There will be a group of death at the 2022 World Cup. Excitement is guaranteed with former champions Spain and Germany pitted against each other in Group E. World Footballers Lionel Messi of Argentina and Robert Lewandowski of Poland will also lock horns.
Friday's draw in Doha also resulted in a politically charged Group B featuring England, the United States, Iran and possibly Ukraine.
Title holders France should be up against Christian Eriksen if he is picked for the Denmark squad the year after his cardiac arrest at the Euros.
Hosts Qatar were drawn to open the November 21-December 18 tournament against Ecuador before facing African champions Senegal and the Netherlands in Group A.
Owing to delays related to the coronavirus and Russia's invasion of Ukraine only 29 of the 32 finalists are known, with the remaining three spots to be decided in June.
France head Group D and will only know their first opponent once the United Arab Emirates have played Australia and that winner has met Peru, with the Danes and Tunisia in the same pool.
Germany won their fourth title in 2014 and don't have good memories of Spain who beat them in the semis en route to their 2010 trophy and 6-0 in the last Nations League two years ago, which contributed heavily to the downfall of coach Joachim Löw.
"It is an exciting group and not easy. But we have big ambitions and it is an exciting challenge," Löw's successor Hansi Flick told broadcasters ARD.
The two heavyweights are favoured in Group E which also features Japan and the winner of a Costa Rica v New Zealand play-off.
Group B will also only be complete in June with England, the US and Iran to be joined by the winner of the play-off between Wales and the winner of Scotland v Ukraine.
England, Ukraine, Portugal
Political foes US and Iran already met in 1998 while Euro runners-up England could play another member of the Home Nations or Ukraine.
"We’ve got to get out of the group. Out first objective is to get out of the group and then we build from there," England manager Gareth Southgate told the BBC.
"In this situation all of our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, so when that tie is played out is irrelevant really."
In Group C, Argentina and Poland are joined by Mexico and Saudi Arabia; Group F brings together Belgium, Canada, Morocco and 2018 runners-up Croatia; and Group H sees Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal up against Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea.
Record winners Brazil will meanwhile have a feeling of deja vu when they face Serbia and Switzerland as four years ago and Cameroon as in 2014 in Group G.
Hosts Qatar
Teams were drawn from four pots based on the latest world rankings at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in front of some 2,000 invited guests, with hosts Qatar however in pot one along with the top seeded teams led by number one Brazil.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the first World Cup in the Arab world would be the "best World Cup ever" - amid ongoing criticism on the host nation's human rights record.
Without mentioning 2018 hosts Russia by name in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine which also led to its team being kicked out of qualifying for Qatar, he made a call for peace.
“We face some turbulences, our world is aggressive and we need some occasions to bring people together. To all the leaders, stop the conflicts and the wars,” he said.
