Doha, April 2 (BNA): VIPs from the world of football competed head-to-head and intriguing political events were drawn as the 2022 World Cup schedule was completed in a glamorous party in the Qatari capital.
Four-times defending champion Germany was drawn into Group E with Spain, which won the title in 2010, while the United States was facing Iran, a country with which they had long political differences, along with England, and possibly Ukraine, in Group B, according to Reuters reports. .
Defending champion France will meet Denmark and Tunisia in Group D, while the tournament kicks off on November 21 with hosts Qatar against Ecuador.
The toughest group seemed to be Group G that pitted five-time World Cup winners Brazil against Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon in highly competitive matches that had purists wringing their hands in anticipation.
Brazil coach Tite certainly knows the scale of the task ahead. “If you see the latest results from our competitors… we will have to work to be able to handle well,” he said.
“I watched the Switzerland (qualifier) match against Italy, which is a world-class, high-level match. We will need to be at our highest level.”
deep history
For others, the group that brought together the United States, Iran, and former colonial masters England was a remarkable one.
“The history of England and the United States is deep, isn’t it?” United States coach Greg Berhalter said. “We can’t get away from that, that’s something in us as a nation.
“Having said that another aspect is that PL (Premier League) is the biggest league in the world and the players are the most featured in the world and it’s always a great match when we play for England.”
He didn’t want to be drawn to the Iran competition’s political differences, saying, “I think it’s all about football at the end of the day and the best sign of friendship you can have is to compete aggressively on the pitch at Adela.” The road is what the World Cup is about and what makes it special.
“We have a lot of respect for Iran and how they qualified and we look forward to competing against them.”
The US-England showdown will see Berhalter adapt his wits against Gareth Southgate, the much-admired coach.
“We’re going backwards,” Berhalter said. “He’s a man I look up to. He was always there for me and gave me advice. When I first took the job, I looked at him as a mentor.”
The fourth team in Group B will be the winner of the European play-off – Wales, Scotland or war-torn Ukraine – which is due to take place in June.
property defense
The defense of the French title is characterized by facing Denmark, which reached the semi-finals of the European Championship 2020, whose team Didier Deschamps will play twice in the Nations League before the World Championship.
The 2018 champions, with one of the game’s most exciting players in Kylian Mbappe, will also face Tunisia and the winners of the qualifying series between the United Arab Emirates, Australia and Peru.
“It could have been easier or harder, we know Denmark well and we will know each other better with our Nations League matches in June and September,” Deschamps said.
Group H features a replay of the controversial 2010 quarter-final match between Uruguay and Ghana.
Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez touched the ball on the line in the last seconds, freeing Ghana with a goal, while the two teams tied 1-1.
Striker Gyan Asamoah hit the crossbar and sent the match to a penalty shootout, which Uruguay won 4-2, ending Ghana’s hopes of becoming the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
Portugal, with Cristiano Ronaldo in his fifth World Cup, and South Korea were also placed in Group H.
Canada back
Canada’s return to the finals, for the first time since their solo debut 36 years ago, puts them against one of the bookmakers’ favorites, Belgium alongside Croatia, finalists from 2018, and Morocco.
Like Ronaldo, Argentine Lionel Messi is trying to win the World Cup for the first time in his fifth World Cup, and he has a tough job with Mexico, Poland and Saudi Arabia in Group C.
The draw followed a 45-minute music and video presentation where FIFA President Gianni Infantino promised that the event would be “the best tournament ever”.
The decision to hand over the right to host Qatar in 2010 was heavily criticized and there has been intense scrutiny of the human rights situation in the country.
The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani welcomed guests including national team coaches, World Cup winning players and football officials who are all waiting to discover the group stage matches during a ceremony hosted by British actor Idris Elba and broadcaster Reshmin Chaudhry.
The tournament will run from November 21 to December 18. This will be the first time that the tournament will be hosted in the Middle East.