Group D is one of the most fascinating groups in this year’s W. Cup as it includes Argentina, Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria. Here’s our preview of each team and whether they’ll progress through the group stage or not.
Argentina
World Ranking: 4
Star Player: Lionel Messi
Coach: Jorge Sampaoli
Best Finish: Winners (1978, 1986)
It came down to the final matchday, but Argentina finally qualified for the W. Cup, thanks to Lionel Messi. He scored seven goals in qualifying (no other Argentine player scored more than 2) and he’ll be vital to any hope of success this summer. Their team is one of the most unbalanced in the tournament, with a wealth of attackers, but very few defenders or midfielders of note. On top of that, Willy Caballero will replace the injured Sergio Romero in goal and it only adds to more uncertainty. There’s a chance that they might not make it through the group.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Willy Caballero (Chelsea), Franco Armani (River Plate), Nahuel Guzman (Tigres)
Defenders: Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla), Federico Fazio (Roma), Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax), Javier Mascherano (Hebei China Fortune), Marcos Acuna (Sporting CP), Cristian Ansaldi (Torino)
Midfielders: Ever Banega (Sevilla), Lucas Biglia (AC Milan), Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain), Giovani Lo Celso (Paris Saint-Germain), Manuel Lanzini (West Ham), Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors), Maximiliano Meza (Independiente), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica),
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus), Paulo Dybala (Juventus) Sergio Aguero (Manchester City),
Fun Fact: No nation has featured in more W. Cup penalty shootouts than Argentina. They have won four out of five.
Odds: 17/2
Iceland
World Ranking: 22
Star Player: Gylfi Sigurdsson
Coach: Heimir Hallgrimsson
Best Finish: Never qualified
Everyone remembers Iceland’s debut on the international stage at Euro 2016, with their “thunder clap” and victory over England. However, this will be their first-ever W. Cup and there’ll be plenty of eyes on them, especially as this is one of the more open groups in the tournament. They played Croatia in qualifying, beating them once and losing once. If they make it out of the group, then it’ll be a hugely successful debut for them. Victory over Argentina would certainly equal their win over England in 2016.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Hannes Halldorsson (Randers), Runar Runarsson (Nordsjaelland), Frederik Schram (Roskilde)
Defenders: Kari Arnason (Aberdeen), Ari Skulason (Lokeren), Birkir Saevarsson (Valur), Sverrir Ingason (Rostov), Hordur Magnusson (Bristol City), Holmar Eyjolfsson (Levski Sofia), Ragnar Sigursson (Rostov)
Midfielders: Johann Gudmundsson (Burnley), Birkir Bjarnason (Aston Villa), Arnor Traustason (Malmo), Emil Hallfredsson (Udinese), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton), Olafur Skulason (Karabukspor), Rurik Gislason (Sandhausen), Samuel Fridjonsson (Valarenga), Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City)
Forwards: Alfred Finnbogason (Augsburg), Bjorn Sigurdarson (Rostov), Jon Bodvarsson (Reading), Albert Gudmundsson (PSV Eindhoven),
Fun Fact: Iceland are the smallest ever nation to qualify for the W. Cup. With a population of approximately 335,000, they take the record from Trinidad and Tobago (1.3m), who reached the 2006 tournament in Germany.
Odds: 200/1
Croatia
World Ranking: 17
Star Player: Luka Modric
Coach: Zlatko Dalic
Best Finish: 3rd place, 1998
Croatia are an underrated team and there’s a good chance that they could top this group, considering there’s no outstanding team in it. There’s plenty of midfield depth and it’s likely that this’ll be the last tournament with Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic anchoring it. If they make it through the group stage, they’ll be underdogs against whoever they play in the knockout game, but they’ll prove to be very tough opposition.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Daniel Subasic (Monaco), Lovre Kalinic (Gent), Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb)
Defenders: Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Domagoj Vida (Besiktas), Ivan Strinic (Sampdoria), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool), Sime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid), Josip Pivaric (Dynamo Kiev), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen), Duje Caleta-Car (Red Bull Salzburg)
Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Marcelo Brozovic (Internazionale), Filip Bradaric (Rijeka)
Forwards: Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), Ivan Perisic (Internazionale), Nikola Kalinic (AC Milan), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Marko Pjaca (Schalke), Ante Rebic (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Fun Fact: Davor Suker was the only Croatian to feature in Pele’s list of the 125 greatest players of all time, selected back in 2004 to mark FIFA’s 100th anniversary.
Odds: 33/1
Nigeria
World Ranking: 50
Star Player: Victor Moses
Coach: Gernot Rohr
Best Finish: Round of 16 (1994, 1998, 2014)
This’ll be Nigeria’s sixth appearance at the W. Cup finals and they topped their qualifying group, which also included Cameroon and Algeria. There’s plenty of known talent in their ranks and you can expect to see Victor Moses playing higher up the pitch than he does for Chelsea. Alex Iwobi is also in their squad, as is ex-Watford striker Odion Ighalo, while Blues’ fans will also remember John Obi Mikel. They’ve reached the knockout stage three times before, but it’ll be tough if they want to make it a fourth.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Deportivo La Coruna), Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Enyimba FC), Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa United)
Defenders: William Troost-Ekong (Bursaspor), Abdullahi Shehu (Bursaspor), Tyronne Ebuehi (Ado Den Haag), Elderson Echiejile (Cercle Brugge), Brian Idowu (Amkar Perm), Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes), Leon Balogun (Mainz), Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa),
Midfielders: John Obi Mikel (Tianjin TEDA), Ogenyi Onazi (Trabzonspor), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester), Oghenekaro Etebo (Las Palmas), John Ogu (Hapoel Be’er Sheva), Joel Obi (Torino)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester), Victor Moses (Chelsea), Odion Ighalo (Changchun Yatai), Alex Iwobi (Arsenal), Simeon Nwankwo (Crotone)
Fun Fact: Nigeria have been drawn in the same group as Argentina in five of their last six W. Cups.
Odds: 200/1
