Group B features two of football's most prestigious teams, Spain and Portugal, as well as Iran and Morocco.
Iran has failed to qualify from the group stages in any of its other appearances, and it is difficult to see that run of poor form changing in Russia.
The fact that it is being guided by former Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz suggests that it will be organized and tough to break down, but the gulf of class which exists between the Iranians and the other three teams in this group suggests that its visit to Russia will be a brief one.
Iran has a key player in the competition. Sardar Azmoun, who plies his trade in Russia with Rubin Kazan, is already Iran's fifth highest scorer of all time at just 23 years of age.
He has been hailed by some in the media as a 'young Zlatan Ibrahimovic' or the 'Iranian Messi', as well as the successor to Iran's serial goalscorer Ali Daei. No pressure, then.