Friday’s World Cup group stage draw set some interesting prospects, as hosts Qatar will play Ecuador on the opening day of November 21 but not in the first game, the AP reports.
England will play the United States, and both must face Iran and possibly Ukraine, which resume in the qualifiers in June. Ukraine could not put together a team last week.
A total of 37 teams took part on Friday because three entries into the 32-team squad are yet to be known. Like the qualifying bracket in Ukraine, two Intercontinental matches were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in June.
The top two teams in each group’s standings advance to the Round of 16 in the knockout tracks that have been decided through to the final on December 18 – Qatar National Day.
Group A – Qatar, Netherlands, Senegal, Ecuador
Qatar will make its World Cup debut against Ecuador on November 21st. The match between the two teams currently ranked at number 51 and 46 respectively will be even more significant as the first World Cup Final to be hosted by a country from the Middle East.
Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal sees the historic moment a little differently.
Van Gaal’s side will open the World Cup at 1pm (1000 GMT) against Senegal – three-time runners-up against the new African champions. The Dutch national team will not face Qatar until the last Group A match on November 29th.
Group B – England, USA, Iran, Wales, Scotland or Ukraine
A very political group, and more so if Ukraine completes the lineup.
The United States and Iran had met earlier in the 1998 World Cup, where the Iranians won 2-1. England will open against Iran in their first World Cup match.
England and the United States meet in their second match. They tied 1-1 in the 2010 group as both advanced.
England’s final could be a British derby against any of its neighbours, Wales or Scotland, or Ukraine – these three teams are in a playoff bracket in June.
“Ukraine is (a team) that everyone is trying to achieve in some way because of everything they’ve been through,” Ukraine coach Greg Berhalter said.
If Scotland qualify, they are due to play England on November 29. This is a day before the 150th anniversary of the first international football match, in 1872, between the two countries in Glasgow.
Group B teams also start on November 21. This gives those teams fewer days to prepare for the World Cup, but they will take more days off if they advance into the tournament.
Group C – Argentina, Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia
Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski – the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award recipients respectively – are on their way to meet when Argentina play Poland on November 30 in the final round of group matches.
Argentina finally won the America’s Cup with Messi last year and starts against Saudi Arabia, who qualified in the playoffs under coach Hervé Renard.
Poland starts against Mexico, which resumes what appears to be a national mania to get past the Round of 16.
Group D – France, Denmark, Tunisia, Peru, Australia or the United Arab Emirates
France and Denmark, the title holders, will know each other well by November. They were in the same group four years ago and will meet two more times in June and September, in the UEFA Nations League.
France has star strikers Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema, although Denmark has a sense of destiny with playmaker Christian Eriksen. He returned to the team last week, just nine months after suffering a heart attack on the court at the European Championships.
“What a player. I can say he’s back and maybe even better,” said coach Kasper Hjolmand, who led his team to the Euro 2020 semi-finals.
In 2018, they also faced Peru and Australia in their group and the three-team reunion depends on the outcome of the intercontinental playoff bracket in June.
Group E – Spain, Germany, Japan, Costa Rica or New Zealand
2010 champions Spain will face 2014 winners Germany in the rematch on November 27 in the semi-finals that the Spaniards won in their title campaign.
“Easy set, easy set, right?” Spain coach Luis Enrique mocked. “A great group, great competitors and I think we have to try and enjoy that.”
Costa Rica qualified for the quarter-finals in 2014, overtaking Spain, but must first pass New Zealand in a playoff in June.
Group F – Belgium, Croatia, Morocco, Canada
Belgium qualified for the semi-finals four years ago, and Croatia was the finalist. Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic knows that his team cannot be a surprise this time around.
“Four years ago no one believed in us, no one trusted my team,” Dalic said. “Now we deserve respect. We deserve everything.”
Canada is a tough and interesting option from the lower ranked teams having topped its qualifying group ahead of Mexico and the United States.
It has two potential stars: defender Alfonso Davies and striker Jonathan David and historic coach John Herdman, who previously led Canada’s women’s team to the World Cup.
Morocco has had a group with strong European players in successive tournaments. The last time was Spain and Portugal.
Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic made World Cup history by leading a different fourth country through the qualifiers.
Group G – Brazil, Switzerland, Serbia, Cameroon
Brazil, Switzerland and Serbia were quickly reunited after everyone was in the same group in 2018. Brazil will open to Serbia, which they beat 2-0 four years ago.
The Switzerland-Serbia match was among the most controversial games of 2018. The two Swiss scorers in the 2-1 win, Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri, made provocative gestures with a double-headed eagle to pay homage to the Albanian family roots.
“I don’t care about politics,” Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic said after the draw.
Now, aged 30, Neymar is set to lead Brazil’s attack to a third World Cup final in search of the title his country last won in 2002.
Brazil vs Serbia late on November 24 makes them the last teams to start play – more time for the team to prepare but a busier 25-day program if they want to win a record sixth title.
Group H – Portugal, Uruguay, South Korea, Ghana
Cristiano Ronaldo is on his way to opening the World Cup for the fifth time in a row at the age of 37 against Ghana.
Coach Fernando Santos admitted that “this tournament is going to be very tiring”, but preferred a late start in the busy schedule to help prepare his team.
The group Luis Suarez and Uruguay teamed up with Ghana for the first time since the infamous 2010 World Cup quarter-final match. Suarez was sent off for knocking out an almost certain win for Ghana in overtime. The penalty kick was missed and Uruguay went on to win on penalties.
Earlier in the 2010 knockout rounds, Suarez scored twice when Uruguay also eliminated South Korea 2-1.