World Cup 2018 Draw: Group A, H the easiest but England and Spain complicate Round of 16 paths

THE 2018 World Cup draw was always going to be the most open ever, but now that it has been conducted, there’s probably 30 nations feeling good about themselves.

The two that lucked out, are Morocco and Iran, who were the unlucky African and Asian outfits to land in a group featuring Portugal as well as Spain.

The 2010 World Cup champion, in Pot 2, was always going to be the joker in the pack and the team everyone wanted to avoid.

Indeed, they landed their neighbours for a tantalising tournament opener for both sides, but for Morocco, back for the first time in two decades, and Iran, Asia’s best ranked side, it has laid out a tough task ahead.

Groups C, D, E, F, H appear the most open, with the last group almost a ‘Group of Life’, it is so even.

Here are the winners, and losers from the overnight draw.

(Russia World Cup cities with Australia's games)

WINNERS

ALL OF GROUP H: Poland, Senegal, Colombia, Japan

Simply, this is not just the most open group at the 2018 World Cup, but unlike the top two in Group A, who face Euro 2016 winners Portugal or 2010 World Cup winner Spain (in all likelihood), Group H’s qualifiers run into the winners in a group featuring perennial tournament underachievers Belgium and England. All the pressure will be on those two sides, giving four potentially exciting nations a real shot of optimism.

“The Colombia game will be key. Purely by coincidence I watched a video of them a few days ago. For Japan it will be chance to get revenge for the last World Cup,” Japan boss Vahid Halilhidzic said.

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