Former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel controversially hit out at the lack of English speakers at the World Cup draw in Doha, Qatar.
The draw took place on Friday evening, with England placed in Group B alongside USA, Iran and one of Scotland, Wales or Ukraine. It will be the first World Cup hosted in the Arab world, starting in Al Khor on November 21 and ending in Lusail on December 18.
Friday's ceremony lasted for some time before the actual draw took place and many offered their thoughts on the event, including Babel. He tweeted: "It's 2022 and ppl [people] in football world still don't speak English smh [shaking my head]."
FIFA invited various football icons to the ceremony, such as Didier Deschamps, Cafu, Lothar Matthaus, Jay-Jay Okocha, Tim Cahill, Ali Daei, Bora Milutinovic and Rabah Madjer. Jermaine Jenas conducted the draw alongside Carli Lloyd and Samantha Johnson.
Many of FIFA's guests didn't speak English, as per most global football events. Reshmin Chowdhury, who hosted the ceremony alongside actor Idris Elba, spoke to Deschamps in French and English shortly after the France manager brought the trophy on to the stage.
Babel currently plays for Turkish outfit Galatasaray and will be hoping to be part of the Netherlands' squad for this year's tournament. He has 69 senior caps for his country - the last of which came in 2021 - and played in the 2006 and 2010 editions of the World Cup.
Premier League fans will remember Babel from his four-year spell at Liverpool, scoring 22 goals in 146 appearances but failing to win a trophy at Anfield. Babel returned to England to play for Fulham in 2019, suffering relegation to the Championship that season.
Reacting to the favourable draw, England manager Gareth Southgate said: "USA and Iran are teams we’ve not played for a while and the third is an unknown but throws up a possible British derby. 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. In this situation all of our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, so when that tie is played out is irrelevant really.
"When you’re seeded you get the advantage of missing out on those big six or seven teams. Most of the first seeds would be pleased with the group they get. There are some highly ranked teams in pot two. The USA are an interesting one. They’ve got some very good players and we know what they could be capable of, so that one in particular is an intriguing one."
Ex-England captain Alan Shearer added: "Well that's the one thing of not having that group of death, isn't it. You're looking and thinking it's pretty much open. I have to say I'm pleased that Scotland, Wales or Ukraine have been put in England's group.
"It just adds that little bit more excitement in that group, I think. When you look at Iran and the USA, you think, okay England. But if it is going to be Scotland or Wales, then that makes it that a bit tougher."
