According to the draw made in Doha on Friday, Spain and Germany will meet in Group E. The respective top two of the eight groups of four advance to the round of 16. Austria’s Nations League opponents France and Denmark have been drawn in Group D and have played each other three times within six months.
Group B with England, the USA and Iran has political explosiveness to offer. The fourth team is the winner of the European play-offs, where the ÖFB team failed in the semi-finals, and is either Wales, Scotland or Ukraine. In addition to Cameroon, Brazil, Switzerland and Serbia also play in Pool G – this trio met in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo also has an opportunity for revenge with Portugal. Four years ago, the current Group H opponent Uruguay was the last stop in the round of 16. Ronaldo’s longtime rival Lionel Messi plays in Pool C against Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Poland. The weakest group of the tournament according to the paper forms are Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands in Pool A. The opening game on November 21st will be played by Qatar and Ecuador.
The group classification at a glance:
Group A: Qatar (hosts), Netherlands, Senegal, Ecuador
Group B: England, USA, Iran, European play-off winners (Wales, Scotland or Ukraine)
Group C: Argentina, Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia
Group D: France (world champion), Denmark, Tunisia, winner of the intercontinental play-off (United Arab Emirates, Australia or Peru)
Group E: Spain, Germany, Japan, Intercontinental play-off winners (New Zealand or Costa Rica)
Group F: Belgium, Croatia, Morocco, Canada
Group G: Brazil, Switzerland, Serbia, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Uruguay, South Korea, Ghana
Source: Nachrichten
