Shaun Botterill Russia president Vladimir Putin (l.) and embattled FIFA boss Sepp Blatter take the stage during the preliminary draw for the 2018 World Cup in Russia at the Konstantin Palace in Saint Petersburg. And England resuming worldwide football’s oldest rivalry with Scotland.
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“It will be very stimulating for our team”, Italy coach Antonio Conte said through a translator in St. Petersburg.
Spain and Italy were placed Saturday in the same 2018 World Cup qualifying round-robin group, which also includes Albania, Israel, Macedonia and Liechtenstein. Against the rest of the group, Macedonia has a negative W/L score.
Things couldn’t have gone worse for the Macedonian national team as they were drawn in Group G with Spain, Italy, Albania, Israel for the upcoming World Cup (2018) to take place in Russian Federation.
Spain have avoided Europe’s Group of Death in qualifying, which is undoubtedly Group A, which features Holland, France and Sweden, followed by Bulgaria, Belarus and Luxembourg.
Germany, who won the World Cup for the fourth time in Brazil last year will face the Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Norway, Azerbaijan and San Marino in Group C. Eight of the best second-place teams from the continent’s nine groups will get a second shot at reaching Russian Federation through the playoffs.
If Mexico and the United States both finish in the top two of their respective groups, they will qualify for a so-called six-team hexagonal, in which the squads will play off between November 2016 and October 2017 for three World Cup berths.
Sweden’s 2014 World Cup play-off conquerors Portugal should have an easier time of it in Group B – Cristiano Ronaldo and co taking on the likes of Switzerland, Hungary and Latvia. The neighbors played the first global match 143 ago.
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“It is a draw that has made a lot of people happy”, Scotland coach Gordon Strachan said. Group F also features Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania, and Malta.
