A couple more months, and the FIFA World Cup 2018 will be here. Soccer fans are already excited, as this is the most prestigious international competition. Legends are born at World Cup finals, and the players know that, too.
The host of the FIFA World Cup final round in 2018 will be Russia. The choice of the country was a bit controversial, as there were rumors of corruption. However, there was no proof, so Russia is the place to watch this summer.
There will be 65 games in total, and 12 stadiums will be used during the World Cup. The largest among them is the legendary Luzhniki in the capital Moscow. It has a capacity of 81,000.
This is the reason why both the opening match and the final of the FIFA World Cup 2018 will be played there.
The first game will be played on June 14th, and the tournament will end on July 15th. This means that the fans will be able to watch the 65 games in less than a month before a world champion is crowned.
A total of 32 nations from all over the globe qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2018 finals. They are divided into 8 preliminary groups. The best 2 teams from each group will reach the knockout stages. From there on, the team will play 4 more rounds until a winner is crowned.
In this post, I’m going to provide a quick rundown of the teams that make up each group. This is useful for any early bets you might be looking to make.
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be providing more information on the 2018 World Cup, along with plenty of betting advice and recommended wagers.
Let’s take a closer look at the teams in group A.
The host nation is one of the favorites in this group and will certainly target at least the knockout stages.
The Russians don’t have enough quality to win the thing, but they could go deep in the tournament. The home advantage is huge in soccer and in World Cups in particular, so Russia should not be underestimated.
Uruguay is a rather small nation, but it has exceptional traditions when it comes to soccer. The country has won the World Cup and Copa America multiple times.
The current generation has a lot of potential with players like Luis Suarez. They are the second team that is considered as a favorite in this group.
A quick look at the Egyptian team shows at least one reason why the country has a chance – Mo Salah. The Liverpool forward is among the best players in the world right now.
If he’s fit for the World Cup, you never know what might happen.
Saudi Arabia is the underdog, and no one expects them to even win a point. It’s only natural, as the core of the team consists of players from the local league.
At least there’s no pressure, which sometimes boosts the performance of certain countries.
Here’s what group B has to offer.
The golden generation of Spain is almost gone, and some of the guys won everything in soccer. However, their last World Cup in 2014 was a disaster. The current squad has both youth and experience, as well as tons of talent. If they peak during the competition, Spain could win it.
The reigning European champions are a solid team with a potent attack. Everybody knows how good Cristiano Ronaldo is, but the defense is what won them Euro 2016.
Portugal could be lethal in the knockouts and is a team everyone else will prefer to avoid.
Morocco relies mostly on its defense, and the squad doesn’t have any stars. However, all the players work hard and could surprise the two European favorites in the group.
The fact that Iran managed to qualify for the finals is a huge success. Everything else will be a bonus for the country, as it doesn’t have the players to expect more than a respectable exit after the group stage.
This is one of the most interesting groups, as there’s no real underdog.
The whole country was heartbroken when France lost the final of Euro 2016 at home against Portugal. However, the team is now even stronger and has some amazing players all around the pitch. France is considered as one of the favorites in the tournament.
The Danish team doesn’t have many stars but still managed to qualify for the World Cup finals in Russia. The group is tricky, but Denmark certainly can qualify for the knockouts. The big question is if there will be enough firepower up front.
Peru managed to dramatically snatch a place in the finals. As with every nation from South America, the Peruvians have a lot of flair players in their ranks.
The defense is a bit leaky, though, and this will be the main weakness of the team.
Australia is a regular participant in World Cup finals, and this will be the case in Russia, too. The Kangaroos have their chances in this group despite the fact that many people can’t see them going through.
The problem for Australia is that they will play France first, and the European team will be eager to start with a win and ensure qualification before the last game.
Group D is another one with a lot of questions that only time can answer.
The South American giant almost didn’t make it this time around, but you should never underestimate them. Argentina reached the finals in 2014 despite some shaky performances. On top of that, any soccer team that has Lionel Messi has a shot.
The Croatians have some world-class players like Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic. The whole team is pumped up, and I could even see them winning the group. At the same time, even one slip could be enough for Croatia to be eliminated.
