Barcelona Midfielder Rakitić: None Of Group D Teams Happy With Draw, Argentina Favorites

Barcelona's Croatia star Ivan Rakitić believes Argentina are the favorites to progress from Group D in the 2018 World Cup, and added that none of the four countries in the pool can be satisfied with the tough group.

The Swiss-born midfielder will be one of the first names on the roster when Croatia manager Zlatko Dalić announces his squad list next summer, in what would be his second World Cup.

''The group is very complicated, not just for Argentina. With Iceland we often played, we know them very well and we know it will be a tough match,'' Rakitić told beIN SPORTS.

''But it's nice to play against the best - we'll fight because we want to go further.

''Of course, Argentina is the favorite, but we will fight, I believe they also know it will be a tough match, and none of the four teams can be very happy with the draw with Messi.''

Nigeria have faced thirteen different countries in all their World Cup campaigns but have never met European teams Iceland and Croatia.

Igho Kingsley