For England there is no Group of Death. Instead it is a Group of Diplomacy. The United States, Iran -it sounds like a rewind to the 1980s. As, indeed, does a meeting with Scotland or Wales, although Ukraine could yet have something to say about that.

In terms of football it will be a group that England will be expected to win. But there will be so much more to navigate away from the pitch and given this is the most controversial, most questionable World Cup of them all, that feels appropriate. Who said sport and politics do not mix? They are inextricably intertwined in this group at least.

Certainly Gareth Southgate is a manager who can cope with issues beyond his usual remit and having rightly encouraged England players to voice their opinions there is much to ponder with their opponents.

Imagine, for example, just what it would have been like to face Iran on the opening day of the tournament – it is the first time England will have featured on the first day since 1966 – had Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe not recently been released from incarceration in the country? It would have felt like an impossible situation.

Indeed, if it had not been Iran, it could have been England against Saudi Arabia, another political powderkeg. Instead, they were moved to a different group because they are in the same confederation as the Iranians.

That opened the way for a first all-British World Cup group game, and the tie against Wales or Scotland is one that Southgate would have wanted to avoid. He was perturbed at how draining facing Scotland was at last year’s Euros when England delivered their worst performance of the tournament and will again fear that the history and rhetoric around it will be a damaging distraction.

The same goes for the Welsh, who will be similarly super-motivated and were unfortunate to lose to England in Euro 2016 on their way to the semi-finals. Two British nations squaring off in Qatar will certainly bring a new dimension to a World Cup. How will everyone cope?

Things are no more straightforward if Ukraine somehow manage to navigate their way through the play-offs. That tie would pose its own unique set of problems given that if they take part in the World Cup they will be everyone’s second favourite team, with unprecedented levels of support. How to separate the emotion and the football in that one?

Until the fourth seed was drawn – and notwithstanding facing Iran and the difficulties that brings – it had all been going so well for England. They could have drawn Germany but, instead, their second-seed opponents are the Americans. Southgate will be emphatic about not underestimating the threat they pose, certainly not with Christian Pulisic in their ranks, and no-one needs a reminder of Rustenburg in 2010 when a terrible 1-1 draw in the opening fixture in South Africa drained England of all confidence which ultimately hastened their exit from the tournament.

England have come a very long way since then. They are not only a better team than 12 years ago but have a far stronger mentality and cohesion and while it is not an easy group it certainly could have been far more difficult.