Some US senators have called for a boycott of the World Cup because of Russia’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict. Saturday’s draw took place in similarly impressive surroundings at the Konstantin Palace set in stunning grounds on the Gulf of Finland. Those teams will then compete in the hexagonal for three automatic spots to the World Cup and a playoff against an Asian team for the nation that finishes fourth. “At the moment, they are constructing something new”.
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This post will update live as the draw is made.
Scotland manager Gordon Strachan watched the draw at Hampden Park and said: “There must have been some sort of intervention there, because the sun came out and England got pulled out of the pot at the same time and the place erupted”.
Wales last qualified for a World Cup in 1958, and Coleman warns lack of big-tournament experience could be a weakness against an Irish team led by Los Angeles Galaxy forward Robbie Keane, who has 140 worldwide appearances. They’ll play the victors from games between Granada/Haiti and Jamaica/Nicaragua.
Group D also includes Austria, Serbia, Moldova, and Georgia.
The 2018 World Cup kicks off on June 14 and the final is on July 15.
France have been placed in Group A with the Netherlands, Sweden, Bulgaria, Belarus and Luxembourg. The England-Scotland fixture, that is going to capture the imagination. At that stage two groups of three will play for pole position and the top team will progress to a two-legged play-off.
Oceania favorites New Zealand will feature in Group B alongside Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu.
In other third-round CONCACAF matchups, which covers North, Central and South America, it’s Curacao versus.
The other opponents in Group C will be either Guatemala or Antigua and Barbuda, and Aruba or St. Vincent and the Grenadine.
The winners will join Costa Rica, Mexico, USA, Honduras, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago in Round Four.
The side are in a strong position to advance to the tournament next year having won all six games in Group E so far.
Cameroon, the first African country to make a major impact in the World Cup when they reached the quarter-finals in 1990, must negotiate a tricky two-leg knockout tie against Somalia or Niger at the start of their campaign.
Speaking ahead of the draw for the qualifying stages of the competition, Blatter – who announced his resignation amid a corruption scandal sweeping world football’s governing body – said FIFA had “complete trust” in their Russian hosts. The tournament’s preliminary draw was held Saturday in St. Petersburg, Russia. “It is especially important in the current geopolitical situation”.
Putin alluded to FIFA’s controversy, which has seen top soccer officials indicted in the U.S. on corruption charges. The head of leading Federation Internationale de Football Association sponsor Visa has delivered a stinging attack on Sepp Blatter, claiming there can be no meaningful reforms until he leaves as president of the organisation.
Elsewhere it’s slightly more complicated.
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Draws will be conducted for the qualifying process in five of FIFA’s six confederations, excluding Asia where qualifying has already began.