The Super Eagles are an exciting team with some young stars like Kelechi Iheanacho. I think it’s a bit early to expect something special from the current generation, but the potential is there. If some of the other teams underestimate Nigeria, they will suffer.
Iceland was one of the sensations during Euro 2016, and the fairy tales goes on. No one knows what to expect from the small country, but they’ve shown tremendous spirit and have some decent players. If Iceland manages to somehow qualify for the knockout phase, it’s game on.
Here are the teams in Group E.
The most successful team in World Cup history stormed its way to the final by crushing the competition in the South American qualifiers. Brazil scored more than 40 goals in 18 games and is one of the favorites in Russia.
The squad of Switzerland consists of solid players from some of the top European leagues. There aren’t many big stars, but the average quality is high. The Swiss are usually tough to beat and have the potential to reach the knockout stages.
Serbia is another side with the potential to reach the knockout stages. The country has some talented players like Kolarov, Matic, and Tadic. On top of that, the nation is known for its patriotism, and each member of the squad will be giving everything.
After a sensational performance in the 2014 World Cup, it would be a big mistake to overlook Costa Rica. The country is not the most talented in the tournament but could actually sneak through the group stages.
The situation of Group F is as follows.
The reigning world champion, Germany, is among the favorites this time around as well. This is probably the most balanced side in the World Cup.
The Germans have top quality in pretty much each position. They will be looking to add another Jules Rimet Trophy and tie Brazil as the most successful nation in the history.
Mexico is always a dangerous side when it comes to international soccer. The country has both talent and grit. You can always expect Mexico to reach the knockouts and be a tough nut to crack there. The situation is no different in 2018.
It looked like Sweden would play in a big tournament without Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the first time in a while. However, it seems like the big man will come out of retirement to join the squad. He hasn’t had much success with Sweden so far, but you never know.
South Korea is the big underdog, and the Asians are certainly unhappy with the draw. This is one of the toughest groups out there, but South Korea does have some decent players in the squad. I don’t expect them to make it to the knockouts, but they could snatch a draw or even a win.
This one looks like the one group with two very clear favorites.
I don’t think that the Belgium national side was that talented in its history. They have the likes of Hazard, De Bruyne, Lukaku, and a number of other exceptional players from top European clubs. The question is if they can work as a team. It didn’t look like that in Euro 2016.
If Belgium did badly in Euro 2016, England’s performance was a complete catastrophe. It was one of the worst in the history of the country that invented soccer.
As always, England has a solid side, but the expectations of the media and the fans create unbelievable pressure. Let’s see if the players cope with it this time around.
This is the first World Cup final phase in Panama’s history. The nation managed to dramatically qualify at the expense of the USA, and this was a huge success. No one expects more from Panama, so they will be enjoying the tournament whatever happens.
The North African country is a bit of an enigma. There are no big stars, but the team is strong and relies on its defense. It seems as if Tunisia is destined to finish third in this group, and I think this will be the case at the end.
However, the country might actually reach the next stage if England implodes again.
And these are the teams in the final group, which seems wide open.
After reaching the quarterfinals in 2014, Colombia has the ambition to improve its performance in the World Cup in Russia. The country has a lot of potential, and James Rodriguez looks at his best once again.
Colombia is the favorite in the group and should reach the knockouts, where everything is possible.
Japan is a regular participant in the World Cup finals but has rarely managed something more than that. The nation has a chance for the knockouts this year, but it will be very tough. Their main strength is their experienced backbone.
With a striker like Robert Lewandowski and a couple more top players, Poland is a dangerous team. They do have some weaknesses, though, and it’s hard to determine what will happen. The country has the potential to go deep, but it could also go home after the group stage.
This is only the second time Senegal will play in the World Cup finals.
However, the first one saw the country stun France in the opening game and reach the quarterfinals in Japan and South Korea. While such a run seems unlikely this time around, Senegal has some decent players.
While there are some early favorites, the World Cup is always unpredictable. Some teams will certainly impress, while others will disappoint in Russia this summer.
The best thing is that the tournament will be a feast of soccer games for a month and will also provide plenty of opportunities to make cash from betting.
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