OUR LOWDOWN ON ALL 32 TEAMS D WORLD’S
GROUP A QATAR
Coach: Felix Sanchez Star player: Almoez Ali World Cup best: Debut Qatar won the 2019 Asian Cup but face a major challenge to avoid becoming only the second host nation – after South Africa in 2010 – to be eliminated at the first hurdle. Their squad is based domestically and has been training together since June.
ECUADOR
Coach: Gustavo Alfaro Star player: Moises Caicedo World Cup best: Second round 2006 Ecuador were South American Under-20 champions in 2019 and have a youthful side which is quick, strong and suited to counterattacking tactics. Argentinian Alfaro, appointed in August 2020, steadied the ship following a turbulent period. While he has toughened up the team defensively, goals have dried up in recent warm-up fixtures.
SENEGAL
Coach: Aliou Cisse Star player: Sadio Mane World Cup best: Quarter-finals 2002 In record scorer Mane, the African champions have world-class quality, while Chelsea pair Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly are also key performers. Cisse’s side qualified by defeating Egypt on penalties. They agonisingly missed out on a second-round spot in 2018 due to accumulating more yellow cards than Japan.
NETHERLANDS
Coach: Louis Van Gaal Star player: Virgil Van Dijk World Cup best: Runner-up 1974, 1978, 2010 The Dutch are back after failing to qualify for Russia. Van Gaal, who led them to third place in 2014, came out of retirement for a third spell in charge but has had limited time to implement his methods. A lack of club action for star striker Memphis Depay is not ideal, while goalkeeper is a position of weakness.
GROUP B ENGLAND
Coach: Gareth Southgate Star player: Harry Kane World Cup best: Winners 1966 Semi-finalists in 2018 and Euro 2020 runners-up, England should be full of confidence. But the road to the Middle East has been littered with setbacks: six games without a win, five without a goal and relegation in the Nations League. Southgate has come in for criticism but is unlikely to deviate from a handbrake-on approach or drop under-performing regulars.
IRAN
Coach: Carlos Queiroz Star player: Sardar Azmoun World Cup best: First round five times Former Manchester United assistant Queiroz was reappointed in September, having led Iran to the 2014 and 2018 tournaments. Each of those campaigns ended with group-stage elimination. Avoiding a hat-trick of early exits under Queiroz appears unlikely. Iran are rank outsiders with bookmakers and lack the star names of their group rivals.
UNITED STATES
Coach: Gregg Berhalter Star player: Christian Pulisic World Cup best: Third 1930 Berhalter is blessed with one of the most talented pools of players in US history. Many of his squad operate in Europe’s top leagues and expectation back home is they will make it out of the group. The US have done so four times since 1990, including in 2010 – the last time they were drawn alongside England.
WALES
Coach: Robert Page Star player: Gareth Bale World Cup best: Quarter-finals 1958 Wales ended a 64-year wait for a second World Cup outing by overcoming Ukraine in a playoff. No other nation has gone so long between appearances. The fitness of talismanic captain Bale is central to their hopes, while a satisfactory draw provides reason for optimism. Few other countries can match Page’s squad for spirit and togetherness.
GROUP C ARGENTINA
Coach: Lionel Scaloni Star player: Lionel Messi World Cup best: Winners 1978, 1986 Messi has won everything possible at club level and, with the 2021 Copa America, finally lifted international silverware. Now aged 35, Argentina’s most-capped played and record scorer has one last shot at football’s ultimate prize. He is surrounded by an industrious and gifted team. Argentina are 35 games undefeated and confidence is high.
SAUDI ARABIA
Coach: Herve Renard Star player: Salem Al-Dawsari World Cup best: Second round 1994
The Green Falcons cruised through qualifying but make the short trip to Qatar. They picked up their first tournament win since 1994 by defeating Egypt in Russia and have greater fight, discipline and belief since the appointment of Frenchman Renard.
MEXICO
Coach: Gerardo Martino Star player: Edson Alvarez World By PAUL Cup best: THOMAS Quarter-finals 1970, 1986 Mexico hold a remarkably consistent World Cup record, having suffered last-16 exits at the last seven tournaments. Emulating that may prove tricky. Many Mexican fans – dismayed by three successive defeats to rivals the USA in 2021 – feel pessimism towards Martino’s ageing side, the core remains from past World Cup campaigns.
POLAND
Coach: Czeslaw Michniewicz Star player: Robert Lewandowski World Cup best: Third place 1974, 1982 Lewandowski has settled in seamlessly at Barcelona following his switch from Bayern Munich and will be critical to Polish hopes at what will almost certainly be his final World Cup. Michniewicz secured qualification in just his second match following the shock resignation of Paulo Sousa. Poland’s last knockout match was in 1986.
GROUP D FRANCE
Coach: Didier Deschamps Star player: Kylian Mbappe
World Cup best: Winners 1998, 2018 Les Bleus are bidding to become only the third nation – after Italy and Brazil – to retain the trophy. Deschamps has a squad packed with talent, including Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Karim Benzema. Key midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante are out injured but the defending champions are among the favourites.
AUSTRALIA
Coach: Graham Arnold Star player: Mathew Ryan World Cup best: Second round 2006 Expectations for the Socceroos are low following underwhelming qualifying, which ended with a surprise penalty shoot-out success over Peru. The golden generation of Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell is a memory, with few of the current crop playing in major leagues. A herculean effort is required to make it out of a tough group.
DENMARK
Coach: Kasper Hjulmand Star player: Christian Eriksen World Cup best: Quarter-finals 1998 Denmark won nine of 10 games in qualifying, scoring 30. Eriksen’s return following his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, where the Danes reached the last four, is both miraculous and a major boost. The 1992 European champions have a strong team ethic and will hope their influential playmaker can provide the spark.
TUNISIA
Coach: Jalel Kadri Star player: Wahbi Khazri
World Cup best: First round 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018 Tunisia qualified by defeating Mali in a playoff. Coach Kadri has only been in charge since March after being promoted from assistant following the sacking of Mondher Kebaier. The 2004 African champions are tactically cautious and have never made it beyond the group stage. A 5-1 warm-up thrashing by Brazil emphasised the enormity of their task.
GROUP E SPAIN
Coach: Luis Enrique Star player: Sergio Busquets World Cup best: Winners 2010 Enrique is developing a talented team as Spain attempt to finally emerge from the shadow of the squads which won the 2010 World Cup either side of successive European Championship triumphs. A run to the Euro 2020 semi-finals renewed belief after La Roja failed to win a knockout match at the previous three major tournaments.
COSTA RICA
Coach: Luis Fernando Suarez Star player: Keylor Navas World Cup best: Quarter-finals 2014 The final nation to secure a spot in Qatar overcame a dismal start to qualifying. Many of the veterans who helped eliminate England and Italy in 2014 remain, with the ageing core supplemented by a host of inexperienced youngsters. Navas is among the world’s best goalkeepers but the draw has not been kind to the Central Americans.