ICELAND TO RELY ON HAND OF COD
Peru skipper Guerrero’s journey to Russia could be the strangest ever..
GROUP C: KICK-OFF 5PM BBC1
FOR Peru skipper Paolo Guerrero, the road to Russia was full of twists and turns – some that wouldn’t look out of place in a Hollywood blockbuster.
Galesse, Advincula, Rodriguez, Ramos, Trauco, Tapia, Yoton, Flores, Cueva, Farfan, Guerrero
Schmeichel, Larsen, Christensen, Kjaer, Dalsgaard, Kvist, Delaney, Eriksen, Sisto, Jorgensen, Poulsen Bakary Gassamer (Gam) GROUP D: Sparta Stadium, Moscow
HEIMIR HALLGRIMSSON says Iceland have the backing of fans all over the planet ahead of their World Cup debut today against Argentina. Iceland dumped England out of Euro 2016 at the last-16 stage with a 2-1 win that prompted Roy Hodgson to resign. Two years on and Iceland, who finished top of their group in qualifying, face Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Moscow, with Hallgrimsson (below) convinced they are the nation fans can’t help but love. “We have support from all over the world,” he said. “People like the fact that such a sparsely-populated nation is at the World Cup. “You can’t help but love Iceland. We haven’t attacked anyone, we haven’t been to war with anyone. We only had the Cod Wars, but nobody got hurt there! It’s a pretty little nation, with pretty people, so you can’t help but love us.” Messi can play at the next World Cup in Qatar, according to Argentina boss Jorge Sampaoli. This year’s tournament was expected to be the last shot at World Cup glory for Barcelona superstar Messi, who is nearly 31 and will be 35 at the time of the next tournament in 2022. But Sampaoli said: “I think his skills, and the professional way he trains and plays, means he will be the one who decides. “He is a genius, and he plays like a genius, so I don’t think it’s going to be his last World Cup.” Caballero, Salvio, Otamendi, Rojo, Tagliafico, Mascherano, Biglia, Meza, Messi, Di Maria, Aguero Halldorsson, Magnusson, R Sigurdsson, Arnason, Saevarsson, Hallfredsson, Gunnarsson, Bjarnason, G Sigurdsson, Gudmundsson, Bodvarsson Szymon Marciniak (Pol)