Group C sees the Socceroos come up against France's plethora of young talent, the unity and team spirit of Peru, and the quality of Christian Eriksen and his Danish teammates.
All things being equal, it would take a miracle for Australia to escape this group and it's likely that several thrashings are on the cards.
With the French likely to be runaway leaders, the Peru vs Denmark fixture will provide an early indication of who will fill the second spot.
If you take one look at France's squad of players, it's easy to see why they come into this year's World Cup as one of the favourites. The quality and talent, especially in the attacking third, will have Group C rivals waking up in a cold sweat the night before their match with the French.
This Les Bleus outfit has the potential to win each of their group games by a handsome margin.
With a golden generation of players at his disposal, manager Didier Deschamps will be expected to not only take his team to the final, but to go one better than their disappointing defeat at the hands of Portugal in the Euro 2016 final.
Strengths & Weaknesses
The depth in French football at the moment is frightening. With players such as Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette and Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman not even making France's World Cup squad, Deschamps has a surfeit of talent at his disposal ready to make a surge for the title in Russia.
France could put out their third team, and still easily account for their group opponents.
However, with all this talent at their fingertips, France's weakness is that they haven't managed to work out what their best starting eleven is. Deschamps has chopped and changed players and formations throughout European qualification and recent friendlies, seemingly unclear on what will work best for his team.
The result is that France are only ranked as the seventh best team coming into the World Cup, when they really should be top of the tree.
Best Player
Perhaps the most underrated player in world football, N'Golo Kante has quietly established himself as irreplaceable for any side he lines up for. He helped Leicester win the 2015/6 EPL title, before moving to Chelsea where he would again prove instrumental in their 2016/7 triumph.
A defensive midfielder who never stops running and breaking up attacks, Kante has recently added a goal-scoring threat to his game.
Player to Watch
With several young, talented players capable of filling this spot, Kylian Mbappe is the youngest and perhaps the most talented player on France's list.
A lightning-quick and dynamic player who is deadly in front of goal, Mbappe is impressing for club side Paris Saint Germain. At just 19 years of age, he is well on the way to matching and even surpassing the French goal-scoring record held by Thierry Henry.
"The last time France played the Socceroos, they won 6-0"
Betting Tip
France to score over 9.5 goals in the tournament @ $1.75. This represents a good price considering the attacking arsenal within the French ranks and relatively weak group opponents.
Australia: Expect the worst but hope for the best
Soccer in Australia is going through another tough period. After only just scraping into the World Cup in an intercontinental playoff against Honduras, head coach Ange Postecoglou parted ways with the Socceroos, leading to the appointment of ex Saudi Arabia coach Bert van Marwijk.
Van Marwijk's appointment looks to be a conservative decision by the FFA given the dutchman's well-documented defensive coaching style, which suggests that the Aussies will be aiming to save face at this year's World Cup.
However, with just enough quality to cause an upset or two, the Socceroos will be looking to repeat their 2006 effort which saw them progress from the group stage for the first and only time. In Tim Cahill's swan song, his teammates will be motivated to send him out with a bang.
Strengths & Weaknesses
With a solid core group of players who are excelling at their respective clubs, Australia have a good foundation to build on in this tournament and going into the future. The balance and skill in the midfield of Aaron Mooy, Tom Rogic and Massimo Luongo is a particular strength.
Australia's definite weakness is that it's hard to see where the goals will come from. Van Marwijk's defensive style coupled with the lack of finishing ability among Australia's strikers suggests that it will be a very lean tournament in the goal-scoring department.
Tim Cahill's forehead coming off the bench once again shapes as the green and gold's biggest attacking threat.
Best Player
It's hard to go past Aaron Mooy, who has been Australia's creator-in-chief for a few years now.
After helping Huddersfield secure promotion to the Premier League last year, Mooy was instrumental in keeping The Terriers up this season.
With an excellent range of passing, as well as good defensive smarts, Mooy will be central to Australia's prospects in Russia.
Player to Watch
After lighting it up for Melbourne City in the A-League, 19-year-old Daniel Arzani earnt a call-up to the Socceroos squad for the World Cup.
With pace and a bag of tricks, Arzani may come off the bench and provide the spark that Australia is desperately needing in attack.
