The 32 teams who will compete at the 2018 World Cup in Russia are set! And so are the pots for the December 1st draw.
Because Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup, Croatia was bumped up to Pot 2; making their group stage route much easier.
Croatia will not be able to play any fellow Pot 2 team in group stage but can play them later in the tournament. A team from each Pot will be chosen at random and those four teams will make up a World Cup group. The only restriction to this rule is that three European teams cannot play in the same group.
Croatia’s toughest possible group: Brazil, Croatia, Costa Rica, Serbia
Croatia’s easiest possible group: Poland, Croatia, Iran, Panama
CroatianSports.com’s wish list: Brazil, Croatia, Iceland, Australia
Who do you want to see Croatia play at the 2018 World Cup in Russia?
Kranjcar did come back to defend for their goal as well left a player unmarked.
@Mile.
Are you saying we outplayed Brazil in 2006 in Germany? Lmao we literally had one shitty shot on goal. Missed wide by Kranjčar. Brazil outplayed us all the way. It’s just the truth
@Evo Uje – Majmino is right actually. We do NOT have an equal chance at every team in pot 1. Uruguay, Columbia and Peru in our pot HAVE to go with a European team out of pot 1. That takes up 3 spots, and leaves 5 available pot 1 teams Cro can be paired with (2 of which are Brazil or Argentina). So there’s a 2/5 chance (40%) chance we get Brazil or Arg, and a 3/5 (60%) chance we get anyone else from pot 1.
In regards to “North America”, there is only a marginally greater chance we get Costa RIca or Panama, only because they can’t end up with Mexico out of our pot
Argentine
Croatia
Tunisia
Serbia
When it comes to prediction, I am invisible no 1
Argentine
Croatia
Iceland
Panama
When it comes to prediction, I am invisible no 1!
BZ, time to improve the stats…i would love a Mexican rematch.
@Dalic Lama
There are differences in human racial groups. Sub-Saharan negroids have evolved to run for hundred of thousands of years on the savannah. They also have almost a full cup of brain tissue less than European whites and east Asian people. That accounts for their low average IQ. White European bodies have evolved differently, more sturdy and strength. That’s why Europeans dominate strong man contests and weight lifting.
POLAND HAS SOME HOT BABES.
Croatianperson85 & BZ //
Preach!!!!
Ketchin up on deez posts. Was it Soul Champ who blames fast twitch muscles on slavery in USA? Not thousands of decades of dodging predators in the savannah? Deez nutz
That is some anti-usa rhetoric brate!
On a side note, would love for truth aka I’m a dumb serb to let his xbox crunch on those numbers and predictions up until the World Cup starts. I’m pretty sure his xbox will melt from the load, even if he beefs it up with an additional 32 gigs of ram lol
My bad, that’s me above as anonymous.
@BZ – you’re 100% right with those stats and if you include 98 we’re 0-6. 2 losses to Brazil, 2 loses to Mexico, Ecuador and Argentina once (ok in all fairness it was the last game and we were already in to the next round) Romania did us a massive favour. I’m telling you we need more dirtbags on the team and a sport’s psychologist to overcome the mental collapse. I feel like its easy to get under our skin especially with loose refs. I think we’ll be good this tournament though.
Rememeber we lost to Brazil and Argentina. Good teams. We lost to Mexico and Ecuador in Asia and South America. The only loss on European soil to a S/C American team (aside from the loss to Ronaldo Rivaldo Ronaldinho Adriano Kaka R Carlos Etc) was in France to Argentina.
Statistically you play better the closer you are to home. Germany was the first European team to win a WC in South America, 94 was neutral for everyone because the US sucked and 2002 Japan and 2010 S Africa were debut WC’s for those continents. Asian teams weren’t good enough (still dont think they are) to win 2002. I still think Ivory Coast could have done better in 2010 had they not been drawn in a Group of death with Brazil and Portugal.
Anytime there is a good African team they are drawn in the group of death. Nigeria 2002, Ivory Coast 2006, 2010.
Doesn’t matter who we draw, main thing is to get to the next stage and go all the way. Main point as someone already said, is which group we will be paired against for the next round, that’s more important. As for Half-turkey aka svrbija/smrdija, let them get pounced in their group, they always get pounced 5-0 or 6-1 in their World cup group games. Who gives a flying fuck about those losers anyways? Except for truth aka Ziva aka Iceland lad aka I’m a dumb serb. Za dom!
@ Maminjo –
You have really offered some debatable posts lately. Anything changed with you?
We have a 2 out of 8 chance to draw a South American team from pot 1 – that’s 25%. We have a 6 out of 8 chance of drawing a European team – that’s 75%
You also said we are likely to draw a “North American” team from C or D.There is only one of those, Mexico – and they are in group B.
If you are referring to Central American teams, there is only 1 in group C (Costa Rica) and 1 in group D (Panama).
Don’t know your “likely to draw” reasoning with them.
Costa Rica is the strongest team out of CONCACAf by far. No way you want them. Keylor Navas is the best goalie in our hemisphere.
