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Author: Alex Christodoulou
May 31, 2018 12:57 PM
AAP
Which nation will claim the biggest prize of all?
Follow the links below to see a group by group assessment and prediction of how each nation will fare:
Group A (Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uraguay)
Group B (Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Iran)
Group C (Australia, France, Peru, Denmark)
Group D (Argentina, Nigeria, Croatia, Iceland)
Group E (Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia)
Group F (Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea)
Group G (Belgium, Panama, Tunisia, England)
Group H (Poland, Senegal, Japan, Colombia)
It's touted as "the greatest show on earth" and in a very short while 3.2 billion sets of eyes will witness the twentieth Football World Cup to prove the relevance of this title. The twelve Russian World Cup stadiums will transform into global theatres for 32 days between June 14 to July 15 as this amazing specticle plays out.
Punters can expect an enthralling display of passion, drama, skill and rivalry that will bring joy to every nation fortunate enough to be represented by their national team, followed by grief for the 31 countries that come up short in their quest for the iconic FIFA World Cup trophy.
While there is action everywhere at just about every waking of the 5 week tournament, so much of the attention will be focussed on two people: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
These two superstars of the game have won just about every trophy put before them except for the World Cup crown which has aluded them both. Many pundits believe that this will be their final chance to claim the coveted prize whilst still at the top of their game.
Even for the fans of their opponents, watching Messi and Ronaldo's displays of footballing sorcery will be a thing to behold.
The favourites tipped to go all the way are powerhouses Brazil and Germany. While the always clinical Germans look to go back-to-back after their 2014 triumph, the flair of Brazil will be out to claim their record sixth title as the world's best football team.
But don't discount European giants Spain, France and Belgium, who all boast enough quality and depth in their squads to win the tournament with a second-string team.
There are so many storylines heading into Russia for those of us who like to follow the underdogs. Both Iceland and Panama make their World Cup debuts, with the Nordic nation set to become the smallest ever counrty to play in football's premier tournament, with a population smaller than Tasmania's.
Mo Salah's Egypt and often overshadowed Peru are back after long absences and will be tricky oppositions to face. And we can't forget the Socceroos, who will be looking to send out Tim Cahill on a high.
Arguably the globe's favourite sporting event, the FIFA World Cup is so much more than eleven players trying to kick a small ball into the back of a net.
