At 31 years old, does the legendary Messi have what it takes to lead drama-filled Argentina to a title?
ARGENTINA ODDS: 19/5 2014 RESULT: Lost in final FORMATION: 4-3-3 PLAYERS TO WATCH: It’s player, and the player is Lionel Messi. The five-time world player of the year has always been better for his La Liga club, FC Barcelona, than for his country, but he saved Argentina in qualifying and dragged them to Russia on his back. Can he drag them to the title at 31, which would put him in the G.O.A.T. conversation? OUTLOOK: Juventus’ Gonzalo Higuain has been out of form and Sergio Aguero is facing injury woes. Mauro Icardi was left home and the team ruled keeper Sergio Romero out with a knee injury — a story his wife claims is a lie to keep him off the squad. This is the mess coach Jorge Sampaoli is taking over, with just four official games at the helm.
CROATIA ODDS: 45/1 2014 RESULT: Group stage FORMATION: 4-3-3 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Creative midfielders Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic of Real Madrid, slick Ivan Rakitic from Barcelona, Juventus’ Mario Mandzukic and Inter Milan left winger Ivan Perisic. That’s whole lot of pedigree, but — after barely squeezing through the playoffs — not a lot of production.
OUTLOOK: Croatia finished third in the World Cup in 1998, and considering proximity, have the talent to make a deep run again in Russia. But do they have the temperament? Coach Zlatko Dalic hasn’t been on the job long, but getting this underachieving bunch to replicate club form for country is the task.
ICELAND ODDS: 350/1 2014 RESULT: Did not qualify FORMATION: 4-4-2 double 6 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson and captain Aron Gunnarsson (below) of Cardiff City will run the midfield, and veteran Alfred Finnbogason is a classic center forward. But Gunnarsson and Finnbogason have both been hurt, leading to questions about what kind of form they’ll have. OUTLOOK: Iceland is the smallest nation to ever reach the World Cup with just 330,000 citizens — or about the attendance of the Indy 500. But two years ago they raced past England and into the Euro 2016 quarterfinals. Beating Croatia and Ukraine during qualifying showed they’re back in form as upset darlings.
NIGERIA ODDS: 200/1 2014 RESULT: Round of 16 FORMATION: 4-3-3 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Nigeria has attacking talent in Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Iwobi and Victor Moses. But it’s captain John Obi Mikel (left) who pulls the strings in central midfield for the Super Eagles. OUTLOOK: Gernot Rohr has stopped the coaching carousel, Nigeria having changed coaches eight times since the 2014 World Cup. But with Rohr at the helm, they topped a qualifying group that featured Algeria, former African champ Zambia and current champ Cameroon. They crushed Cameroon 4-0, beat Argentina 4-2 in a friendly this winter and have the talent to make noise in Russia.