World Cup draw 2018: What time it starts and TV channel details

 

What is it?

It's here. The draw for the 2018 World Cup - the flagship international football event, which is due to be held from June 14 to July 15 next year in Russia. We'll find out the eight groups for the first stage of the tournament.

When and where is it?

The 2018 World Cup draw will take place in Russia's capital city of Moscow this afternoon at the State Kremlin Palace, which is frequently used as a concert hall.
According to a Fifa spokesman: "This prestigious entertainment venue with a capacity of 6,000 spectators has hosted many international and locally renowned artists in the past, as well as traditional ballets and operas."

What time will it start?

It will start at 6pm local time, or 3pm GMT. You can follow all the build-up and live coverage of the event itself right here.

The 2018 draw will take place in Moscow Credit: getty images

How can I watch the draw?

The draw will be live on Sky Sports and ITV. Alternatively, you can bookmark this page and follow our rolling blog.

How does the draw work?

A total of 32 teams will feature at the 2018 World Cup, 31 of them coming through a qualifying campaign and one (Russia) making it as host nation.
Those 32 teams will be split into four pots based on their current Fifa world rankings. Pot 1 will contain Russia and the highest-ranked seven teams. Pot 2 will feature the next best eight teams, and so on for Pots 3 and 4.
The draw will divide the 32 teams into eight groups of four from A to H. Each group will play three matches, before the top two countries advance to the second round. Russia will be in Group A as host nation.
This video explains the process, including how there will be no more than two European teams in each group:

Which pot are England in?

England are in Pot Two and could be pitted against the likes of Brazil, Germany, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, France or host nations Russia from Pot One.

Pots announced for #WorldCup Final Drawhttps://t.co/Wr17mUox90 pic.twitter.com/1BTSixQ05Z

— #WorldCupDraw 🏆 (@FIFAWorldCup) November 16, 2017

What have they been saying?

Cristiano Ronaldo:
“I’m relaxed because, although some teams are stronger than others, all the groups will be balanced," he told Fifa.com. "I’m calm because I know that, when the time comes, the team will be ready."
“Whoever we’re drawn against, we have to win, no matter what,” he added with characteristic determination.
Leo Messi:
“I’ll be following it, so long as we don’t have training or a match."