Putin opens 2018 World Cup draw ceremony in Moscow

In a star-studded ceremony in the Kremlin, England were placed with Kevin de Bruyne's Belgium, surprise packages Panama and Tunisia.

- Russia v Saudi Arabia to open -

Host nation Russia will face Saudi Arabia in the tournament-opening match on June 14 in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

Russia's other opponents in Group A are Uruguay, led by Barcelona's Luis Suarez, and Egypt, spearheaded by Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah.

France and their potent strikeforce featuring Antoine Griezmann and teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe will play Australia, Peru and Denmark in Group C.

Spain's other opponents in a tough-looking Group B are Morocco and Iran.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a speech at the draw ceremony that Russia had a "strong affection" for football.

"Our country is looking forward to the championship and intends to hold it at the highest level," Putin said.

"I am sure that the forthcoming World Cup will be a huge factor in the development of the sport both in the Russian regions and throughout the whole world."

In the hours before the draw, FIFA President Gianni Infantino denied that doping was a problem even as Russia are at serious risk of being barred from the 2018 Winter Olympics for doping.

Infantino claimed that the level of testing in football is sufficient to show that the game is largely clean.

"I don't think there are many other international sports organisations who are doing as many anti-doping tests as football is doing," Infantino told a press conference.

"If you would have a serious doping issue in football this would be known by now, whether in Russia or any other country of the world."

Russia have been stripped of a third of the medals they won as hosts of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and last week a ban on the country taking part in international athletics was upheld.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin and FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Friday opened the ceremony for the 2018 World Cup draw in the Kremlin in Moscow.

"Our country is looking forward to the championship and intends to hold it at the highest level," Putin said in the televised address.

"We have loved this sport a long time, with a strong affection that stretches across the country," he said, promising to "do everything for (the championship) to be a grand sports festival."

"I am sure that the forthcoming World Cup will be a huge factor in the development of the sport both in the Russian regions and throughout the whole world."

The football world descended upon Moscow to find out who will play who, when and where at the competition next year.

The setting, by Red Square and St Basil's Cathedral, could scarcely be grander.

The success of the tournament is a matter of personal pride for Putin after the Russian strongman helped wrest the June 14-July 15 competition from England in an ugly 2010 battle before relations with the West dramatically collapsed over Ukraine.

The draw is underway as the top seeds and second seeds are drawn.

The first pairing is on the board as Uruguay join Russia in Group A.

The first game in Group B will feature Portugal against Spain while Peru go into Group C alongside France.

Croatia join Argentina in Group D while Brazil get Switzerland in Group E.

Germany will play Mexico in Group F, Belgium face England in Group G while Poland, a surprise top seed, play Colombia.

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The assistants are brought on to the stage and line up behind their allocated lecterns but the ceremony is running behind schedule.

Gary Linker, who earlier defended his presence despite sending previous tweets condemning FIFA, is last out.

"They are making lots of changes, a massive amount. There is hardly anyone left from the old guard, if (former president Sepp) Blatter had still been in charge I would not have done it," Linker said earlier.

"You have a lot of new people and a lot of ex-footballers now. I have spoken to Boban who is quite high up in the hierarchy there and he's very impressive, Marco van Basten is there, (Luis) Figo, (Emilio) Butragueno.

"So they are making changes and it is only fair to give them the opportunity. I never had a massive problem with Russia hosting the World Cup. It's a proper football country that has never had it. It's the next one that I am not supportive of where that's going, and they know that."

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Vladimir Putin got things underway by welcoming the guests and watching millions, saying: "Russia has a passion for football and have had many outstanding players over many generations.

"The most coveted trophy will be won by the team showing the most resilience. I would like to wish success to all the teams and I call upon all loyal fans to come to Russia and enjoy the finals of 2018. "Thank you to all the Russian people who have worked hard over the last seven years to bring us one step further to the final tournament. Thanks to all 11 host cities who are doing a tremendous job" FIFA President Gianni Infantino had preceded the start by giving the assembled journalists "guidance" on the type of questions they should ask.

He then added his on-stage welcome before the screening of a video showing three cosmonauts counting down to the ceremony.

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The snow is falling heavily in Moscow as coaches from the 32 finalists assemble in the main hall in the State Kremlin Palace where the draw ceremony will begin at 1500GMT.

Media representatives are being held outside though some have been diverted to a meeting Vladimir Putin is hosting with some of the draw assistants - former greats of the game including Pele, Diego Maradona, Ronaldo and England's 1966 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks who said this week that he had had to "deny" reports of his death.

Pele, now 77, has been taken into the auditorium in a wheelchair.

Russia, the lowest ranked team of the finalists at 65 in the FIFA rankings, have been allocated place "A1" in the draw and then the balls for the rest of the hopefuls will be drawn by the assistants.

Iceland, who stunned England in the 2016 European championships, and Panama, who made it via an 88th-minute winner in their final qualifier, are appearing at the World Cup for the first time.

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The draw ceremony for the 2018 World Cup begins at 1500GMT (1800 local time) at the Kremlin in Moscow. The actual drawing of the balls is expected to start around 30 minutes later and is scheduled to last around half an hour.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko, who also serves as the head of the Russian Football Union and the chairman of the tournament's local organising committee, have already held a news conference ahead of the draw when questions about Russian doping dominated .

Infantino declined to get involved, saying: "FIFA doesn't participate in any speculations about any situation," referring to allegations of state-sponsored doping in Russia that could see the country banned from the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February.

Mutko vehemently denied the existence of state-backed doping in Russia and said the country was being unfairly targeted by international sports authorities.

"I am ready to go to any court, to any disciplinary body and say that there was never, isn't and never will be any doping cover up programme," he said.

Mutko also denied that Norwegian TV station TV2 had been banned from the draw because of anti-Russian output, saying it had merely been a "technical problem" and that their accreditation had been restored.

The draw ceremony will be led by former England striker and 1986 World Cup Golden Boot winner Gary Lineker and Russian sports journalist Maria Komandnaya and is a far simpler format than in previous tournaments.

The 32 teams have been equally divided into four pots based on FIFA world rankings with the exception of Russia, who as hosts are placed in the top seeds' pot.

Each pot will be emptied one by one into eight groups -- Group A to Group H -- which will contain four teams each.

Two teams from the same confederation cannot be in the same group, other than Europe, which has 14 teams, and cannot have more than two teams in the same group.

The first match of the tournament will take place in Moscow on June 14, featuring Russia, with the final also in Moscow on July 15.

Pot 1: Russia (hosts), Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, France

Pot 2: Spain, Peru, Switzerland, England, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, Croatia

Pot 3: Denmark, Iceland, Costa Rica, Sweden, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Iran

Pot 4: Serbia, Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Morocco, Panama, South Korea, Saudi Arabia