sign in sign up
<<
Home , 2013 UEFA Super Cup, Camp Nou, Chidozie Awaziem, Gabriel Torres, Mbark Boussoufa, Moussa Sow

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Everything you need to know about the teams competing in Russia this Summer. This 64-page guide will improve your knowledge of every team at this years World Cup from Argentina to Uruguay and every team in- between.

Totum Sport and Soccerex have worked tirelessly to bring you all the facts you need to know. The guide will focus on every country - giving you insight into which players are the one’s to watch, and all of the stats including the youngest and oldest players in every squad. We’ve even added in all of the information you need on the managers, the most capped and the top goalscorer.

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Russia Biography: Cherchesov will look to create a strong team spirit and get the best out of a squad that know each other very well as the vast majority play their domestic football in Russia. They will however be rusty; they have not participated in a competitive match since their exit from the group stage in the 2016 European Championships in . They will have home advantage and they will look to emulate South Korea’s exploits from 2002 as they exceeded all expectations.

Manager: Stanislav Cherchesov As a player, Cherchesov represented Russia as goalkeeper, he played for Russia and the 1994 and 2002 World Cups and also at 96. As a manager Cherchesov had success at his most recent club venture at , he guided the Polish capital club to a League and cup double in 2015-16 before departing his post to take up the Russian managerial post.

Top Scorer: Fydor Smolov Captain: Igor Akinfeev The Krasnodar striker boasts a 1 in 3 record The CSKA Moscow goalkeeper captains the host for Russia, scoring 12 in 30 appearances. In nation, the shot-stopper has represented Russia domestic football he has scored 52 times in 73 on 104 occasions and has won the Russian games for Krasnodar. with CSKA on 6 occasions.

Fixtures Russia V Saudi Arabia - 14/06 - 16:00 - Luzhniki Russia V Egypt - 19/06 - 19:00 - St Petersburg Stadium Uruguay V Russia - 25/06 - 15:00 - Samara Arena One to Watch: Aleksandr Golovin Let’s Crunch the Numbers... At just 21 years of age the CSKA Moscow is not the most experienced member of the Russian squad but he is amongst the most talented. His OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER impressive displays for CSKA Moscow have got Golovin noticed not only in Russia but across , he has represented CSKA Moscow 81 times in just 4 years and Russia 17 times.

38Sergi Ignasevich 120Sergei Ignasevich 20Fydor Chalov

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Egypt Biography: There were wild scenes on the streets of when scored a last minute penalty in front of 75,000 Egyptians as they sealed a 2-1 win over Congo to claim their place in Russia. This is Egypt’s third appearance on the World Cup stage previously appearing in 1934 and 1990. The team will be heavily reliant on Salah and it will be a race against the clock to get Salah fit in time for the World Cup after sustaining a shoulder injury against Real in the Champions League final.

Manager: Hector Cuper Hector Cuper is the man who will lead Egypt into the tournament. The former and Valencia manager has struck a balance of promising youngsters and ACON winners in his Egypt squad. The Argentinian favours a defensive approach but The Pharaohs have a star player in Mohamed Salah that will be the focal point in their attack.

Top Scorer: Mo Salah Captain: Essam El-Hadary Mo Salah has scored an incredible 33 The 45 year old Al Ahly Goalkeeper will goals in 57 caps. represent Egypt as captain.

Fixtures Egypt V Uruguay -15/06 - 13:00 - Ekaterinburg Arena One to Watch: Mo Salah Russia V Egypt - 19/06 - 19:00 - St Petersburg Stadium Salah has set the Premier League on fire this year with a record breaking 32 Saudi Arabia - 25/06 - 15:00 - Samara Arena goals, claiming the golden boot in the process. His pace and tricks have got the better of most teams in the Premier League and Europe and he will be looking to cause problems on the national stage. Let’s Crunch the Numbers...

OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER

45Essam El-Hadary 156Essam El-Hadary 21Ramadan Sobhi

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Saudi Arabia Biography: Saudi Arabia have been regulars at World Cup Finals in recent history. The Green Falcons qualified for four consecutive tournaments from 1994 to 2006 – making the last 16 in 1994. They have missed out on the last 2 World Cups but make their return this summer.

Manager: Juan Pizzi Pizzi and his Saudi Arabia squad more than earned their spot in the finals, finishing above Australia in qualifying. Pizzi guided Chile to their second Copa America championship in 2016, beating the likes of Argentina, Mexico and Colombia along the way. Pizzi resigned from the Chile National Team coach after Chile failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Top Scorer: Mohammand Al-Sahlawi Captain: Osama Hawsawi Mohammand Al-Sahlawi – The Al-Nassr The Mecca born defender will captain the Saudi forward has 28 goals in 38 appearances for Arabian team in Russia. He has represented Saudi Arabia. He also boasts an impressive 102 Saudia Arabia 134 times, scoring 7 times, goals in 174 games for his club side. including once in qualifying.

Fixtures Saudi Arabia V Russia - 14/06 - 16:00 - Saudi Arabia V Uruguay - 20/06 - 16:00 - Central Stadium Yekaterinburg Saudi Arabia v Egypt - 25/06 - 15:00 - Volograd Arena One to Watch: Osama Hawsawi Let’s Crunch the Numbers... Few players in the whole World Cup competition possess the kind of international experience of Saudi Arabia captan Osama Hawsawi. The Al-Hilal OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER defender has been an ever present for Saudia Arabia since making his debut in 2007, amassing 134 caps in the process. His calming influence in the back line will be key for Saudi Arabia.

34Osama Hawsawi 134Osama Hawsawi Abdullah21 Al-Khaibari

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Uruguay Biography: Uruguay are a nation with a real history with the World Cup. They were the first ever hosts of the first World Cup competition in 1930, where they also won the competition. With Godin steadying up their back line and the threat of Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani up top they will cause a lot of teams problems.

Manager: Oscar Taberez Taberez is the longest serving manager in the World Cup, having been in charge of Uruguay since 2006. He delivered success in 2011, brining the Copa America to Uruguay.

Top Scorer: Luis Suarez Captain: Diego Godin Suarez boasts an impressive 50 goals in 97 Godin is a rock at the back for Uruguay and club appearances for Uruguay. side Atletico Madrid. Godin won the Copa America with Uruguay in 2011 and was an integral part of the Atletico Madrid side that won in the 2013-14 season. He recently captained Atletico to a 3-0 win over Marseille in the 2017-18 Europa League final, being named in the UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season in the process.

Fixtures Egypt v Uruguay - 15/06 - 13:00 - Ekaterinburg Arena Uruguay v Saudi Arabia - 20/06 - 16:00 - Rostov Arena Uruguay v Russia - 25/06 - 15:00 - Samara Arena

Let’s Crunch the Numbers...

OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER One to Watch: Luis Suarez Since moving from Liverpool in 2014, Luis Suarez has scored 110 goals in 130 appearances for . His 25 goals in 33 appearances this season has helped Barcelona to the La Liga title and Copa Del Rey double. His last World Cup ended on a real negative note as he was handed a lengthy FIFA ban for a bite on Giorgio Chiellini. He will be desperate to make the headlines for the right Martin Silva Maxi Pereira Rodrigo Bentancur reasons in Russia. 35 124 21

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Iran Biography: This is the first time in their history that Iran have made back-to-back World Cups. They were the third team to qualify for the competition after Russia and Brazil. They were renowned for being hard to break down in the 2014 World Cup, a last minute wonder goal denied Iran a famous 0-0 draw. They also held Nigeria to a 0-0 draw.

Manager: Carlos Queiroz Former Manchester United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz has been in charge of the Iranian national side since 2011. He has done a fantastic job having earned qualification to the World Cup with two games to spare in a group that included South Korea, China and Syria.

Top Scorer: Reza Ghoochannejhad Captain: Masoud Shojaei The Heerenveen centre forward hasn’t been The Iranian captain comes fresh off the back hitting on all cylinders in the Eredivisie this year, of a successful 2017-18 campaign as his AEK scoring 8 times in 33 appearances. For Iran his side were crowned Greek Superleague record stands as 17 goals in 41 appearances. champions.

Fixtures v Iran - 15/06 - 16:00 - Saint Petersburg Stadium Iran V - 20/06 - 19:00 - Kazan Arena Iran V Portugal - 25/06 - 19:00 - Mordovia Arena One to Watch: Sardar Azmoun Let’s Crunch the Numbers... Sardar Azmoun – The 23 year-old plies his trade in Russia with Rubin Kazan. He has struggled for goals in Russia this season but he averages a goal in every 140 OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER minutes for Iran, scoring 11 times in qualifying.

34Pejman Motazeri 92Eshan Hajsafi 19Saeid Ezatolahi

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Morocco Biography: Morocco went unbeaten throughout qualification without conceding a goal in a group that included Ivory Coast, and Mali. Morocco will go into the World Cup full of confidence.

Manager: Herve Renard Renard has pedigree in international African football, having lead Zambia and Ivory Coast to Africa Cup of Nations Championships. Renard lead Morocco through an unbeaten World Cup qualifying campaign.

Top Scorer: Captain: El Kaabi posseses an impressive 10 goals Benatia is the most notable name in the in 8 appearances for Morocco. Morrocan squad, the Juventus Centre back has won two titles with The Old Lady as well as two titles during his time at Bayern Munich. He has represented Morocco 54 times.

Fixtures Morocco v Iran - 15/06 - 16:00 - Saint Petersburg Stadium Portugal V Morocco - 20/06 - 13:00 Spain V Morocco - 25/06 - 19:00 - Kaliningrad Stadium

Let’s Crunch the Numbers...

OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER One to Watch: Ajax may not have won the Eredvisie this year but the success of Ziyech will go down as one of the positives for Ajax. The tricky midfielder netted 9 times and assisted 15 times for Ajax in 34 appearances. Watch out for Ziyech’s free kicks as he is a master. 33Mbark Boussoufa Mbark56 Boussoufa 19Achraf Hakimi

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Portugal Biography: When you think of Portugal, one name comes to mind – Cristiano Ronal- do. Ronaldo is the Portugal captain, Top Scorer and most capped player going into the World Cup. Winners in their last major international tour- nament, Euro 2016, Portugal have assembled a more talented squad to surround Ronaldo after the emergence of young talent such as Bernardo Silva, William Carvalho and Andre Gomes.

Manager: Fernando Santos born Santos led Portugal to an unexpected Euro 2016 victory, defeating hosts France in the final, Portugal went undefeated throughout the whole tournament. He managed Porto to the in 1998/99 and then won the Greek cup with AEK Athens in 2001/02.

Top Scorer: Cristiano Ronaldo Captain: Cristiano Ronaldo Ronaldo is Portugal’s all-time top scorer, scoring Ronaldo will once again lead Portugal out 81 goals in 149 games for Portugal as captain after leading them to glory in the European Championships in France in 2016.

Fixtures Portugal V Spain - 15/06 - 19:00 - Fisht Portugal V Morocco - 20/06 - 13:00 - Luzhniki Stadium Iran V Portugal - 25/06 - 19:00 - Mordovia Arena One to Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo Let’s Crunch the Numbers... Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal were heavily reliable on Ronaldo and Andre Silva during their qualifying campaign with 15 and 9 goals respectively. Ronaldo has OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER a better than a 1 goal to games to ratio for Real Madrid in the 2016/17 season, scoring 41 times in 39 appearances in La Liga and Europe. The explosive forward is the most dangerous player and the one to watch for Portugal.

36Bruno Alves 149Cristiano Ronaldo 21Ruben Dias

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Spain Biography: Spain have left big names such as Alvaro Morata, Marcos Alonso, Cesc Fabregas out of their squad. They struggled in Brazil 4 years ago but qual- ified for Russia with ease, winning 9 out of 10 matches and scoring 36 goals in the process. Their midfield oozes class and quality with Iniesta, David Silva, Koke and Busquests. They may find goals a problem with Diego Costa and Lucas Vazquez struggling domestically this season.

Manager: Julen Lopetegui Lopetegui has managed Spain’s national team at all levels from the under 19’s squad. He won the 2012 UEFA European Championship with the under 19 squad and the 2013 UEFA European Championship with the Under 21 squad. He will be hoping to replicate these success’ in Russia with the first team.

Top Scorer: David Silva Captain: The Manchester City man is by and far The Real Madrid centre back took over from Spain’s top scorer in the squad with 35 Iker Casillas’ captaincy in 2016. Ramos boasts goals. His next challenger is Andres Iniesta an impressive honours list winning La Liga on 4 on 14 goals and Sergio Ramos on 13 goals. occasions, Champions League 4 times, the Copa Del Rey twice and one World Cup. He will be hoping to follow in Casillas’ footsteps and captain Spain to a World Cup championship in Russia.

Fixtures Portugal V Spain - 15/06 - 19:00 - Fisht Olympic Stadium Iran V Spain - 20/06 - 19:00 - Kazan Arena Spain V Morocco - 25/06 - 19:00 - Kaliningrad Stadium

Let’s Crunch the Numbers...

OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER One to Watch: Andres Iniesta Andres Iniesta – Iniesta enters the World Cup having completing his final season at Barcelona. The Fuentealbilla born centre midfielder helped Barcelona to a La Liga and Copa Del Rey in his final season at . Iniesta won the World Cup with Spain in 2010 and domestically has won 9 La Liga titles, 6 Copa Del Rey’s and 4 Champions League’s in his time with Barcelona. 35Pepe Reina 151Sergio Ramos 22Marco Asensio

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Australia Biography: Australia scraped through to the finals as they defeated Honduras in the play-offs. Australia will feature in their 5th World Cup when they play in World Cup 2018. Watch out for key players such as Tom Rogic, Mathew Leckie and Aaron Mooy.

Manager: Bert Van Marwijk Van Marwijk is new to the Australia job. He has formerly managed clubs such as and , winning the UEFA cup with Feyenoord. He also led the Dutch national team to the 2010 World Cup Final.

Top Scorer: Tim Cahill Captain: Mile Jedinak Cahill has scored 50 goals in 105 appearances for The Aston Villa midfielder captains Australia Australia. for the 2018 World Cup. Jedinak has represented Australia on 75 appearances, scoring 18 times.

Fixtures France V Australia - 16/06 - 11:00 - Kazan Arena Denmark V Australia - 21/06 - 13:00 - Samara Arena Australia V Peru - 26/06 - 15:00 - Fisht Olympic Stadium One to Watch: Tom Rogic Let’s Crunch the Numbers... The Celtic midfielder has had a memorable season at Celtic Park as he helped Celtic on the way to a Scottish treble, scoring 5 goals in 21 appearances, OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER including a late winner against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup Final. Rogic has fantastic technical ability and is renowned for his long range strikes.

38Tim Cahill 105Tim Cahill 19Daniel Arzani

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Denmark Biography: Denmark qualified for Russia having beating the Republic of Ireland in the European play-offs with a stunning hat-trick from . The Danish have never progressed past the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Eriksen is the main figure for Denmark but they also have a solid spine with , Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Simon Kjaer.

Manager: Age Hareide Hareide has managed Denmark since 2016. As Manager he has pedigree in the Scandinavian leagues, winning the Danish Superleague with Brondby, Norwegian Tippeligaen with Rosenborg and the Swedish with Malmo and Helingborgs.

Top Scorer: Nicklas Bendtner Captain: Simon Kjaer Nicklas Bendtner – The former Arsenal, The Sevilla Centre Back leads Denmark into the World Birmingham and Sunderland man, now at Cup. He’s represented Denmark on 76 occasions. Norwegian side Rosenborg has scored 30 goals for Denmark in 81 appearances.

Fixtures Peru V Denmark - 16/06 - 17:00 - Mordovia Arena Denmark V Australia - 21/06 - 13:00 - Samara Arena Denmark V France - 26/06 - 15:00 - Luzhniki Stadium

Let’s Crunch the Numbers...

OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER One to Watch: Cristian Eriksen Cristian Eriksen – The Tottenham man comes into the World Cup in fine form, having helped guide Tottenham to a 3rd place finish in the English Premier League, scoring 10 times and assisting 10 times in 37 appearances. For Denmark, Eriksen scored 11 times in the qualifying campaign, including a hat-trick at Croke Park against the Republic of Ireland. Michael35 Krohn-Delhi Nicklas81 Bendtner 20Kasper Dolberg

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: France Biography: France reached the final of Euro 2016 and disappointedly lost to Portu- gal. France have a squad of extraordinary quality and depth. In midfield they have N’Golo Kante, Blaise Matuidi and pulling the strings whilst Antoine Greizmann and Kylian Mbappe will be a danger for all defences.

Manager: Didier Deschamps Deschamps has been in charge of France since 2012. He led France to the final of Euro 2016. At club level he has managed Juventus, Monaco and Marseille.

Top Scorer: Oliver Giroud Captain: Hugo Lloris The Chelsea forward has netted 30 times in 71 Lloris has enjoyed a successful season at appearances for France. He scored twice in a Tottenham, leading them to third place in the World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg in March Premier League. The former Lyon man has 2017 which moved him into France’s top 10 all represented France 96 times. time goalscorers.

Fixtures France V Australia - 16/06 - 11:00 - Kazan Arena France V Peru - 21/06 - 16:00 - Ekaterinburg Arena Denmark V France - 26/06 - 15:00 - Luzhniki Stadium One to Watch: Let’s Crunch the Numbers... Griezmann most recently scored 2 goals to guide Atletico Madrid to a 3-0 Europa League final victory over Marseille. The 27-year-old has netted 29 times for Atletico OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER in 48 appearances. His pace, skill and technique will cause headaches for teams in Group C and beyond.

33Steve Mandanda 96Hugo Lloris Ousmane21 Dembele

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Peru Biography: This will be Peru’s 5th World Cup but their first since 1982. Under Ricar- do Gareca they’ve proved to be a good tournament team, reaching the semi-final of the Copa America in 2015. They performed a scalp in the 2017 Copa America as they knocked Brazil out of the competition. They tend to sit deep and try to catch teams on the counter.

Manager: Ricardo Gareca Gareca has managed the national team since 2015. As club manager Gareca has won the Argenine Primera Division 3 times with Velez Sarsfield.

Top Scorer: Jefferson Farfan Captain: Alberto Rodriguez The former Schalke man has scored 24 The 34-year-old centre-back is also the oldest player goals in 81 appearances for Peru. in Peru squad. He has represented the national side 57 times. He had stints in Portugal with Braga, Sporting Lisbon and Rio Ave. He now plays for Colombian side Atletico Junior.

Fixtures Peru V Denmark - 16/06 - 17:00 - Mordovia Arena France V Peru - 21/06 - 16:00 - Ekaterinburg Arena Australia V Peru - 26/06 - 15:00 - Fisht Olympic Stadium

Let’s Crunch the Numbers...

OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER One to Watch: Jefferson Farfan Farfan boasts an impressive goal scoring record throughout multiple European leagues. He amassed 57 goals in 118 appearances for PSV Eindhoven, 39 goals in 170 appearances for Schalke and just last season scored 10 goals in 22 games for Lokomotiv Moscow – who were crowned champions. At the age of 33, he still knows where the back of the net is. Alberto34 Rodriguez 81Jefferson Farfan 22Luis Abram

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Argentina Biography: Argentina haven’t had the best of times in recent international tourna- ments. The lost the 2014 to Germany and lost the 2015 and 2016 Copa America finals to Chile. Argentina have some great players in the peak of their career and they will be disappointed with anything other than a World Cup win. Star players include Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Paulo Dybala, Angel Di Maria and .

Manager: Jorge Sampoali Sampoali took charge of Argentina in 2017. He guided Chile to the 2015 Copa America with a win over Argentina in the final. He then moved onto Sevilla where his team beat Real Madrid 2-1, ending a record 40-match unbeaten streak for Real Madrid.

