2018 World Cup: Final Draw holds on Dec. 1, 2017, in Moscow

Agency ReporterNovember 29, 2017

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The final draw for Russia 2018 World Cup December 1, 2017, in Moscow.

The draw for the finals stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia will take place on December 1, 2017, in Moscow, and the draw for the 20107 Confederations Cup – on November 26, 2016, in Kazan. It was reported after the meeting of Organizing Committee “Russia 2018” Board meeting with the FIFA representatives. The draw for the 2017 Confederations Cup will take place at Kazan Tennis Academy, the exact location of the draw for the 2018 World Cup final stage is still unknown. In addition, the dates of the workshop for teams participating in the final stage of the World Cup 2018 was also confirmed – February 27-28 in Sochi.

Final stage draw

31 teams that will participate in the final stage of the tournament will be known at the end of the qualification round of the 2018 World Cup. Russia already participates in the tournament as the host country. The draw for the final stage will determine 8 groups of 4 teams, each of which will hold 3 matches. At the end of the group stage, national teams that took first and second places in the group will participate in 1/8 final.

The draw for the final stage of the 2018 World Cup will be held on December 1, 2017, in Moscow

Chairman of the Organizing Committee “Russia 2018”, Russia’s Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has promised to hold the draw at the highest level. “The experience gained by the Organizing Committee in the preparation and carrying out of the preliminary draw for the World Cup will be used in the organization of the following official measures of the tournament – the draw for the 2017 Confederations Cup and the draw for the final stage of the 2018 World Cup. I am sure we will be able to surpass our own achievements and surprise guests and fans with the new unforgettable show,” Mutko said.

2018 World Cup preliminary draw

The preliminary draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup was held at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg on July 25, 2015. For the first time in the history of the World Cups the draw for preliminary qualifying rounds have registered all 208 national football associations, members of the FIFA (Russia has not filed an application since it hosts the tournament). 141 teams in total attended the draw.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter attended the ceremony. Russian model Natalia Vodianova hosted the ceremony with TV host Dmitry Shepelev.

Drawing ceremony for the qualifying tournament of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, St. Petersburg, July 25, 2015, © Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Former player of the Russian national team Alexei Smertin, former USSR goalkeeper Rinat Dasayev, double World Champion Ronaldo, former Russian forward Alexander Kerzhakov, three-time winner of the Champions League Samuel Eto’o, former captain of Italian national team Fabio Cannavaro, the best player at the 2010 World Cup Diego Forlan; retired German former footballer who scored the first golden goal in the history of major international football Oliver Bierhoff, the winner of the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup Predrag Rajkovic, captain of the Portuguese national beach football team Madjer held the draw.

Ballet Theatre under the direction of choreographer Boris Eifman performed during the draw, as well as opera singers of the Mariinsky Theatre, saxophonist Igor Butman. The show ended with a performance by Polina Gagarina and the children’s choir, which had as many members as the number of the teams competing for participation in the World Cup. Each member of the choir had a flag of a country on the shirt.