RUSSIA
Appearances: Three
Best finish: Group stage (1994, 2002, 2014)
Manager: Stanislav Cherchesov
Star Player: Igor Akinfeev
When Russia first entered their bid to host the 2018 World Cup in 2009, they were fresh off their run to the Euro 2008 semi-finals and the Great Bear was bounding — but now it’s a different story.
Without a win in their last six friendlies, they also failed to get out of the group in last year’s Confederations Cup in Russia, which acts as a dry run to the World Cup.
Star striker Aleksandr Kokorin looks set to miss the tournament through a cruciate ligament injury and coach Stanislav Cherchesov has also had bust-ups with senior players, midfielder Igor Denisov and striker Artem Dzyuba.
Injuries to defenders Viktor Vasin and Georgi Dzhikiya have prompted desperate Cherchesov to try and unsuccessfully lure ageing twins Aleksei and Vasily Berezutski out of retirement.
As a result, Cherchesov is expected to give youth a chance like 21-year-old midfielder Aleksandr Golovin. That said, the average age of their most recent squad was still 28, and only three of them ply their trade outside of Russia.
Keeper Igor Akinfeev and defender Yuri Zhirkov are the most notable pair left over from 2008, and it says a lot about Russia’s chances this summer that their keeper is the one to watch.
As the Soviet Union, out of seven World Cup appearances, the team reached three quarter-finals and a best finish of fourth in 1966.
As Russia however, they failed to get out of the group in three attempts, and they don’t look set to redress that this time even with home advantage.
Their semi-final finish at Euro 2008 is their only reason for cheer out of five Euro appearances, where they otherwise failed to get out of the group.
It seems they failed to develop and fully take advantage of that 2008 run under Guus Hiddink, despite the fact Zhirkov, Andrey Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko all got big moves to England out of it.
EGYPT
Appearances: Two
Best finish: Group stage (1934, 1990)
Manager: Hector Cuper
Star Player: Mohammad Salah
Despite being record seven-time African champions, Egypt have horribly underperformed in the World Cup, failing to get past the first round in just two appearances.
There was fresh hope that Mohammad Salah might help buck that trend this summer, but following his shoulder injury in last month’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid, the Liverpool striker is a doubt for the first two games.
The question now is can Egypt do it without him, and if he does return in time to make a difference, can he carry on his form, despite not having the same quality around him as he does at Liverpool?
His five goals in qualifying (the most in Africa) helped Egypt book their ticket to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years in October. That was confirmed with his brace against Congo at home in their penultimate group game, where he scored a 94th minute winning penalty.
Even though they topped that group comfortably with Uganda, Ghana and Congo, they still lost 1-0 away to Uganda along the way, and lost the final of last year’s Africa Cup of Nations to Cameroon.
Defensive, counter-attacking coach Hector Cuper also plays the antithesis of Jurgen Klopp’s free-flowing attacking football, and while Salah has the likes of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in support at Liverpool, the Egyptian team is a lot less pressing or star-studded.
With the exception of 45-year-old keeper-captain Essam Al Hadary, who will become the World Cup’s oldest ever player, it’s a young squad with decent hopes, seven of whom ply their trade in England.
There’s never been that many Egyptians in England and that shows a rise in quality but it remains to be seen if they are experienced enough to support Salah against the best.
If it is enough to get out the group for the first time, it will be a massive achievement that would bode well for the future, especially given that domestic football in Egypt was disrupted for two seasons from 2011 to 2013 due to revolutions, civil unrest and the Port Said Stadium riot.
SAUDI ARABIA
Appearances: Four
Best finish: Last 16 (1994)
Manager: Juan Antonio Pizzi
Star Player: Mohammad Al Sahlawi
With three managers since September, the tournament’s lowest ranked side haven’t exactly had the best stability heading into a World Cup. Coach Bert van Marwijk left as soon as he confirmed their qualification. Edgardo Bauza then took over for all of five friendlies, before the appointment of incumbent Juan Antonio Pizzi.
Spaniard Pizzi must have had some sway in sending three midfielders Yahya Al Shehri, Salem Al Dawsari and Fahad Al Muwallad out on loan to Spanish sides Leganes, Villarreal and Levante respectively, in January.
However, not only was that attempt to fast track their development in time for the World Cup a classic case of too little too late, it also left them severely lacking match practice with all three yet to get a game in Spain.
The main thing going for Saudi are the goals of Mohammad Al Sahlawi, who scored 16 (the joint most in global qualifying) in a fortunate qualifying campaign for the Green Falcons.
Saudi edged a poor Australian side on goal difference in qualifying to finish second behind Japan, despite three defeats away to Japan, Australia and the UAE. Since then, they failed to get out of their group at January’s Gulf Cup in Kuwait where they sent a second string side, and have endured a mixed run in friendlies getting thrashed by Iraq, before beating Greece and holding Italy close.
Despite being the second most successful side in Asian Cup history behind Japan with three wins and three runners-up finishes, Saudi failed to get out the group in the 2015 Asian Cup and last made a final in 2007.
All of their four previous World Cup appearances came consecutively from 1994 to 2006, but they have yet to beat their debut best of a Last 16 finish, failing to get out of the group in three attempts thereafter.
It is a positive that they are now back after failing to qualify for 2010 and 2014, but getting out of the group is still a big ask for a side that seems to limit itself with the timing of their decisions.
URUGUAY
Appearances: Twelve
Best finish: Champions (1930, 1950)
Manager: Oscar Tabarez
Star Player: Luis Suarez
Don’t be fooled by the fact that two-time winners Uruguay haven’t won a World Cup in almost 70 years. They finished fourth three times since in a total 10 appearances to have followed, the most recent semi-final finish being in 2010.
Only Brazil had a better qualifying campaign in South America this time around, but it was second-placed Uruguay’s Paris Saint Germain striker Edison Cavani, not the expected likes of Barcelona’s Luis Suarez, who was the continent’s top scorer in qualification with 10 goals.
With one of the longest serving international managers in Oscar Tabarez at the helm since 2006 (he won the Copa America in 2011), this is a stable squad built around a solid framework of Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin at the back, Sampdoria’s Gaston Ramirez in midfield and the enviable attacking duo of Suarez and Cavani up front. Veteran Lazio defender Martin Caceres is the only doubt with a calf injury.
That framework may be starting to age and the likes of Diego Forlan may have long since retired, but young midfielders such as Juventus’ Rodrigo Bentancur, Boca Juniors’ Nahitan Nandez and Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde have added legs to longevity.
It’s that combination merged with Tabarez’s long-term planning that make Uruguay the best of the dark horses. The only thing they have to watch out for is the unpredictability of their main man Suarez, a player who saved Ghana’s would-be match-winner with his hand to get sent off during the 2010 quarter-finals, only to then rub it in with his overzealous celebrations when Uruguay eventually won on penalties.
He also bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini — his third such biting offence — on the shoulder during a 2014 group match to get expelled from the tournament, resulting in Uruguay’s premature Last 16 exit.
Because of that, hot-head Suarez will have a lot of making up to do this tournament, and it would seem he has the team around him to do just that. Even in the worst case scenario though, without him, Uruguay will take heart from Cavani firing, but if they could all just persuade Suarez to keep a lid on it they might go far.
