Spain and Portugal, the last two European champions, were drawn Friday to meet in the first round of the World Cup, one day after Russia opens the tournament in one of the easiest groups of the competition.
The Russians will play their first match at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on June 14 against Saudi Arabia — the only team ranked lower than the hosts. Egypt and Uruguay are also in Group A.
Defending champion Germany will play first against Mexico in Group F and then face Sweden and South Korea. Five-time world champion Brazil is in Group E with Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia.
"None of us wanted an easy group," Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa said. "If you're playing the World Cup, you want to face the best. And if you want to reach the final, you have to play great matches."
Spain, which eliminated Portugal in the last 16 on the way to winning its first World Cup in 2010, will open against the European champions on June 15 in Sochi. Group B also includes Morocco and Iran.
Iceland, the country with the smallest population of the 32 World Cup teams, was drawn with Argentina, Croatia and Nigeria in Group D. Another newcomer, Panama, will take on England, Tunisia and Belgium in Group G.
Peru, the last of the 32 teams to qualify for Russia, is in Group C with 1998 champion France, Australia and Denmark.
The only group without a former World Cup champion is Group H, which is made up of Poland, Senegal, Colombia and Japan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the draw ceremony at the Kremlin, seven years after landing the hosting rights. Putin urged fans to visit and enjoy his "big and multi-faceted" country, a rallying cry which follows concerns about racism and hooliganism.
"We will do everything to make it a major sporting festival," Putin said, looking forward to a World Cup of "friendship and fair play, values that do not change with time."
The Olympic doping scandal surrounding Russia hung over the final countdown to the draw. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko, who is the head of the World Cup organizing committee, defended himself against accusations that he helped to orchestrate state-sponsored doping at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
"Nowadays everyone is trying to make some kind of axis of evil out of us, just because we're a great sporting power," Mutko said.
The International Olympic Committee executive board will decide on Tuesday whether to ban Russia from the upcoming Pyeongchang Olympics.
Here are the groups for the World Cup:
Group A — Russia, Uruguay, Egypt, Saudi Arabia
Group B — Portugal, Spain, Iran, Morocco
Group C — France, Peru, Denmark, Australia
Group D — Argentina, Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria
Group E — Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia
Group F — Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea
Group G — Belgium, England, Tunisia, Panama
Group H — Poland, Colombia, Senegal, Japan
Schedule of matches (Malta time will be two hours ahead of GMT as it will be summer-time)
FIRST ROUND
GROUP A
Thursday, June 14
Russia vs. Saudi Arabia, 1600 GMT
Friday, June 15
Egypt vs. Uruguay, 1300 GMT
Tuesday, June 19
Russia vs. Egypt, 1900 GMT
Wednesday, June 20
Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia, 1600 GMT
Monday, June 25
Uruguay vs. Russia, 1500 GMT
Saudi Arabia vs. Egypt, 1500 GMT
GROUP B
Friday, June 15
Morocco vs. Iran, 1600 GMT
Portugal vs. Spain, 1900 GMT
Wednesday, June 20
Portugal vs. Morocco, 1300 GMT
Iran vs. Spain, 1900 GMT
Monday, June 25
Spain vs. Morocco, 1900 GMT
Iran vs. Portugal, 1900 GMT
GROUP C
Saturday, June 16
France vs. Australia, 1100 GMT
Peru vs. Denmark, 1700 GMT
Thursday, June 21
France vs. Peru, 1300 GMT
Denmark vs. Australia, 1600 GMT
Tuesday, June 26
Denmark vs. France, 1500 GMT
Australia vs. Peru, 1500 GMT
GROUP D
Saturday, June 16
Argentina vs. Iceland, 1400 GMT
Croatia vs. Nigeria, 2000 GMT
Thursday, June 21
Argentina vs. Croatia, 1900 GMT
Friday, June 22
Nigeria vs. Iceland, 1600 GMT
Tuesday, June 26
Iceland vs. Croatia, 1900 GMT
Nigeria vs. Argentina, 1900 GMT
GROUP E
Sunday, June 17
Costa Rica vs. Serbia, 1300 GMT
Brazil vs. Switzerland, 1900 GMT
Friday, June 22
Brazil vs. Costa Rica, 1300 GMT
Serbia vs. Switzerland, 1900 GMT
Wednesday, June 27
Serbia vs. Brazil, 1900 GMT
Switzerland vs. Costa Rica, 1900 GMT
GROUP F
Sunday, June 17
Germany vs. Mexico, 1600 GMT
Monday, June 18
Sweden vs. South Korea, 1100 GMT
Saturday, June 23
Germany vs. Sweden, 1600 GMT
South Korea vs. Mexico, 1900 GMT
Wednesday, June 27
Mexico vs. Sweden, 1500 GMT
South Korea vs. Germany, 1500 GMT
GROUP G
Monday, June 18
Belgium vs. Panama, 1600 GMT
Tunisia vs. England, 1900 GMT
Saturday, June 23
Belgium vs. Tunisia, 1300 GMT
Sunday, June 24
England vs. Panama, 1300 GMT
Thursday, June 28
England vs. Belgium, 1900 GMT
Panama vs. Tunisia, 1900 GMT
GROUP H
Tuesday, June 19
Poland vs. Senegal, 1300 GMT
Colombia vs. Japan, 1600 GMT
Sunday, June 24
Japan vs. Senegal, 1600 GMT
Poland vs. Colombia, 1900 GMT
Thursday, June 28
Senegal vs. Colombia, 1500 GMT
Japan vs. Poland, 1500 GMT
SECOND ROUND
Saturday, June 30
Kazan: Group C winner vs. Group D second place, 1500 GMT
Sochi: Group A winner vs. Group B second place, 1900 GMT
Sunday, July 1
Moscow (Luzhniki): Group B winner vs. Group A second place, 1500 GMT
Nizhny Novgorod: Group D winner vs. Group C second place, 1900 GMT
Monday, July 2
Samara: Group E winner vs. Group F second place, 1500 GMT
Rostov-on-Don: Group G winner vs. Group H second place, 1900 GMT
Tuesday, July 3
St. Petersburg: Group F winner vs. Group E second place, 1500 GMT
Moscow (Spartak): Group H winner vs. Group G second place, 1900 GMT
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, July 6
Nizhny Novgorod: Sochi winner vs. Kazan winner, 1500 GMT
Kazan: Samara winner vs. Rostov-on-Don winner, 1900 GMT
Saturday, July 7
Samara: St. Petersburg winner vs. Moscow (Spartak) winner, 1500 GMT
Sochi: Moscow (Luzhniki) winner vs. Nizhny Novgorod winner, 1900 GMT
SEMIFINALS
Tuesday, July 10
St. Petersburg: Nizhny Novgorod winner vs. Kazan winner, 1900 GMT
Wednesday, July 11
Moscow (Luzhniki): Sochi winner vs. Samara winner, 1900 GMT
THIRD PLACE
Saturday, July 14
Semifinal losers, 1500 GMT
FINAL
Sunday, July 15
Semifinal winners, 1500 GMT