Top Scorer: Lionel Messi Captain: Lionel Messi Messi has scored 61 goals for Argentina in 123 Messi will lead Argentina out at the World Cup appearances. in Russia

Fixtures Argentina V Iceland - 16/06 - 14:00 - Spartak Stadium Argentina v Croatia - 21/06 - 19:00 - Nizhny Novgorod Stadium Nigeria v Argentina - 26/06 - 19:00 - Saint Petersburg Stadium One to Watch: Lionel Messi Let’s Crunch the Numbers... The Barcelona forward has won it all in world football, however, one trophy alludes him – the World Cup. At the age of 30 Messi will possibly see this as his last OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER big opportunity to lift the biggest international cup. He has been in fine form this season, helping Barcelona to a La Liga and Copa Del Rey double, scoring 45 goals in 54 appearances.

36Willy Caballero 142Javier Mascherano Lautaro20 Martinez

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Croatia Biography: This will be Croatia’s 5th world cup, their best finish was a 3rd place finish at France 1998. They are a well-balanced team, in the back line they pos- sess Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren and Atletico Madrid’s Sime Vrsalijko, they have a formidable centre midfield pairing of Real Madrid’s Luka Modric and Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic and a powerful striker in Mario Mandzukic up top.

Manager: Zlatko Dalic Dalic took the reins of the Croatian national team, replacing Ante Cacic. Dalic took charge of Croatia’s World Cup play-off against Greece, where Croatia won 4-1 on aggregate to book their place in Russia.

Top Scorer: Mario Mandzukic Captain: Luka Modric Mandzukic has scored on 30 occasions in 82 Modric will wear the captain’s armband for appearances for Croatia. In domestic football he Croatia in the World Cup. has scored a total of 202 goals in 501 appearances, during this time he’s won domestic league titles on 8 occasions with Dinamo Zagreb, Bayern Munich and Juventus.

Fixtures Croatia v Nigeria - 16/06 - 20:00 - Kaliningrad Stadium Argentina v Croatia - 21/06 - 19:00 - Nizhny Novgorod Stadium Iceland v Croatia - 26/06 - 19:00 - Rostov Arena

Let’s Crunch the Numbers...

OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER One to Watch: Luka Modric Real Madrid’s midfield maestro will be Croatia’s star of the show at the World Cup. Modric is a diminutive midfielder, a quick and creative playermaker with an eye for a pass. In Real Madrid colours Modric has won 4 Champions Leagues and one La Liga. 33Danijel Subasic 104Luka Modric 21Duje Caleta-Car

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Iceland Biography: Iceland are the smallest country to qualify for the World Cup, not just World Cup 2018 but any World Cup, with a population of 335,000. The previous smallest nation was Trinidad & Tobago which had a population of just 1.3 million. Iceland exceeded expectations at the European Cham- pionships in 2016, reaching the quarter finals and knocking out England in the process.

Manager: Heimar Hallgrimsson Heimar Hallgrimsson took over Iceland in 2013, in this time he’s led Iceland to their first European Championships tournament and also their first World Cup.

Top Scorer: Gylfi Sigurdsson Captain: Aron Gunnarsson Since making his debut against Andorra in The Cardiff City midfielder will captain May 2010 Sigurdsson has scored 18 goals in 55 Iceland in their first ever World Cup venture. appearances for Iceland. The most important Gunnarsson has had a successful season goals came against the Netherlands in the UEFA with Cardiff City as he won promotion to the Euro 2016 qualifying match, he scored both English Premier League. goals as Iceland defeated the Netherlands 2-0 in Reykjavík.

Fixtures Argentina V Iceland - 16/06 - 14:00 - Spartak Stadium Nigeria v Iceland - 22/06 - 16:00 - Volgograd Arena Iceland v Croatia - 26/06 - 19:00 - Rostov Arena One to Watch: Gylfi Sigurdsson Let’s Crunch the Numbers... The Everton attacking midfielder is the focal point of the Icelandic attack. Sigurdsson is best known for his technical ability, crossing, long range shooting and OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER also as a free kick specialist.

35 Kari Arnason Birkir78 Mar Saevarsson Albert20 Gudmundsson

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Nigeria Biography: At the 2014 World Cup Nigeria reached the knockout stages for the first time since 1998, succumbing to a 2-0 defeat to France. Nigeria possess a fast-paced attack in Odion Igalho, and . and will provide some much needed steel and protection to the back 4 whilst they can rely on and on the wings. Manager: The German is most recognised for guiding Bordeaux to the 1996 UEFA Cup final, where his side succumbed to a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich over 2 legs. More recently he led Nigeria to become the first African team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Top Scorer: Ahmed Musa Captain: John Obi Mikel The pacey striker has scored 6 times in 8 matches Mikel was a key player for Nigeria as they were whilst on loan at CSKA Moscow from Leicester victorious in the 2013 African Cup of Nations City. He has won the Russian Premier League with where he was also named in the team of the CSKA Moscow 3 times. He scored twice at the 2014 tournament. The Tianjin Teda holding midfielder World Cup with both goals coming against finalists scored and assisted in a qualification match as Argentina in a 3-2 defeat. He has scored a total of 13 Nigeria beat Algeria 3-1. goals in 70 games for Nigeria.

Fixtures Croatia v Nigeria - 16/06 - 20:00 - Kaliningrad Stadium Nigeria v Iceland - 22/06 - 16:00 - Volgograd Arena Nigeria v Argentina - 26/06 - 19:00 - Saint Petersburg Stadium

Let’s Crunch the Numbers...

OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER One to Watch: Victor Moses At Chelsea Moses has been deployed as a wing back after starting his career further forward. He signed for Chelsea from Wigan Athletic and impressed at loan spells at Liverpool, Stoke City and West Ham. Moses returned to the Chelsea squad for the 2016-17 season where he made 28 appearances in a season that saw Chelsea crowned Champions of England. Moses is renowned for his rapid pace and trickery. 31Daniel Akpeyi 82John Obi Mikel Chidozie21 Awaziem

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Brazil Biography: 2014 was a World Cup to forget for Brazil, they exited the tournament at the semi-final stage after a 7-1 defeat from Germany. Brazil were the first team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, including a memorable 3-0 win over Argentina. Since Tite took the reins of Brazil they have won 13, drew 3 and lost only one game. Brazil will be an exciting team to watching, having a wealth of attacking options at their disposal – , Gabriel Jesus, Firmino and Willian.

