FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifying

The draw takes place today at 3pm in St Petersburg.

32 teams will qualify. One of these will be the host Russia.

The competition is divided up by continent; 13 teams qualify from Europe, five from Africa, three or four from CONCACAF, four or five from South America, four or five from Asia and none or one from Oceania.

The exact number per continent depends on the outcome of two intercontinental playoffs, each staged over two legs, at the end of the competition.

It really is a strange decision to have it today. Why don't they wait till after the European champs. Therefore the seedings would be more realistic. Everything FIFA does baffles me.

With it being in Russia and controlled by FIFA I half wonder whether the draw from hell will conveniently present itself to England .

Hmmmmmmmm

How about Italy, Sweden, Turkey, Finland and Kazakhstan . Hmmmmmm .

The perfect draw if possible, would be England Scotland, Wales, Ireland, northern Ireland and Gibraltar. Never happen though.

I think England would have taken the result of the rehearsal draw :

The official European Zone draw looks like this:

Group A: Netherlands, France, Sweden, Bulgaria, Belarus, Luxembourg
Group B: Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Andorra
Group C: Germany, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Norway, Azerbaijan, San Marino
Group D: Wales, Austria, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Moldova, Georgia
Group E: Romania, Denmark, Poland, Montenegro, Armenia, Kazakhstan
Group F: England, Slovakia, Scotland, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta
Group G: Spain, Italy, Albania, Israel, FYR Macedonia, Liechtenstein
Group H: Belgium, Bosnia Herzigovona, Greece, Estonia, Cyprus
Group I: Croatia, Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey, Finland,

Group A looks like a group of death.
Spain and Italy face off in Group G.
England and Scotland to also face off in Group F.
Tricky group for Wales and Republic Of Ireland with Serbia and Austria also in their group.

^Think we might get all 4 home nations and the republic to 2018 from these draws

Even scotland should be able to get out of this draw

Great draw for England terrible draw for Scotland
Be great if both teams top the group. They have every chance.

England managing to yet again secure a easy group, system needs to be revamped and England need tougher opposition

You get what you pay for.







* not a statement of fact