World Cup Draw: Croatia to Face Argentina
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
(Photo: FIFA)
LIVE: Croatia will meet Argentina again, 20 years after they last met at a World Cup finals after the draw for the 2018 World Cup was made at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Friday.
Croatia, who was ranked in Pot 2 before the draw, was pulled out of the pot by Diego Maradona in Group D with his home country Argentina. Iceland was drawn from Pot 3, whilst Nigeria was drawn from Pot 4 to complete the group.
📸The moment when Diego Maradona draws #Croatia in @FIFAWorldCup Group D.#BeProud #Vatreni #FIFAWorldCup #WorldCupDraw pic.twitter.com/upAmujMrjp
— HNS | CFF (@HNS_CFF) December 1, 2017
Croatia and Argentina were in the same group at the 1998Â World Cup where Croatia finished third. Thier group match back then ended 1-0 to Argentina.
(Photo: FIFA)
Group D
1. Argentina
2. Iceland
3. Croatia
4. Nigeria
Croatia will open their tournament against Nigeria.
Matches:Â
16 June 2018
Kaliningrad: CROATIA – Nigeria – 20.00
21 June 2018
Nizhny Novgorod: Argentina – CROATIA – 21.00
26 June 2018
Rostov: Iceland – CROATIA – 20.00
“It is not the best or the worst group. Nigeria is a young side who won their qualifying group and will be tough. Argentina is a great side and we know Iceland very well having played them in qualifiers. We beat them in Zagreb 2-0 but they beat us in the second match. As I said it is not the best but not the worst group. It will be tough,” Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said after the draw.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup will be the 21st FIFA World Cup and will take place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018. A total of 64 matches will be played in 12 venues located in 11 cities.
Croatia beat Greece in the playoff to qualify for Russia (Photo: Goran Lausic/HNS)
The final will take place on 15 July in Moscow at the Luzhniki Stadium.