Manager: Adenor Bacchi (Tite) Tite replaced Dunga as Brazil manager in June 2016. In his first game in a World Cup Qualifier he led Brazil to a 3-0 win over Ecuador. He then led Brazil to seven consecutive victories in qualifying, making Brazil the first team to qualify for the tournament, apart from the hosts.

Top Scorer: Neymar Captain: Thiago Silva The PSG forward has scored 53 times in 83 Thiago Silva joins the Brazil squad having had a appearances in the yellow of Brazil. successful season at Saint-Germain as they won the domestic treble - Championship, Coupe De France and . Silva has represented Brazil on 69 occasions, scoring 5 times.

Fixtures Brazil v Switzerland - 17/06 - 19:00 - Rostov Arena Brazil v Costa Rica - 22/06 - 13:00 - Saint Petersburg Stadium Serbia v Brazil - 27/06 -19:00 - Spartak Stadium One to Watch: Neymar Jr. Let’s Crunch the Numbers... The world’s most expensive player will definitely be Brazil’s one to watch at the World Cup. His pace, skills and technique makes the PSG Forward one of the most OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER exciting players at the tournaments. With a better than 1 in 2 goals to games ratio you can expect Neymar to be amongst the goals in the Russia.

33 João Miranda 83Neymar 21Gabriel Jesus

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Costa Rica Biography: With a population of just 4.85 million, Costa Rica are one of the smallest nations competing at the World Cup. They punched above their weight in the last World Cup and reached the quarter-finals, narrowly missing out on penalties against the Netherlands. This will be Costa Rica’s fifth World Cup appearance and Bryan Ruiz will be their main attacking threat, alongside Joel Campbell.

Manager: Oscar Ramirez Ramirez was appointed as ’s assistant for the Costa Rica national team in August 2015, however, just a week later Ramirez was appointed as the head coach. In his playing days he was a midfielder and accumulated 316 appearances for Alajuelense.

Top Scorer: Bryan Ruiz Captain: Bryan Ruiz Ruiz has scored 23 times in 109 appearances for Bryan Ruiz will also captain Costa Rica in the Costa Rica. World Cup.

Fixtures Costa Rica v Serbia - 17/06 - 13:00 - Samara Arena Brazil v Costa Rica - 22/06 - 13:00 - Saint Petersburg Stadium Switzerland v Costa Rica - 27/07 - 19:00 - Nizhny Novgorod Stadium

Let’s Crunch the Numbers...

OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER One to Watch: Bryan Ruiz The Sporting Lisbon attacking midfielder debuted for Costa Rica in 2005, in a friendly game against China. He was named in the 2014 World Cup Squad and he scored in a memorable 1-0 shock win over Italy. You can expect Ruiz to play just behind the striker, pulling the strings in attacking midfield. Patrick34 Pemberton 110Celso Borges Ronald23 Matarrita

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Serbia Biography: Serbia’s last appearance at the World Cup came in 2010, where they finished bottom of Group D, they did however record an impressive 1-0 win against semi-finalists Germany. Serbia eased their way through their qualifying group that contained Ireland, Wales and Austria, scoring 20 goals in the process with Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic leading the scor- ing with 6 goals. Serbia have quite a strong spine with Branislav Ivanovic in defence, Nemanja Matic, Milinkovic-Savic In the centre of midfield and Mitrovic up top. Look out for Andrija Zivkovic, the Benfica right-midfielder is one for the future but may excite if given the chance in Russia.

Manager: Mladen Krstajic Krstajic replaced Slavolijub Muslin as head coach initially as in October 2017. It has been announced that he will take the role on permanently until the World Cup at least.

Top Scorer: Aleksandar Mitrovic Captain: Aleksandar Kolorov The Fulham striker has scored 13 goals in just 35 The Roma left back will captain Serbia at the World appearances for Serbia. He had a great season Cup. He had a good season domestically, reaching the domestically, helping Fulham to the Premier Champions League semi-final with Roma, knocking out League. In qualifying he scored 6 times. Barcelona on the way. He has represented Serbia on 74 occasions, scoring 10 times. Watch out for his powerful, swerving long range efforts..

Fixtures Costa Rica v Serbia - 17/06 - 13:00 - Samara Arena Serbia v Switzerland - 22/06 - 19:00 - Kaliningrad Stadium Serbia v Brazil - 27/06 - 19:00 - Spartak Stadium One to Watch: Sergej Milinkovic-Savic Let’s Crunch the Numbers... The Lazio midfielder is known as ‘The General’ in Italy. He has had an excellent season for Lazio with his ability to dictate the tempo of the game and break up play. If he replicates this OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER form for Serbia then they will be a very hard outfit to break down.

Vladimir34 Stojkovic 102Branislav Ivanovic 20Niko Milenkovic

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Switzerland Biography: Switzerland last won a knockout game in a World Cup in 1954, in a group play-off as host nation. They’ve never got past the last 16, something that they’re desperate to change. They have a well-balanced team with Som- mer in goal, Lichtsteiner in defence, the skills and technique of Shaqiri in midfield and the pace and power of up front.

Manager: Vladmir Petkovic Bosnian Petkovic took charge of Switzerland in 2014, replacing . He led Switzerland to 9 straight wins in qualifying and overcame Northern Ireland in the World Cup play off to reach Russia.

Top Scorer: Captain: Stephan Lichtsteiner Switzerland’s main man is also their top scorer with The Adilgenswil born Right Back will lead out 20 goals in 68 games. Switzerland at the World Cup. He plays his domestic football for Juventus where he has won 7 Serie A titles in a row.

Fixtures Brazil v Switzerland - 17/06 - 19:00 - Rostov Arena Serbia v Switzerland - 22/06 - 19:00 - Kaliningrad Stadium Switzerland v Costa Rica - 27/07 - 19:00 - Nizhny Novgorod Stadium

One to Watch: Xherdan Shaqiri Let’s Crunch the Numbers... The Stoke City attacking midfielder may have been relegated with Stoke City last season MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER but he is a vital part of the Swiss set up. He boasts an impressive scoring record for OLDEST PLAYER Switzerland with 20 goals in 68 appearances. Shaqiri’s vision and trickery will cause problems for defences in Russia. He appeared for Switzerland in the 2014 World Cup where he won the man of the match accolade in their opener against Ecuador. He then ensured Switzerland reached the last 16 when he scored a hat-trick against Honduras. He scored the one goal in qualifying in a 2-0 win over Faroe Islands. Stephan34 Lichtsteiner Stephan98 Lichtsteiner 21Nico Elvedi

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Germany Biography: The current champions will look to retain their title at the 2018 World Cup and with the quality of their squad they have a great chance of doing just that. Germany went unbeaten in all games in 2017 and recorded 10 wins in 10 in qualifying. They have already collected one trophy in Russia, win- ning last year’s Confederations Cup. With the goals of Thomas Muller, the creativity in midfield of Ozil, Sane, Kroos and a stern defence of Boateng, Hummels, Kimmich and Neuer Germany will be amongst the favourites to lift the World Cup once again.

