Tournament details Host country Russia Dates 14 June – 15 July Teams 32 (from 5 confederations) Venue(s) 12 (in 11 host cities) We are a little more than one week away from the drawing for the group stage (Dec 1, 2017). All teams have been assigned in drawing pots. The change this year: all pot assignments are based on FIFA rankings. Pot 1 Pot2Pot 3Pot 4Russia (65) (hosts) Germany (1) Brazil (2) Portugal (3) Argentina (4) Belgium (5) Poland (6) France (7) Spain (8) Peru (10) Switzerland (11) England (12) Colombia (13) Mexico (16) Uruguay (17) Croatia (18) Denmark (19) Iceland (21) Costa Rica (22) Sweden (25) Tunisia (28) Egypt (30) Senegal (32) Iran (34) Serbia (38) Nigeria (41) Australia (43) Japan (44) Morocco (48) Panama (49) South Korea (62) Saudi Arabia (63)
Interesting change from FIFA with the rankings pot assignments. Limited Group of death potential but there will be an upstart or 2 out of Pot 3. No Chile, Italy, Dutch, U.S. or even Ghana this year.
Argentina did not look good either. They barely made the WC. I could see Argentina going back to the time before 1978. It may be Messi's last WC and there is very little talent expected to follow. If they are getting into a group with Sweden, Denmark or even Iceland from Pot 3 they may not even make it out of the group stage. I was surprised about Ghana as well. They changed their format for the 2018 Qualification. In the past the final round was with the top 10 teams playing a playoff (home and away) to determine the 5 African participants. This time they eliminated a preliminary round and the final round was 5 groups with a total of 20 teams and only the group winners qualified. Ghana did not win one single home game in that final round.
Today was the World Cup draw. No groups of death per say. Quite a good mix up. It should be noted that not surprisingly Russia as host has gotten the easiest group. That is properly more fodder for the assumptions that World Cup draws are fixed. Group AGroup B Group CGroup D Russia (H) (65)Portugal (3)France (7)Argentina (4)Saudia Arabia (63)Spain (8) Australia (43)Iceland (21)Egypt (30)Marocco (48)Peru (10)Croatia (18)Uruguay (17)Iran (34) Denmark (19)Nigeria (41) Group E Group FGroup GGroup HBrazil (2)Germany (1)Belgium (5) Poland (6)Switzerland (11)Mexico (16)Panama (49)Senegal (32)Costa Rica (22)Sweden (25)Tunesia (28)Colombia (13)Serbia (38)South Korea (62)England (12)Japan (44)