Breaking down the prelims,
The group stage should be little more than a warm-up for the likes of Brazil, Germany and the rest of the Cup contenders
GROUP A
Star picks: 1. Uruguay, 2. Egypt, 3. Russia , 4. Saudi Arabia
One of Uruguay’s main tasks in this tournament will be keeping Luis Suarez in check after the striker made headlines in the 2014 tournament for biting an Italian player. Egyptian striker Mo Salah is hoping to play despite dislocating his shoulder in the Champions League final in late May with his club team Liverpool. How healthy he is remains to be seen. Egypt is making its first World Cup appearance since 1990, thanks in large part to contributions from the 25-year-old, who had a hand in all of the seven goals that helped get his team to Russia.
GROUP B Star picks: 1. Spain, 2. Portugal, 3. Morocco, 4. Iran
This group should be dominated by Spain and Portugal, with the head-to-head match deciding who goes through in top spot and who is relegated to second place. The Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portuguese won nine of 10 qualifying matches and will look to grind their way to the final. While Germany, France and Brazil are getting the bulk of the attention coming into this tournament, Spain is considered the dark horse of the main contenders, with many believing the likes of Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Sergio Busquets and company returning to the dominant form they maintained when Spain won the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championship.
GROUP C Star picks: 1. France, 2. Denmark, 3. Peru, 4. Australia
Peru could be one of the heartwarming underdog stories early in this tournament, making its first World Cup in 36 years. The South American country has had success in the Copa America in recent years, but getting out of the group will be an uphill climb. France will be a team to watch throughout, and coach Didier Deschamps side shouldn’t have any trouble in the first round. Denmark’s fate will rest heavily on Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Christian Eriksen.
GROUP D Star picks: 1. Argentina, 2. Croatia, 3. Iceland, 4. Nigeria
If not for a hat trick by striker Lionel Messi during the last qualifying match, Argentina might not have even made the trip to Russia. With one of the world’s best players in its midst, the Argentines should not have trouble in the group stage. But they might not have enough to compete with favourites like Germany, Brazil, France and Spain. Croatia, led by Real Madrid midfielder Luca Modric, continues its run as a seemingly perennial dark horse in international competitions Iceland, the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup, and Nigeria will likely fight it out for pride and third place, but both could pose a threat to the group’s bigger names. Nigeria beat Argentina 4-2 in a friendly in November.
GROUP E Star picks: 1. Brazil, 2. Switzerland, 3. Serbia, 4. Costa Rica
Brazil will be looking for redemption of sorts, after a humiliating 7-1 loss to Germany on home soil at the 2014 tournament. A coaching change that saw Tite replace Dunga seemed to reignite the Brazilian squad, the first team to qualify for this World Cup. The battle for the No. 2 spot is expected to come down to Switzerland and Serbia. While the Swiss are ranked well above the Serbians, they have a history of struggling in international competitions.
GROUP F Star picks: 1. Germany, 2. Mexico, 3. Sweden, 4. South Korea
Ten qualifying matches, 10 wins is pretty much all you need to know about defending champion Germany. The team is looking to become the first nation to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil did so in the 1958 and 1962 iterations. There will be no Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Sweden, though you’ll probably hear his name linked to the team throughout the tournament; the striker retired from the international game in 2016 and wasn’t asked to return despite looking like his usual self with Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy this season. His absence and the shadow it casts may not be good for Sweden, but could work in Mexico’s favour as the two vie for the No. 2 spot.
GROUP G Star picks: 1. Belgium, 2. England, 3. Tunisia, 4. Panama
A few of the game’s most exciting attackers will be in the spotlight in this group, including Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard and England’s Harry Kane. Neither team is expected to get much competition from either Tunisia or Panama, a team making its World Cup debut. This group should shake out in a fairly straightforward manner, with Belgium at the top and England in the runner-up position. Belgium is now considered one of the best teams in the world, but has little to show for it.
GROUP H Star picks: 1. Poland, 2. Colombia, 3. Senegal, 4. Japan
If you’re asking the Star to pick a so-called “group of death,” it’s Group H. Each nation has the talent to get to the round of 16. Polish supporters hope striker Robert Lewandowski sets them apart. The Bayern Munich star has the ability to single-handedly make it difficult for the other countries to compete. Colombia is coming off a quarterfinal appearance in 2014, Senegal is arguably the strongest African nation in Russian, and Japan has become a tournament mainstay.