The Road To Russia 2018 Continues On Telemundo On Friday, December 1st With The Exclusive Spanish-Language Coverage Of The Final Draw For The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™

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MIAMI, Nov. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Telemundo Deportes, the Spanish-language home of the FIFA World Cup^TM, will provide the most extensive, Spanish-language multimedia coverage of the Final Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia^TM on Friday, December 1 beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET. The event will be simulcast live on Telemundo, Universo and the Telemundo Deportes En vivo App. The two and half hour special will be produced live from the Kremlin State Palace in Moscow, Russia with participation from Telemundo Deportes studios in Miami. Andrés Cantor will host the coverage from Moscow, joined by Telemundo Deportes' Carlos Hermosillo, Manuel Sol, Miguel Gurwitz, Sammy Sadovnik and Carlota Vizmanos.  Ana Jurka, Copan Alvarez and Karim Mendiburu will provide additional content and coverage of the Draw from Telemundo Deportes Miami Studios.

The Draw will kickoff Telemundo Deportes' comprehensive coverage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia^TM taking place June 15 - July 15, 2018.

"The Draw is the most anticipated day leading to the FIFA World Cup and we are looking forward to providing the most complete coverage and analysis of the results live from Russia," said Ray Warren, president of Telemundo Deportes. "The event's new format based on FIFA ranking along with the anticipation of each team's possible paths to the final will make this one of the most exciting sporting events for our audience ahead of next year."

The Telemundo network will extend its coverage across its programming:

"Un Nuevo Día" – Telemundo's three-time Emmy award-winning morning show will kickoff the coverage on December 1, beginning at 7 a.m. ET, featuring special segments with Telemundo Deportes' commentary team in Moscow.

Pre-Draw Special - The live draw presentation will be preceded by a special preview at 9:30 a.m. featuring the analysis of Telemundo Deportes' experts who will discuss the different case scenarios for some of the favorite teams based on the new format of the draw. 

Final Draw – The live presentation of the draw begins at 10 a.m. ET; Cantor will provide commentary alongside Gurwitz.

Post-show special – Following the draw, Telemundo Deportes' experts will present in-depth analysis of the results, plus live reactions, analysis and predictions from former players, coaches and soccer personalities from around the world.

Throughout the special coverage around the Draw, Telemundo Deportes will also feature special segments and reports highlighting the most compelling stories around teams, players, rivalries and surprises around the FIFA World Cup and the 32 teams qualified. The coverage will also highlight the culture of Russia and the 11 cities and venues that will host the action.

The live coverage will also be available via Telemundo Deportes En Vivo app and TelemundoDeportes.com. The streaming will feature widgets showcasing each group's live results as well as instant social media interaction. Telemundo Deportes' digital and social media platforms will provide comprehensive content throughout the day, including two Facebook Live specials hosted by Telemundo Deportes' commentators, featuring analysis and reactions prior and following the draw.

In addition, "Al Rojo Vivo," "Suelta la Sopa" and "Noticas Telemundo" will provide special segments and content following the results.

In celebration of the Draw, Telemundo will showcase the creation of an artwork mural, live at the iconic Wynwood Art District in Miami, FL. The mural will be crafted by the renowned Miami artist Lebo who's known for his compelling visual work, and will feature the countries participating in the World Cup using anything from cultural inspiration to star players. The artwork will be unveiled on December 1, following the Draw results.

The anticipated Draw debuts a new format for the 2018 FIFA World Cup where all teams will be allocated into four different pots based on sporting principles with each pot containing eight teams. The FIFA ranking will be used to allocate all qualified teams to the four pots according to their ranking in descending order, with the best seven teams along with host Russia in pot 1. The other 24 best ranked teams will be distributed accordingly in the remainder pots. FIFA said the only geographical constraint would be that no group could include two teams from the same continent, with the exception of Europe.

Teams qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup:

Africa: Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia

Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia

Europe: Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland and Sweden.

North, Central America and Caribbean: Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama

South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay

Telemundo Deportes, one of the leading providers of sports content in Spanish in the United States, is home to two of the world's most popular sporting events: the FIFA World Cup™ through 2026 and the Summer Olympic Games through 2032. It is also the home of the FIFA Club World Cup until at least 2018. In addition, Telemundo Deportes broadcasts the FIFA World Cup™ CONCACAF qualifying matches for most of the region, including the Mexico and USA national teams' away matches, and the Premier League. Telemundo Deportes is also home to "Boxeo Telemundo Ford," the #1 boxing program in Spanish, and "Titulares y Más," the #1 sports news, entertainment and commentary show in Spanish, among other recognized sports properties.

SOURCE Telemundo