The United States will face England and Iran in Group B of the World Cup finals, while Spain will face Germany in a match of previous winners in Group E. Holders France will play Denmark and Tunisia in Group D, while the tournament will begin on November 21 with hosts Qatar against Ecuador.
For the United States, the draw places them against their old colonial masters, England, and Iran, a country with which they have long political disagreements. The United States lost 2-1 against Iran at the 1998 World Cup in France. One of the hardest groups was Group G, which pitted five-time World Cup champions Brazil against Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon.
The draw took place during a 45-minute musical and visual presentation during which FIFA President Gianni Infantino guaranteed the event would be ‘the finest tournament ever’. The decision to award hosting rights to Qatar in 2010 was severely criticized, and the country’s human rights situation has been under close scrutiny.
Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, greeted the guests, who included national team coaches, World Cup-winning players, and football officials, who were waiting to know the group stage match-ups during an event hosted by British actor Idris Elba and broadcaster Reshmin Chowdhury. The tournament will take place from November 21 to December 18. This will be the first time that soccer’s top award has been played for in the Middle East. There was a distinct Arabian vibe to the spectacle.
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