Manager: Joachim Low Low was Jurgen Kilnsmann’s assistant during the 2006 World Cup, after the tournament he took the reins of the national side and has overseen great progress which resulted in Germany lift the 2014 World Cup.

Top Scorer: Thomas Muller Captain: With 38 goals in 90 appearances the Bayern The Bayern Munich goalkeeper has played 74 times for Munich striker is Germany’s talisman. He scored 5 Germany and won the World Cup with them in 2014. times in Germany’s 2014 World Cup win including Domestically he has won 6 Bundesliga titles and one a hat-trick against Portugal. Champions league with Bayern Munich. He is regarded throughout the world as one of the best in between the sticks.

Fixtures Germany v Mexico - 17/06 - 16:00 - Luzhniki Stadium Germany v Sweden - 23/06 - 19:00 - Fisht Olympic Stadium South Korea v Germany - 27/06 - 15:00 - Kazan Arena One to Watch: Let’s Crunch the Numbers... Kroos burst onto the scene at Bayern Munich in 2007 and won his first domestic title at the age of only 18. Since then he won another two Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich along OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER with a Champions League in 2012-13. The German moved to Real Madrid in 2014 where success has continued, with Kroos winning the Champions League three times and La Liga once. Kroos will keep the Germany team ticking from midfield with his eye for a pass and intelligence of the game.

32Mario Gomez 90Thomas Muller 22Julian Brandt

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Mexico Biography: Despite playing at the last six World Cups, Mexico have failed to get past the round of the last 16. The Mexicans impressed last time out in Brazil and have had a great qualifying campaign, finishing top of their group for the first time since 1997. They’ll play attacking football and will rely on the pace of Hrving Lozano and the goals of Javier Hernandez.

Manager: Juan Carlos Osorio Renowned for his detailed tactics and quick attacking football. He took charge of Mexico in 2015 and guided them to the World Cup 2018 with 21 points in qualifying, meaning Mexico finished at the top of the qualification table for the first time since 1997.

Top Scorer: Javier Hernandez Captain: Andres Guardado Chicharito has an impressive 49 goals in 100 games The Real Betis winger helped his side to a for Mexico. respectable 6th place finish in La Liga last season, finishing two points and one place above city rivals Sevilla, which delighted Los Verdiblancos fans. He has represented Mexico 144 times, scoring on 25 occasions.

Fixtures Germany v Mexico - 17/06 - 16:00 - Luzhniki Stadium South Korea v Mexico - 23/06 - 16:00 - Rostov Arena Mexico v Sweden - 27/06 - 15:00 - Ekaterinburg Arena

One to Watch: Javier Hernandez Let’s Crunch the Numbers... The West Ham forward boasts an impressive 1 in 2 goals to games ratio for Mexico, scoring MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER 49 goals in 100 games. The Mexican grabs the majority of goals in the box. Domestically he OLDEST PLAYER has won the Premier League with Manchester United twice and the FIFA World Club Cup with Real Madrid in 2014.

39Rafael Marquez 144Andres Guardado 22Hrving Lozano

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: South Korea Biography: South Korea have featured at every World Cup since 2006. They shocked the world at the 2002 finals, which were held in South Korea and Japan when they reached the semi-finals. They scraped through qualifying fol- lowing a 0-0 draw with Uzbekistan and Syria failing to beat Iran. A lot of pressure will be on Tottenham’s Son Heung-Min for goals.

Manager: Shin Tae-Yong Having managed South Korea at Under 23 and Under 20 level Tae-Yong was given the task of managing the senior team in 2017. In domestic football he has managed Seongnam Ihwa Chunma to one AFC Champions League victory in 2010. Top Scorer: Son Heung-Min Captain: Ki Sung-Yeung The Spurs winger has scored 20 in 63 games for The Swansea midfielder didn’t have the best of seasons South Korea. as his side were relegated from the Premier League. Ki has a calming influencing in midfield, dictates play and has excellent passing ability. Ki played in all 3 matches for South Korea in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Fixtures Sweden v South Korea - 18/06 - 13:00 - Nizhny Novgorod Stadium South Korea v Mexico - 23/06 - 16:00 - Rostov Arena South Korea v Germany - 27/06 - 15:00 - Kazan Arena One to Watch: Son Heung-Min Let’s Crunch the Numbers... The Tottenham winger has had a fantastic season as he helped Spurs to an FA Cup Semi- final and 3rd place in the Premier League table. He was voted as the Asian Footballer of year OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER for 2017 and scored 7 goals in South Korea’s World Cup qualifying campaign, including a hat-trick against Laos. The pacey, tricky winger has proven a nightmare for Premier League defences this season and he’ll hope to carry this form on for South Korea.

31Lee Yong 99Ki Sung-Yeung 20Lee Seung-Woo

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Sweden Biography: After overcoming favourites Italy in the play-offs, Sweden qualified for their first World Cup since 2006. This will be the first international tour- nament that Sweden have competed in since the retirement of their star striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovich. They will be heavily reliant on Emil Forsberg for his creativity and Marcus Berg for his goals.

Manager: Janne Andersson Took charge following Euro 2016, he’s managed to successfully build a team without star striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovich. He led Sweden to the World Cup after finishing second in Group A and beating Italy 1-0 in the play-offs.

Top Scorer: Marcus Berg Captain: Andreas Granqvist The Al Ain striker has scored 18 times in 55 Following the retirement of Zlatan Ibrahimovich, appearances for Sweden. Granqvist was named as the Sweden captain in 2016. The defender has represented Sweden 70 times, scoring 6 goals.

Fixtures Sweden v South Korea - 18/06 - 13:00 - Nizhny Novgorod Stadium Germany v Sweden - 23/06 - 19:00 - Fisht Olympic Stadium Mexico v Sweden - 27/06 - 15:00 - Ekaterinburg Arena

One to Watch: Emil Forsberg Let’s Crunch the Numbers... The Red Bull Leipzig winger went down in the club’s history as he scored the clubs first MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER ever Champions League goal in their first ever match against Monaco. The winger is a key OLDEST PLAYER part of the Swedish attack, scoring three times in qualifying. Forsberg’s excellent technical ability and athleticism has been key for Sweden in getting to the World Cup. He’s a superb passer of the ball and demonstrates sublime vision.

