Russia handed chance of revenge vs Croatia in 2022 World Cup qualifying as France drawn with Ukraine
Russia have been placed in a World Cup qualifying group with Croatia – who beat them in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals of the 2018 edition of the tournament – as the draw was made for Qatar 2022 .
Seeded in Pot Three for the draw in Zurich on Monday, Stanislav Cherchesov’s Russia team were drawn in Group H alongside Croatia – who were among the top seeds – as well as Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta.
Full draw for European qualifying groups for 2022 Qatar World Cup:
Group A: Portugal, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan
Group B: Spain, Sweden, Greece, Georgia, Kosovo
Group C: Italy, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria, Lithuania
Group D: France, Ukraine, Finland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kazakhstan
Group E: Belgium, Wales, Czech Republic, Belarus, Estonia
Group F: Denmark, Austria, Scotland, Israel, Faroe Islands, Moldova
Group G: Netherlands, Turkey, Norway, Montenegro, Latvia, Gibraltar
Group H: Croatia, Slovakia, Russia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta
Group I: England, Poland, Hungary, Albania, Andorra, San Marino
Group J: Germany, Romania, Iceland, North Macedonia, Armenia, Liechtenstein
Qualifying runs between March and November 2021, with teams playing each other home and away. The 10 group winners will qualify automatically, while the 10 runners-up will head into the playoffs.
The Qatar tournament will kick off on November 21, 2022, for a special winter edition of the FIFA showpiece to avoid the searing summer heat in the Middle Eastern host country.
📰 CONFIRMED: Here are the groups for @UEFA's #WCQ on the road to #WorldCup Qatar 2022! 🤔 Which games stand out to YOU? pic.twitter.com/sLsXolLR3t
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 7, 2020
Defending champions France, who beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow in 2018 to lift their second title, will have to navigate a group containing Ukraine, Finland, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kazakhstan.
The current number-one-ranked team in the world, Belgium, look like having a fairly straightforward group, with Wales the main danger to their chances of sealing top spot.
Russia, who surprised many with their run to the quarterfinals on home soil in 2018, will face a host of challenges in the form of Croatia, Slovakia and Slovenia, but will at least meet Cyprus and Malta for what should be easier ties.
England, meanwhile, face familiar foes in the form of Poland, whom they met in qualifying for the 1974, 1990, 1994, 2006 and 2014 World Cups. The pair also clashed in qualifying for the 1992 and 2000 European Championships.
Four-time World Cup winners Germany, where manager Joachim Low is under fire after a poor showing in their recent UEFA Nations League campaign, face a tricky prospect in overachievers Iceland, but look to have it easier with the other nations in their group.
Fellow four-time winners Italy face potential banana skins in Switzerland and Northern Ireland, but should find Bulgaria and Lithuania easier propositions.
Drawn in Group A, reigning European champions Portugal will likely face the biggest challenge from Serbia and possibly Northern Ireland, but five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo will fancy his chances of adding to his mammoth tally of 102 international goals if he lines up against Luxembourg and Azerbaijan.
