Group A features hosts Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uruguay. Here’s our preview of each team and whether they’ll progress through the group stage or not.
Russia
World Ranking: 65
Star Player: Igor Akinfeev
Coach: Stanislav Cherchesov
Best Finish: 4th place, 1966
The hosts will have plenty of support, but they enter this tournament as the side with the lowest ranking, with plenty of key players having retired at the end of Euro 2016. The country will expect the team will be competitive at least, and after Euro 2008, they do have the ability to surprise us and actually do well in an international football competition. It’ll be between the Russians and Egypt as to who qualifies from Group A along with Uruguay.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Gabulov (Brugge), Andrei Lunev (Zenit St. Petersburg),
Defenders: Vladimir Granat (Rubin Kazan), Fedor Kudryashov (Rubin Kazan), Ilya Kutepov (Spartak Moscow), Andrey Semenov (Akhmat Grozny), Igor Smolnikov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Mario Fernandes (CSKA Moscow)
Midfielders: Yuri Gazinskiy (Krasnodar), Alexander Golovkin (CSKA Moscow), Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow), Alexander Erokhin (Zenit), Yuri Zhirkov (Zenit), Daler Kuzyaev (Zenit), Roman Zobnin (Spartak Moscow), Alexander Samedov (Spartak Moscow), Anton Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Denis Cheryshev (Villarreal)
Forwards: Artem Dzyuba (Arsenal Tula), Alexei Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Fyodor Smolov (Krasnodar)
Fun Fact: The distance between Russia’s westernmost stadium (Kaliningrad) and easternmost stadium (Ekaterinburg) is more than 1500 miles, roughly the same distance as Moscow to London.
Odds: 40/1
Saudi Arabia
World Ranking: 63
Star Player: Mohammad Al-Sahlawi
Coach: Juan Antonio Pizzi
Best Finish: Round of 16, 1994
Along with Russia, Saudi Arabia are the second lowest-ranking side in this year’s tournament and the two meet in the opening match. It’s the first time they’ve qualified since 2006, where they were eliminated in the group stages, losing twice and drawing once. They have a relatively unknown squad, but striker Mohammad Al-Sahlawi has been training with Manchester United ahead of the tournament. Coach Juan Antonio Pizzi has also selected three players who ply their trade in La Liga.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Mohammed Al-Owais (Al-Ahli), Yasser Al-Musailem (Al Ahli), Abdullah Al-Mayuf (Al Hilal)
Defenders: Mansoor Al-Harbi (Al-Ahli), Yasser Al-Shahrani (Al-Hilal), Mohammed Al-Breik (Al-Hilal), Motaz Hawsawi (Al-Ahli), Osama Hawsawi (Al-Hilal), Omar Hawsawi (Al-Nassr), Ali Al-Bulaihi (Al-Hilal)
Midfielders: Abdullah Al-Khaibari (Al-Shabab), Abdulmalek Al-Khaibri (Al-Hilal), Abdullah Otayf (Al-Hilal), Taiseer Al-Jassim (Al-Ahli), Houssain Al-Mogahwi (Al-Ahli), Salman Al-Faraj (Al-Hilal), Mohamed Kanno (Al-Hilal), Hattan Bahebri (Al Shabab), Salem Al-Dawsari (Villarreal), Yahya Al-Shehri (Al-Nassr),
Forwards: Fahad Al-Muwallad (Levante), Mohammad Al Sahlawi (Al-Nassr), Muhannad Assiri (Al-Ahli)
Fun Fact: Their nickname, The Green Falcon, comes from the fact that the falcon is the national symbol for Saudi Arabia, as well as other Gulf nations.
Odds: 1000/1
Egypt
World Ranking: 31
Star Player: Mohamed Salah
Coach: Hector Cuper
Best Finish: Group Stage (1934, 1990)
This is Egypt’s first W. Cup since 1990 and they’ll be keen to show everyone what they’re about, especially as their performance will be closely watched, with Mohamed Salah in their ranks. The Liverpool forward broke plenty of records in the Premier League this season and will be Egypt’s star player. This group is quite open, giving them reasonably good chances of qualifying and they could be one of the surprises of this year’s tournament.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Essam El-Hadary (Al Taawoun), Mohamed El-Shennawy (Al Ahly), Sherif Ekramy (Al Ahly)
Defenders: Ahmed Fathi (Al Fath), Saad Samir (Al Ahly), Ayman Ashraf (Al Ahly), Mahmoud Hamdy (Zamalek), Mohamed Abdel-Shafy (Al Fath), Ahmed Hegazi (WBA), Ali Gabr (WBA), Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa), Omar Gaber (LAFC)
Midfielders: Tarek Hamed (Zamalek), Shikabala (Al Raed), Abdallah Said (Al Ahli), Sam Morsy (Wigan Athletic), Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal), Kahraba (Ittihad), Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke City), Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan (Kasimpasa), Amr Warda (Atromitos)
Forwards: Marwan Mohsen (Al Ahly), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Fun Fact: If Essam El-Hadary plays, he’ll become the oldest player to feature at the W. Cup. The goalkeeper will be 45 years old and will surpass the record set by Faryd Mondragon, who appeared in 2014 at the age of 43 years and three days old.
Odds: 150/1
Uruguay
World Ranking: 21
Star Player: Luis Suarez
Coach: Oscar Washington Tabarez
Best Finish: Winners (1930, 1950)
There’s been very little talk of Uruguay heading into the tournament, but they qualified second behind Brazil in the South American group and they’ve got a fairly easy route to the semi-finals. They have plenty of attacking talent and all eyes will be on Luis Suarez, after controversial moments at the last two W. Cups. They’re dark horses for this competition and cannot be written off.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Martin Silva (Vasco da Gama), Martin Campana (Independiente)
Defenders: Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid), Sebastian Coates (Sporting CP), Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), Maximiliano Pereira (Porto), Gaston Silva (Independiente), Martin Caceres (Lazio), Guillermo Varela (Penarol)
Midfielders: Nahitan Nandez (Boca Juniors), Lucas Torreira (Sampdoria), Matias Vecino (Inter Milan), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus), Carlos Sanchez (Monterrey), Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Cruzeiro), Diego Laxalt (Genoa), Cristian Rodriguez (Penarol), Jonathan Urretaviscaya (Monterrey), Nicolas Lodeiro (Seattle Sounders), Gaston Ramirez (Sampdoria)
Forwards: Cristhian Stuani (Girona), Maximiliano Gomez (Celta Vigo), Edinson Cavani (PSG), Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
Fun Fact: Uruguay hosted the first ever W. Cup and both stadiums are still used for matches today.
Odds: 23/1