World Cup draw 2018 - live updates: Reaction after England land Belgium, Panama and Tunisia in Group G
Latest reaction from the draw in Moscow after the Three Lions learned their fate
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The 2018 World Cup draw has taken place, with the 32 nations that have qualified for next summer’s tournament in Russia now knowing who they must beat if they are to become world champions.
We have all the latest reaction from Moscow, where our Chief Football Writer Miguel Delaney is in place inside the Kremlin State Place.
England were in pot two for the draw because of their middling Fifa world ranking – but Gareth Southgate’s side avoided any of the tournament favourites and instead will face Belgium, Panama and Tunisia in Group G.
Follow all of the latest below.
All you need to know:
When is it?
The draw for the group stages of the 2018 World Cup will be held at 3pm GMT on Friday 1st December, in Moscow. It will take place at the Kremlin.
Where can I watch it?
The draw will be shown live on Sky Sports or alternatively you can follow The Independent’s live blog to find out which group your country will be allocated into.
Who is in it?
The teams qualified are:
Uefa (Europe): Russia (hosts) France, Portugal, Germany, Serbia, Poland, England, Spain, Belgium, Iceland, Switzerland, Croatia, Sweden, Denmark
Conmebol (South America): Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, Peru.
Concacaf (North/Central America and Caribbean): Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama
AFC (Asia): Iran Football, South Korea Football, Japan Football, Saudi Arabia
CAF (Africa): Tunisia, Nigeria, Morocco, Senegal, Egypt
World Cup pots:
Here's a reminder of the four pots for today's 3pm draw.
Maradona *sigh* has been assigned to pot 2. Let's hope he does us some favours.
Pot 1 in profile:
Argentina (4)
For a while, it looked as if Argentina weren’t going to qualify for next summer’s World Cup. Were it not for a 3-1 victory over Ecuador in October, in which Lionel Messi proved his worth on the international stage with a sprinkling of magic, then Argentina would have failed to reach the game’s greatest show for the first time since 1970. Instead, Jorge Sampaoli and his men head to Russia for what looks to be a final swansong for a number of the side’s senior players. Sergio Romero, Ángel Di María, Sergio Agüero, Gonzalo Higuaín, Lucas Biglia and Éver Banega, among others, are almost certainly about to play in their final tournament – as is Lionel Messi. Indeed, this is a case of now or never for the midfield maestro. Simply put, this Argentina team has the talent – there’s no denying that. It’s just a case of whether or not Sampaoli can get the most out of his players and ensure it ‘clicks’ when it matters most. If they can conquer their psychological demons, Argentina will surely be front runners for this tournament.
Manager: Jorge Sampaoli
Preferred system: 3-4-3
Odds: 8-1
If Russian stadiums are your thing, this post is for you...
Next summer's final will be held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. The ground, which can hold 81,000 fans, currently homes Russia's national football team but has hosted a variety of sporting events from the 1980 Summer Olympics to the 1957 Ice Hockey World Championship between Sweden and the Soviet Union (you're welcome). It also notably hosted the 2008 Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea which saw John Terry miss that penalty. With its classic Soviet facade and huge Lenin statue guarding the front entrance, this stadium is as iconic as it comes. It's been modernised specifically for the World Cup, with construction completed earlier this year.
Completed: June 2017
Cost: $400m
Games hosted at Russia 2018: Group A, 14 June; Group F, 17 June; Group B, 20 June; Group C, 26 June; Round of 16, 1 July; Semi-final, 11 July; Final, 15 July.
Pot 1 in profile:
Belgium (5)
Perennial ‘dark horses’ for the past few years now, Belgium boost some serious talent. Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Vincent Kompany, Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku – Belgium reads like a Premier League best XI, which, ultimately, may explain why the team have yet to deliver on the main stage. There’s a sense Belgium is still not quite there yet, and the lack of defensive organisation remains a real issue for manager Roberto Martinez. After breaking a number of records in their qualifying campaign, Belgium flopped in their friendlies, notably drawing 3-3 against Mexico. De Bruyne said afterwards that his team need a “solution” to the tactical dilemma that seems to be holding them back. If Martinez can sort out his side’s shape for next summer, and implement a system that compliments his players’ talents, then there’s no reason Belgium can’t enjoy a competitive World Cup next year.
England will stick with training base come what may in Russia draw - Southgate
England will base themselves in a remote hotel near St Petersburg for the duration of their Russia 2018 campaign regardless of how the balls come out in Friday's World Cup draw, Gareth Southgate has revealed.
Speaking to reporters in Moscow on the eve of the big reveal, the England manager said the Football Association had chosen the ForRestMix hotel in Repino, a village on the coastal road towards the Finnish border, because it offered the "right balance" of climate, comfort, security, training facilities and travel times.
The 32 teams at next summer's World Cup were given a brochure of options by the organising committee and the FA went through what Southgate described as a "long process" to choose the right base.
Explaining that he wanted exclusive use of a hotel in order to give his team somewhere to "switch off without being disturbed", Southgate said security was also a factor.
"You can't get the perfect scenario that ticks every box: climate, travel, training ground, distance to the training ground, distance from the hotel to the airport," he said. "But we feel we have ticked as many of those boxes as we can."
With Russia 2018 being staged in 11 different cities in the world's biggest country, Southgate was asked if the FA would change its mind about Repino if England were drawn to play games in the more distant venues of Ekaterinburg, Samara, Sochi or Rostov-on-Don.
"No, not at all. We have researched it and, in terms of the travel, the longest flight is three hours," the former England defender said.
"That's nothing - all the players are travelling that sort of distance for Champions League games, maybe double that on some occasions.
"For our last game at Wembley we drove down by bus (from St George's Park in Burton) to The Grove (near Watford) and that was three hours.
"So this isn't a situation like we had in Brazil (at the 2014 World Cup) where Manaus was a six-hour flight."
Pot 1 in profile:
Poland (6)
Like Portugal, Poland is another team whose fortunes will revolve around the form of their main man. Luckily for Adam Nawalka’s men, Robert Lewandowski hit a record-breaking 16 goals during the side’s qualifying campaign in which they won eight of their 10 games. If he can replicate these sort of feats next summer, Poland will make for a threatening force in Russia. Still, Poland is more than just a one-man team. Alongside Lewandowski, Wojciech Szczesny, Kamil Glik and Grzegorz Krychowiak make for a strong Polish backbone which will surely carry this team into the latter stages of the competition.
Manager: Adam Nawalka
Preferred system: 4-2-3-1
Odds: 40-1
Just over 40 minutes to go until proceedings get under way. The actual draw is expected to start at 3.20pm, with an initial 20 minutes of fluff to get through before the exciting stuff starts.
As you can see below, the stars are starting to arrive with the final touches being made to today's draw:
Something for those fans looking to travel to Russia next summer to follow [insert your team here] at the World Cup.
The Independent's travel correspondent Simon Calder gives the low-down on everything you need to know from Russian red tape and scams to drinking and keeping safe.
Read his insights below:
Pot 1 in profile:
France (7)
On paper, the French squad has a strong case for being the best squad at next summer's World Cup. They have quality all over the pitch but especially in midfield and attack, with the supreme talents of Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe at the heart of Didier Deschamps' multi-talented team. Making them gel is the difficult part for the manager and at times during their qualifying campaign they struggled, as defeat to Sweden and their draw with Luxembourg showed. If they can click in Russia they will undoubtedly be one of the teams to beat – and to watch.
Manager: Didier Deschamps
Preferred system: 4-3-3
Odds: 11/2
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