Ronaldo's Portugal arrive in Russia for World Cup

AFP  |  Moscow 

Cristiano Ronaldo's arrived Saturday in to begin final preparations for a campaign that pits them against arch-rivals

The European champions play their Iberian neighbours in host city Sochi in the opening match for both nations Friday.

The winner will be in pole position to come out on top in a Group B that also includes and

The top two teams from each group qualify for the last 16.

The Spaniards arrived at their own base in the southern Russian city of on Thursday.

are ranked fourth by and won nine of their 10 European qualifying group matches.

It will be the team's seventh appearance and the 33-year-old Ronaldo's fourth and likely last campaign.

Their best result saw them finish third in 1966.

are based next door to the where they landed on the southeastern outskirts of

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First Published: Sat, June 09 2018. 21:45 IST