31Ola Toivonen Sebastian98 Larsson 23Victor Lindelof

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Belgium Biography: Belgium are a side of exceptional individual talent but they have failed to get past the quarter final stage in their whole history. Roberto Martinez will be aiming to go all of the way with the plethora of stars he has availa- ble at his disposable. With Mertens, Hazard and De Bruyne playing be- hind Lukaku we can expect plenty of chances and therefore goals. There could be issues in defence as has become injury prone over the last few years, but with and as back-ups they will be in good hands.

Manager: Roberto Martinez The former Everton & Wigan manager took charge of Belgium in 2016. Martinez’ Belgium side were the first European side to qualify to the World Cup after a 2-1 win over Greece. His finest moment as manager came in 2013, when his Wigan side upset the odds and beat Manchester City to win the FA Cup.

Top Scorer: Captain: The Manchester United forward leads the scoring The Chelsea attacking midfielder scored the winner charts for Belgium with 30 goals in 63 games. as Chelsea won the FA Cup last season. He boasts an impressive 1 in 4 goals to game ratio for Belgium, scoring 21 goals in 81 games. He notched 6 goals in qualifying.

Fixtures Belgium v - 18/06 - 16:00 - Fisht Olympic Stadium Belgium v Tunisia - 23/06 - 13:00 - Spartak Stadium England v Belgium - 28/06 - 19:00 - Kaliningrad Stadium One to Watch: Let’s Crunch the Numbers... Since his impressive performance at the 2014 World Cup he has grown into one of the best attacking in the world. De Bruyne was a key player in the Manchester City team OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER that won the Premier League on a record breaking 100 points. He was named Manchester City’s player of the year and included in the Premier League and Champions League team of the year. De Bruyne accumulated 16 assists in 37 appearances for Manchester City last season along with scoring 8 goals.

Thomas32 Vermaelen 99Jan Vertonghen 21Youri Tielemans

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: England Biography: England have not had the best of times at their last two major interna- tional tournaments, exiting the 2014 World Cup at the group stage and losing to Iceland in the round of 16 at Euro 2016. Gareth Southgate will be taking a young squad to Russia and they will heavily rely on Harry Kane for goals.

Manager: Gareth Southgate After 3 years as manager of Middlesbrough, Southgate moved to manage the England Under 21 squad. He recorded an impressive 81.8% record with the Under 21 squad, winning 27 times out of 33 games. When Sam Allardyce left the England post Southgate was appointed as the new England manager.

Top Scorer: Danny Welbeck Captain: Harry Kane The Arsenal forward has scoffed 15 times in 37 Kane was named as captain for England at the appearances for England. end of the Premier League season.

Fixtures Tunisia v England - 18/06 - 19:00 - Volgograd Arena England v Panama - 24/06 - 13:00 - Nizhny Novgorod Stadium England v Belgium - 28/06 - 19:00 - Kaliningrad Stadium

One to Watch: Harry Kane Let’s Crunch the Numbers... The Tottenham striker once again improved on his impressive goal tally, scoring 30 goals in MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER 37 appearances in the Premier League. This followed seasons where he has netted 21, 25 OLDEST PLAYER and 29 times for Spurs. The talisman has represented England on 23 occasions, scoring 12 times. Kane made his debut for England and scored in just 80 seconds after coming on for Wayne Rooney in a victory over Lithuania.

32Ashley Young 58Gary Cahill 19Trent Alexander-Arnold

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Panama Biography: This will be Panama’s first ever appearance at the World Cup, they achieved an amazing feat in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, with a population of just 4 million they finished ahead of the USA who have a population of 320 million. Panama have an experienced squad who have played together for a while, this unity and team spirit cannot be under- estimated. They also have a wealth of experience and goals up front with 100 goals between Blas Perez, and Gabriel Torres.

Manager: Hernan Dario Gomez The Colombian has experience in national football management having managed Colombia and Ecuador. He managed Colombia at the 1998 World Cup and he led Ecuador to their first World Cup finals as they qualified for the 2010 World Cup. He has achieved this feat with Panama as World Cup 2018 will be their first.

Top Scorer: Perez and Tejada Captain: Blas Perez and Lucas Tejada are tied on 43 goals The Muncipal centre back will captain Panama at each, Perez has appared for Panama 117 times their first ever World Cup, he appeared 101 times for and Tejada on 105 occasions. Panama scoring 3 times, including a goal in a 1-0 win over Haiti in World Cup 2018 qualification.

Fixtures Belgium v Panama - 18/06 - 16:00 - Fisht Olympic Stadium England v Panama - 24/06 - 13:00 - Nizhny Novgorod Stadium Panama v Tunisia - 28/06 - 19:00 - Mordovia Arena

Let’s Crunch the Numbers... One to Watch: Luis Tejada OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER The 36-year-old Sport Boys striker has scored 43 times for Panama in 105 games. He’ll be the focal point for Panama’s attacks as they prepare to face Belgium, England and Tunisia.

37Felipe Baloy 117Blas Perez Jose19 Luis Rodriguez

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Tunisia Biography: Tunisia went unbeaten during the qualifying campaign, where they’ll make their first appearance since 2006. They finished above a group of DR of Congo, Libya and to reach their 5th ever World Cup. They’ll be relying heavily on key players such as Whabi Khazri and Yohn Be- nalouane.

Manager: Nabil Maaloul Maaloul became the coach of Tunisia in 2017 and successfully guided Tunisia to the World Cup for the first time since 2006. He was assistant manager when Tunisia won the African Cup of Nations in 2002.

Top Scorer: Whabi Khazri Captain: Aymen Mathlouthi The Rennes midfielder is Tunisia’s top scorer with The Al-Batin goalkeeper will be Tunisia’s man 12 goals in 35 appearances. in-between the sticks at the World Cup. He’s appeared 70 times for Tunisia

Fixtures Tunisia v England - 18/06 - 19:00 - Volgograd Arena Belgium v Tunisia - 23/06 - 13:00 - Spartak Stadium Panama v Tunisia - 28/06 - 19:00 - Mordovia Arena

One to Watch: Whabi Khazri Let’s Crunch the Numbers... The Rennes attacking midfielder has scored an impressive 9 goals in 17 appearances for MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER Rennes last season. He joined the French club on loan from Sunderland AFC, his finest OLDEST PLAYER moment in a Sunderland shirt came in a 3-2 win over Chelsea which guided Sunderland to Premier League survival. For Tunisia Khazri has scored 12 times in 35 games.

Aymen33 Mathlouthi Aymen69 Mathlouthi 20Baseem Srarfi

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Colombia Biography: Colombia reached the quarter finals 4 years ago in Brazil and they will be hoping to go further this time round. With the creativity and pace of James Rodriguez and along with the goals and power of and , the Colombians will cause problems for most teams. At the back they seem to be in good hands with Davison Sanchez, David Ospina and Christan Zapata.

