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

“Personally I am very happy because it is a group with two teams from two very special places for me,” said Queiroz.

Iran's Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz (L)

“It will be a very tough competition for us, it would have been no matter what group we were in, but when you are with Spain, a World Cup winner, and Portugal, European champions, it couldn’t be better for me.”

THOSE TRYING TO JOIN BRAZIL, GERMANY, OUT OF GROUPS E, F

There are no ‘losers’ per say, but these appear to be the most tightly contested groups underneath a clear top seed, the ones where there’s no discernible top two like Portugal/Spain, Belgium/England.

Costa Rica were the giant killers last time, but in Switzerland and Serbia, they’ve drawn two of the less intimidating UEFA outfits in a bid to join Brazil in the Round of 16.

The Selecao will have to put up with no games in Sochi, the city they are basing themselves in.

“We couldn’t control that,” Brazil coach Tite said. “Despite the (travel) distances, there are quick way to get there.”

South Korea have as good a chance as any Asian outfit to progress if they’re good enough. Sweden were robust and pragmatic enough to oust Italy, so they cannot be underestimated, but the exciting Mexican outfit will also make Germany’s group unpredictable to choose a second team from as well.

“I am certainly not scared,” Joachim Loew told ZDF television.

“We know the Mexicans from the Confederations Cup, the Swedes are a European team who we know as well, so only South Korea will be a slightly unknown quantity.”

LIONEL MESSI

Given Argentina scraped into the World Cup in a qualifying campaign nothing less than shocking for a nation with their talent on paper, Messi and co will be relieved at the draw presented as he tries to finally shake his international silverware hoodoo. But, Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria, although very much second fiddle to Argentina, present three different, and plucky opponents for an under-pressure La Albiceleste to conquer. In fact, the prospect of Australia, Peru or Denmark, should they succeed, is less intimidating for the South American powerhouse than the initial task at hand.

“We seem to be a married couple,” Iceland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson joked after being drawn to play the Croats for the third time in five years of World Cup play. Iceland won its qualifying group in October ahead of Croatia which was runner- up. The popular Nordic nation was denied a place at the 2014 tournament by losing a playoff to the Croats.

“Absolutely after the World Cup we are going to get a divorce from Croatia,” Hallgrimsson told reporters Friday at the State Kremlin Palace, adding “there are a lot of romantic things in our heads now we start to play Argentina.”

The FIFA World Cup trophy