"The Socceroos have won only 2 of their 13 World Cup matches"
Betting Tip
Australia to finish bottom of Group C @ $1.90. With Australia ranked 40th in the world and their three opponents in Group C ranked inside the top 12, the Socceroos face an uphill battle in Russia.
Peru: Surprise packets from South America
When Los Incas defeated New Zealand to become the final nation to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, 30 million Peruvians went mad.
Often overshadowed by their South American neighbours Brazil, Colombia and Chile, Peru were overjoyed to qualify for their first World Cup since 1982, especially when the likes of Chile, with Alexis Sanchez, missed out.
The whole nation will be behind their beloved national team, spurring them on to even greater heights in Russia. Coming in ranked as the eleventh best team in the world, don't be surprised if Peru escape the group and make a dash in the second half of the tournament.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Peru's best attribute is their collective desire and unity, bearing all the hallmarks of a true team. Rather than being hampered by the weight of huge national support, Peruvian players perform best when playing in their national jersey. This is demonstrated by an impressive record in big tournaments, with Peru finishing third in two of the last three Copa Americas.
Peru's weakness is their lack of a genuine star player. With national team mainstay Jefferson Farfan now in the twilight of his career and Paolo Guerrero banned for drugs charges, Peru just lack that extra quality that proves the difference in big games.
Best Player
Pacey and talented winger Andre Carrillo is who Peru turn to when they need a goal. Despite only showing flashes of his brilliance with club side Watford in the EPL, Carrillo will be looking to have a huge tournament playing in the red and white.
Player to Watch
Renato Tapia is a versatile midfielder who is equally capable in attack and defence. Playing his club football with Dutch giants Feyenoord, Tapia has become a mainstay of the Peruvian starting eleven, where he is developing into one of South America's best midfielders.
"Since the beginning of 2016, Peru have only lost 3 (11%) of 27 matches"
Betting Tip
Peru to finish on 4 points at the end of the group stages @ $4. Expect the Peruvians to get all 3 points against the Aussies leaving them to only need a draw against Denmark or France, which would not surprise.
Denmark: Quality all over the park
Coming into their final qualification match against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin, many doubted that Denmark would secure a plane ticket to Russia. However, with star man Christian Eriksen stepping up to the plate to score a treble in a 5-1 demolition of the Irish, the Scandinavian nation returned to the World Cup after an absence in 2014.
With most of their starting line-up playing club football in Europe's top four leagues, Denmark will be a tricky opposition to face. They have more than enough quality to see them progress well beyond the group stages.
Add the much-maligned striker Nicklas 'Lord' Bendtner in the mix, who is perhaps finally ready to live up to his lofty status, and you have a genuine dark horse of the competition.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Denmark's strength is that they have at least one high-quality player in each position. Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, Defender Andreas Christensen, Midfielder Christian Eriksen and Forward Yussuf Poulsen are all highly capable of producing game-winning moments.
However unlike Group C rivals Peru, Denmark have shown a tendency to become disjointed when things aren't going their way, especially if Eriksen has an off performance.
The Danes will want to overturn their poor recent performances in big tournaments, where they were eliminated in the group stage of both Euro 2012 and the 2010 World Cup.
Best Player
Tottenham attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen has impressed so much for club and country in recent years that he is being lined up by Barcelona as a replacement for Iniesta. This comparison speaks volumes about the diminutive Dane, who along with his passing and dribbling proficiencies, led his nation in goals during the European Qualifiers.
As the player who pulls all the strings in the centre of the park, his performance will be crucial to Denmark's overall success.
Player to Watch
Exciting and dangerous winger Pione Sisto will have opposition defenders on edge. With pace, unpredictability and flair, Sisto will be looking to feed off Eriksen's through balls and race away on goal.
"In their last 4 competitive away matches, Denmark have recorded 4 victories, 3 by a margin of 2 goals or more"
Betting Tip
Denmark's top goal scorer to be Christian Eriksen @ $2.85. The Spurs midfielder will be taking all of the Dane's free kicks and penalties, so expect him to have a bag-full by tournament's end.
May 29, 2018 12:57 PM
AAP
France: Time for golden generation to shine
Australia: Expect the worst but hope for the best
Peru: Surprise packets from South America
Denmark: Quality all over the park