Manager: Jose Pekerman The Argentinian became manager of Colombia in 2012. He successfully guided Colombia to the 2014 World Cup and he has done the same for Russia 2018. His other experience at a World Cup came in 2006 when he guided his native Argentina to the Quarter-Finals.

Top Scorer: Radamel Falcao Captain: Radamel Falcao Captain Falcao leads the scoring for Colombia The Monaco forward will captain Colombia in the with 29 goals in 72 appearances. World Cup. The former Porto, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United striker has a record of 29 goals in 71 appearances for the national side.

Fixtures Colombia v Japan - 19/06 - 13:00 - Mordovia Arena Poland v Colombia - 24/06 - 19:00 - Kazan Arena v Colombia - 28/06 - 15:00 - Samara Arena

Let’s Crunch the Numbers... One to Watch: James Rodriguez OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER After an impressive 2014 World Cup, James Rodriguez earned a big move to Spanish giants, Real Madrid. At Real Madrid he won La Liga once and the Champions League twice. James joined Bayern Munich on loan last season where he helped the Bavarian’s win the Bundesliga title with 7 goals in 23 appearances. His eccentric style and wide range of skills and tricks makes him one of the most exciting players to watch.

34Farid Diaz 85David Ospina 22Davinson Sanchez

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Japan Biography: Japan can count on a group of exciting, reliable players such as Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa. Japan finished first in Group B, finishing ahead of Saudi Arabia and Australia. At the back, Maya Yoshi- da, Yugo Nagatomo and Hiorki Sakai will be relied upon.

Manager: Akira Nishnino The former Nagoya Grampus manager has just taken the reins as Japan manager.

Top Scorer: Shinji Okazaki Captain: Makoto Hasebe The Leicester City forward boasts an impressive The Defensive Midfielder lifted the DFB Pokal for record with Japan, scoring 50 goals in 112 games, last season as they shocked making him Japan’s third ever highest goalscorer. Bayern Munich in the final. He’s represented Domestically he is best known for being part of the Japan 108 times, scoring twice. Leicester City squad that won the Premier League in 2015-16.

Fixtures Colombia v Japan - 19/06 - 13:00 - Mordovia Arena Japan v Senegal - 24/06 - 16:00 - Ekaterinburg Arena Japan v Poland - 28/06 - 15:00 - Volgograd Arena

One to Watch: Shinji Okazaki Let’s Crunch the Numbers... The Leicester forward posses a high work rate, unpredictability and a rapid pace. He was MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER a key figure in Leicester’s Premier League Championship winning season, appearing 36 OLDEST PLAYER times, scoring 5 times. Don’t expect Okazaki to give opposition defenders any time at all on the ball, they will be constantly under pressure from the 5 ft 9 centre forward.

35Eiji Kawashima 112Shinji Okazaki 23Naomichi Ueda

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Poland Biography: Russia 2018 will be Poland’s first World Cup since 2006. Poland’s squad is pretty much unchanged from the team that managed to reach the Euro 2016 quarter-final, where they succumbed to eventual winners, Portu- gal, on penalties. Poland look to dominate possession and are patient in waiting to break the opposition down. Star players include Robert Le- wandowski, Arkadiusz Milik, Karol Linetty and Lukasz Piszczek.

Manager: Adam Nawalka Nawakla started his Journey with the Polish national team in 2013. Domestically he has managed Wisla Krakow, Jagiellonia Bialystok and Gornik Zabrze. His most famous result came in 2014 when Poland defeated Germany 2-0 in a Euro 2016 qualifier. At their last major tournament, Nawalka guided Poland to their first ever quarter final finish at Euro 2016.

Top Scorer: Robert Lewandowski Captain: Robert Lewandowski Lewandowski has scored 52 times for the Polish The Bayern goal scorer is also the captain of national team in 93 appearances. Poland.

Fixtures Poland v Senegal - 19/06 - 16:00 - Spartak Stadium Poland v Colombia - 24/06 - 19:00 - Kazan Arena Japan v Poland - 28/06 - 15:00 - Volgograd Arena

Let’s Crunch the Numbers... One to Watch: Robert Lewandowski OLDEST PLAYER MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER The Bayern Munich striker possesses an impressive goals record with Poland with 52 goals in 93 appearances. Domestically he’s scored 106 goals in 126 appereances for Bayern, winning the Bundesliga 4 times in the process. He is regarded as one of the best strikers in the world and will be Poland’s key player in Russia.

33Slawomir Peszko Robert93 Lewandoswki 21Dawid Kownacki

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Team Name: Senegal Biography: 2002 was a memorable time for the Senegalese as they became the second African team to make last 8 of the World Cup. On the way to the quarter-final they defeated then World champions, France. Qualification for the World Cup was not without controversy, their 2-1 defeat to South Africa had to get replayed because of match-fixing by the referee. Sene- gal won the replay and changed the dynamics of the group. They will be heavily reliant on Saido Mane pace and creativity in the final third and Chieckou Kouyate’s and ’s steel at the back.

Manager: Aliou Cisse Former PSG, Montpellier, Birmingham City and Portsmouth midfielder took charge of the Senegal U23 team in 2013. In 2015 Cisse was promoted and made manager of the senior Senegal squad. Senegal will be making their first appearance at the World Cup since 2002, the captain at their tournament was now manager, Aliou Cisse. Top Scorer: Moussa Sow Captain: Cheikhou Kouyate With 18 goals the centre forward The West Ham defensive-midfielder will lead is Senegal’s top scorer. He scored one goal in Senegal out at the World Cup. He has represented qualifying victory against Cape Verde. Senegal 39 times on the international stage, scoring twice.

Fixtures Poland v Senegal - 19/06 - 16:00 - Spartak Stadium Japan v Senegal - 24/06 - 16:00 - Ekaterinburg Arena Senegal v Colombia - 28/06 - 15:00 - Samara Arena

One to Watch: Sadio Mane Let’s Crunch the Numbers... The Liverpool winger had a good season at Anfield where his team finished in 4th place MOST CAPS YOUNGEST PLAYER and reached the Champions League final, with Mane grabbing a goal in the final in Kiev. OLDEST PLAYER With his lightning pace Mane has proved as effective for Senegal that he has for Liverpool, being their key man in World Cup qualifying.

33Khadim N’Diaye 58Idrissa Gueye 19Moussa Wague

World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide World Cup 2018 The Definitive Team Guide Totum Sport is a 100% natural sports Soccerex has been bringing together supplement containing 78 electrolytes the global football industry to network that takes your performance to the next in a unique commercial environment for level. over twenty years.

www.totumsport.com www.soccerex.com

DEFY THE NORM