GERMANY: The World Cup holders are in good shape to defend their title after being unbeaten in all games in 2017.
They have already collected a trophy in Russia in the build-up to the World Cup, winning the Confederations Cup in July and using the warm-up tournament to test new options like late developer Lars Stindl.
World Cup qualifying was completed with 10 wins from 10 and a European-record 43 goals.
Key player: Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) — Germany’s new leader, Kroos keeps the side ticking from midfield, where his intelligence, precision and composition on the ball inspires teammates going forward.
Coach: Joachim Loew — Juergen Klinsmann’s assistant during the 2006 World Cup, Loew took over after that tournament and has overseen steady progress culminating in the 2014 title.
RUSSIA: When the Russians launched their bid to host the World Cup for the first time, they were on a high after reaching the semifinals at the 2008 European Championship.
Times have changed. Russia goes into the draw as the lowest-ranked of the 32 teams, having failed to advance past the group stage of any tournament since 2008. Ambitious talk of reaching the quarterfinals or even semifinals has faded.
Key player: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow) — A talented goalkeeper who captains the team, Akinfeev has tended to make mistakes in big games.
Coach: Stanislav Cherchesov — After experiments with expensive foreign recruits like Fabio Capello and Guus Hiddink, Russia goes into the World Cup with a dour, defense-first former goalkeeper.
ARGENTINA: A team featuring Lionel Messi can never be ignored, even though the 2014 runner-up barely made it to this World Cup. But other key talent like Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Iguain have been far from being in top form for Argentina. That is why little-known Boca Juniors striker Daria Benedetto has been deployed up front.
Key player: Messi (Barcelona) — Doubted by fans, yet the five-time world player of the year delivered. Argentina would not be going to Russia without his goals and leadership. Turns 31 during a tournament that could yet crown his career.
Coach: Jorge Sampaoli — The 57-year-old Argentine is his country’s third coach in less than a year. His team has not impressed so far, with only one win in four official matches. His team is the biggest question mark in the World Cup.
BELGIUM: It’s time to deliver for a team featuring such exceptional talent. But this is a country that is yet to break into the semifinals of a tournament.
There are issues in defense. Central defender Vincent Kompany is as brittle as he can be brilliant and there are very few credible backups available for the likes of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.
Key player: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) — Overshadowed Eden Hazard at the 2014 World Cup, he has only grown in stature, especially since his move to City and his more withdrawn position on the pitch.
Coach: Roberto Martinez was a surprise pick for Belgium when it ditched Marc Wilmots after a disappointing Euro 2016. The Spaniard easily adapted to life in international management.
BRAZIL: The gloom that engulfed Brazil after the 7-1 debacle against Germany in the 2014 World Cup has lifted.
Brazil was the first team to clinch qualification for Russia and had memorable wins on the way, including a 3-0 success over Argentina in the same Mineirao stadium of the 2014 semifinal humiliation.
Key player: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain) — Should be at the peak of his game aged 26 in Russia, the forward will have his best chance to overthrow Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in best player awards if Brazil wins.
Coach: Adenor Bacchi — Universally known as Tite, he turned Brazil from flop to favorites. Forget Dunga’s muscular 2014 World Cup team that depended heavily on Neymar. Brazil is now about organization and flair.
FRANCE: A young and vibrant side packed with flair promises to be eye-catching. Recently, France twice took the lead away to World Cup winner Germany and caused the home defense all sorts of problems with the movement and speed of its devastating counter-attacks.
But France is also prone to lapses in concentration, and this needs to be ironed out if France wishes to win the trophy for the second time.
Les Bleus lost the 2006 World Cup final to Italy in a penalty shootout; lost to Germany in the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup, and could not handle the pressure of being the favorite in the Euro 2016 final at home to Portugal.
Key player: Raphael Varane (Real Madrid) — The three-time Champions League-winning center back has the difficult task of marshalling a vulnerable defense.
Coach: Didier Deschamps — Turned France into a highly competitive team but has yet to deliver a trophy. Reaching the World Cup semifinals is the minimum target for the 49-year-old Deschamps, a former midfielder who captained France to victory at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
POLAND: It’s the first World Cup since 2006 for Poland, whose fans are likely to travel to Russia in large numbers. It could be the last chance to play on the biggest stage for strikers Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Blaszczykowski, who will be 29 and 32 respectively by the finals.
Poland is largely unchanged from the team which reached Euro 2016 quarterfinals where it lost on penalties to eventual champion Portugal. One concern in qualifying was a 4-0 thrashing by Denmark in September that raised concerns about the defense.
Key player: Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) — Already Poland’s record goal scorer, he scored a European-high 16 goals in qualifying.
Coach: Adam Nawalka — Turned Poland from a counter-attacking team into one which seeks to dominate possession.
PORTUGAL: Cristiano Ronaldo’s hopes of winning the World Cup with Portugal are running out.
Portugal has proven it also has the mettle needed to win major international tournaments after it ground though the 2016 European Championship and stunned host France in the final despite an early injury to Ronaldo.
Portugal will take the large part of that experienced squad to Russia. Pepe is a physical enforcer in defense, Joao Moutinho adds passing skills to its midfield, and newcomer Andre Silva can help Ronaldo in attack.
Key player: Ronaldo (Real Madrid) — At 32, Ronaldo is no longer the goal machine he once was. Key to success in Russia could be how he is managed by Madrid, and can be rested in less significant games.
Coach: Fernando Santos — Since taking over the team in 2014, Santos has forged a solid defensive block that gives just enough help to Ronaldo. AP
Draw Details
The draw takes place on Friday at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow, starting at 11pm [Macau time]. The 32 finalists will be split into eight groups featuring a team from each of the four pots. Only Europe can have two teams in the same group. FIFA changed how it allocated teams in the draw and now uses rankings alone for all four pots. At previous World Cups, only Pot 1 was for seeded teams, and the other three pots were decided by a geographical spread. Russia will play the tournament opener on June 14, 2018 The World Cup final will be held on July 15. Both showpiece games are at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
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