Close neighbours
Morocco, and Iran, managed by former Portugal boss Carlos Quieroz, complete the group. The game between Portugal and Spain, which takes place at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi on 15 June, is the pick of the opening games.
Portugal then play Morocco in Kazan on the 20th June before completing the group stage against Iran in Saransk five days later.
Portugal’s position in Group B is arguably favourable in terms of potential ‘round-of-sixteen opponents’ as well. Of the teams drawn in Group A, none appear particularly menacing on paper with Russia and Uruguay fancied to compete for qualification from the group.
Carlos Quieroz, who learnt his trade as assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, has been in charge of Iran for the past six years.
Portugal will face a very tough Iran defence that allowed only two goals in their ten World Cup qualifying matches, albeit against the likes of Syria, South Korea and Uzbekistan. One to watch will be Sardar Azmoun who plays for Rubin Kazan in Russia. The 22-year-old striker scored eleven goals in qualification, the same number as Tim Cahill (Australia), Christian Eriksen (Denmark) and Romelu Lukaku (Belgium). Morocco are a team fairly untested outside of Africa although their last match against a European opponent ended in a 1-0 defeat to Finland in January this year.
Spain’s capabilities are well known and they will be wanting to lay to rest the ghost of 2014, when as reigning World Champions they were eliminated in the group stages.
There is no one better to assess the weaknesses and strengths of the Spanish team than Cristiano Ronaldo, who along with five of the current Portugal squad ply their trade in La Liga.
A mouth-watering month of World Cup football will end with the final in Moscow on the 15th July.