again.

If you want a diluted concentration of highly-rated teams, that's what the Euros should be for. But the World Cup has never been that.

[Shindig]

More teams > less teams. The good rise to the top anyway.

[Ian]

There's going to be very few until the shit is gone.

Nah, there'll be some good games where the actual quality is a bit pants but entertaining stuff. That Brazil group, though... :sick:

[Giggles]

I know the FIFA 'mate' crowd will love it, but I just can't bring myself to be excited about Egypt vs the Saudis or Iceland vs Nigeria. The fact it's going to be on iced pitches in a third world cesspit is another nail in it for me anyway too.

I need to have a proper look at the fixtures though and see what can I watch around work though as there's still some good ties in round 1.

[ItalAussie]

I know the FIFA 'mate' crowd will love it, but I just can't bring myself to be excited about Egypt vs the Saudis or Iceland vs Nigeria. The fact it's going to be on iced pitches in a third world cesspit is another nail in it for me anyway too.

I need to have a proper look at the fixtures though and see what can I watch around work though as there's still some good ties in round 1.

I don't imagine the teams are all that bothered about who's excited to see them or not. They're just there to leave a mark on the tournament, and you'd think that at least one of them will, as has been the case in almost so many previous World Cups since the very start.

Maybe we can poll around all the rubbish teams to ask which ones are planning to produce a great moment or exciting upset, and kick the rest out.

[John]

The idea that some of the nations who've qualified for the tournament shouldn't be there because they're not big or exciting enough is just about the most anti-competition sentiment you could come up with.

[Kikó]

Iced pitches? Russia will be in summer.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That's why they'll have to ice them.