@Croatianperson85- We are 0-5 against Central & S. America in WCs excluding 1998. Undefeated vs all other regions. I’ll take Iceland & Denmark over Costa Rica thanks.
@Mark-nice one.
dont be a glupan. Batistuta? Ko ga jebe! Imamo kalinic
Who gives 2 shits. Lucky unlucky, show up and bang. Tell sweden about the draw. I wouldn’t wanna bang with them. Fuck em all, everyones beatable
Germany, Croatia, Tunisia, Japan.
That s more like it duh
Germany, Croatia, Tunisia, Morocco.
Axis lol
Montanic. Uruguay is cohesive and plays tight. They very good. They will beat Argentina anytime.
@Chopper
You keep getting Brazil because Croatia has a 40% chance of drawing Brazil or Argentina as a Pot A team. 60% chance of drawing any of the other teams combined.
We’re also most likely to draw a North American team as our Pot C or D team.
@Zee no way Uruguay is winning Messi is a Global Icon.
Modric has a slight injury
No way montanic. If anybody from south america it’s Uruguay!
Every one knows Argentina will win the World Cup. Messi will have his fairytale ending now that Portugal/Ronaldo won Euro 2016. Fifa’s golden player is Messi.
My simulator drew Poland, Croatia, Costa Rica and Saudi Arabia. Wouldn’t that be a sweet group?
@BZ – agreed, we don’t like S/C. American teams. Chippy, dirty and fast paced. They can get under our skin (Portugal Euro 16).
That is some funny shit! 12 years a Slav has officially become the Intercontinental champion of profile names on this website. Brilliant.
I ran the draw simulator and got Brazil 3 times in a row!
+Crotown
2 European teams maximum in a group
pot 2 will almost for sure go last in the draw, to build the “drama” (Brazil prob doesn’t give a shit whether Saudi Arabia vs Morocco is in their group. But they prob do care if it’s Spain versus Switzerland).
We may have a good idea before pot 2 is even drawn then where Cro will end up. If Serbia, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark out of pots 3-4 are paired with a European team from pot 1, then we know Cro will go to one of the other 4 groups.
Historically the South American and North American teams don’t do well in European World Cups. Croatia lost to Mexico twice, but in South Korea and Brazil. They also lost to Ecuador in South Korea and of course Brazil in Brazil. But they outplayed Brazil in Germany in 2006 when they lost 1-0. I would prefer South American and North American teams for the draw.
Serbia in our group guarantees Brazil or Argentina in our group.
Definitely don’t want to draw Brazil, i’d like someone we at least have a chance of beating from pot A, so poland or russia
@Maminjo-and Spain is not a Pot A (sic) team.
@Maminjo-I’d EASILY rather play Denmark or Iceland than Costa Rica. You know our record vs South & Central American teams in the WC after 1998, right?
Iceland is weak. Our AWAY loss to them was expected:
1) shitload of injuries
2) Modric & Mandzukic worn out from CL play.
We still dominated play, but lost to a set piece again. Play Rakitic back & Modric as attacking midfielder, like we have been doing, and we win easily.
Denmark is decent too, but I think we know how to handle that sort of European team.
Definitely want Serbia in our group- and hopefully as many European teams as possible- I like our chances – there has been alot of bad soccer this campaign around the world- must be global warming or bad falafels taking over the globe
Vida to Everton??
also pot 3 and 4 are weak af
Serbia as a pot 4 team is not tougher than having Denmark or Iceland as a pot 3 team.
I don’t think any of those teams can beat us though. So I’m not worried at all if we draw any of them.
I’m most concerned about our Pot A team and which group we cross over with in the Round of 16.
It would be tough to draw Brazil then have to cross over with a group that has an Argentina, Spain, Germany, Belgium or France as their Pot A team.
Having to play two of the top-6 contenders just to get out of the Round of 16 would suck.
It hurt us at these past Euros. Wouldn’t want to have it happen again.
@BZ – didn’t realise there is a limit to European team per group.
World Cup tickets went live today. I just bought TST5 which is all Croatia games up until Quarter Final. Cost £800 – not too bad. Always an option to resell through FIFA in April/May if decide not to go.
(Second time trying to post this – apologies if it appears as a duplicate)
Portugal Croatia Egypt Saudi Arabia
@OneLastChance- Costa Rica is dangerous, but I think most choose them in our Group of death bc you can’t have more than 2 Euro teams in a group, & many think Serbia is toughest pot 4 team.
Drkadrkastan is going to make a run this World Cup.
Russia is home team when’s the last time home team lost opener
C’mon, Costa Rica are tougher than Sweden/Denmark? Poland are easier than Russia?
All I want is revenge on Portugal from 2016 and Australia from 2006. Hopefully then get Mexico in the knockout rounds.
Belgium
Croatia
Iran
Panama
That is my wish list
Argentina, Tunisia and Australia. Australia has it’s worst team in two decades!! Argentina really don’t look likely to pose any real threat next year and Tunisia just seems easy. Not too worried about any team in pot 3 to be honest. I really think we have a very good chance to get out of the group stage this time around.
October rankings.
Will pot ranking be based on this current October FIFA ranking or the more recent one coming up in November?