World Cup 2018 - Which 32 Teams Have Qualified For Russia

17/06/2018 World Cup 2018 - which 32 teams have qualified for Russia?
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World Cup 2018 - which 32 teams have qualified

for Russia?
 21 Nov Football  
Germany are the defending world champions, beating Argentina 1-0 in the 2014
final
World Cup qualifying is over, and all 31 countries who will join hosts in
Russia next summer have been confirmed.
Five-time winners Brazil are there, as are defending champions Germany,

plus Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia,
Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Iceland, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Morocco,
Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia and Uruguay.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/41147762 1/40
South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia and Uruguay.
17/06/2018 World Cup 2018 - which 32 teams have qualified for Russia? - BBC Sport
So how did they get there? Who will be their star performers? And who
are the coaches who masterminded their qualification?
BBC Sport finds out more...
Europe
Russia (hosts)
Pedigree: Stanislav Cherchesov's side will be the fourth Russia team to

play at a World Cup - they first appeared at USA 94 - although the Soviet
Union finished fourth in 1966.
Spotlight on the hosts
All of Russia's 2017 Confederations Cup squad played their club football in
their homeland
Key player: Veteran goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev has won more than 100
caps and his experience could be vital. The 31-year-old, who has spent his
entire career at CSKA Moscow, is likely to captain the hosts.
Premier League players: None.
Who's the boss? Cherchesov rallied behind his side aer the
Confederations Cup, saying his players would "mature" because of the
experience. A former Soviet Union and Russia goalkeeper, he has been
given the target of reaching the semi-finals next summer.
Belgium
Pedigree: Having failed to qualify for the previous two tournaments,

Belgium reached the quarter-finals at Brazil 2014, losing to eventual
runners-up Argentina. The Red Devils' best finish was fourth in 1986.
Eden Hazard made his Belgium debut as a 17-year-old in 2008
Key player: Eden Hazard. The twinkle-toed Chelsea forward unlocks

defences with his rapid change of pace, close control and eye for a pass.
He also wears the captain's armband for Roberto Martinez's side.
Premier League players: Michy Batshuayi, Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard

(all Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Toby Alderweireld, Moussa
Dembele, Jan Vertonghen, (all Tottenham), Kevin De Bruyne, Vincent
Kompany (both Manchester City), Marouane Fellaini, Romelu Lukaku
(both Manchester United), Steven Defour (Burnley), Nacer Chadli (West
Brom), Kevin Mirallas (Everton), Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace), Divock
Origi (Wolfsburg, on loan from Liverpool), Christian Kabasele (Watford).
Scottish Premiership player: Dedryck Boyata (Celtic)
Who's the boss? Roberto Martinez's big achievement in English football

was guiding Wigan to FA Cup success in 2013, although they were
relegated three days later.
The former Swansea and Everton manager's prowess in organising an

attack has never been in question, but there were concerns over his
defensive aptitude at club level. That shouldn't be a problem with this
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Belgium outfit, who have the likes of Tottenham defenders Jan

Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, and Manchester City captain Vincent
Kompany in their ranks.
Croatia
Pedigree: Croatia gained admission to Fifa in June 1993, meaning they

were too late to compete for a place at the finals in the United States in
1994. However, they qualified for a finals at the first time of asking at
France 98 and have reached all but one of the five summer tournaments
since. Their best performance to date remains their first, when Davor
Suker, Zvonimir Boban et al helped them to a third place finish aer losing
to hosts and eventual winners France in the semis.
Key player: Luka Modric - once of Tottenham, now at Real Madrid - is the
creative force at the heart of the Croatia side. Blessed with superb touch
and vision, the 32-year-old has won the Champions League three times
with his current club. He recently clocked up a century for his country, for
whom he has scored 12 times.
Luke Modric moved to Real Madrid from Tottenham for £30m in August 2012
Premier League players: Dejan Lovren (Liverpool), Nikola Vlasic (Everton)

Who's the boss? Zlatko Dalic's reign as Croatia national team boss has
been short and sweet thus far. He only took over in October 2017,
replacing Ante Cacic, who le with one qualifying game le and the
country at serious risk of failing to make the play-offs. Dalic led Croatia to
a 2-0 win in Ukraine in his first game in charge to seal a play-off spot,
where they dispatched Greece 4-1 on aggregate. A midfielder in his
playing days, he spent the first seven years of this decade coaching in
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Denmark
Pedigree: This is the fih time Denmark have qualified for the tournament
and the first since 2010, when they went out in the group stages. Their
best performance was in 1998, when they reached the quarter-finals
before being knocked out by Brazil.
Key player: All of Denmark's best play goes through Tottenham

midfielder Christian Eriksen. Not only does he set up strikes for his team-
mates, the former Ajax player has chipped in with 18 goals from 74 caps.
Eriksen joined Tottenham from Ajax for £11m in August 2013
Premier League players: Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester), Jonas Lossl

(Huddersfield), Andreas Christensen (Chelsea), Mathias Jorgensen
(Huddersfield), Christian Eriksen (Tottenham), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
(Southampton).
Championship players: Jonas Knudsen (Ipswich), Henrik Dalsgaard,

Andreas Bjelland, Lasse Vibe (all Brentford), Martin Braithwaite
(Middlesbrough).
Who's the boss? Age Hareide, 64, replaced Morten Olsen aer Denmark
failed to reach Euro 2016. A former Manchester City and Norwich
defender, he has won the Swedish league twice and the Danish and
Norwegian leagues once each in his managerial career.
England
Pedigree: Since their solitary World Cup success in 1966, England have
reached the semi-finals only once - in 1990, when they finished fourth. In
2014, the Three Lions were knocked out in the group stage. That was the
first time since 1958 they failed to get out of their group, and the only
time they have been eliminated aer just two matches.
England failed to progress from the group stages of the World Cup in 2014
Key player: With 13 goals for club and country in September, Harry Kane
is one of the world's most in-form strikers. His 27 goals in 2017 puts him
only nine behind Lionel Messi.
Premier League players: The entire England squad play in the Premier
League.
Who's the boss? Gareth Southgate will take charge of his first major
tournament. England have lost twice under his stewardship - to Germany
and France - and are unbeaten in qualification.
France
Pedigree: France won the World Cup when they hosted the tournament in
1998 and also reached the final eight years later, losing on penalties to
Italy. They reached the quarter-finals in Brazil in 2014 and were runners-
up as hosts at Euro 2016.
Antoine Griezmann finished third in the 2016 Ballon d'Or, behind winner Cristiano
Ronaldo and runner-up Lionel Messi
Key player: Antoine Griezmann. The Atletico Madrid striker was the top
scorer with six goals as France reached the Euro 2016 final and scored the
second as France beat Belarus 2-1 to secure their qualification on 10
October.
Premier League players: Laurent Koscielny, Alexandre Lacazette and

Olivier Giroud (all Arsenal), Tiemoue Bakayoko and N'Golo Kante (both
Chelsea), Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace), Eliaquim Mangala and Benjamin
Mendy (both Manchester City), Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba (both
Manchester United), Kurt Zouma (Stoke, on loan from Chelsea), Hugo
Lloris and Moussa Sissoko (both Tottenham).
Who's the boss? Didier Deschamps played 103 times for France and
helped them win the 1998 World Cup and the European Championship in
2000. He has been national team boss since July 2012 and guided them to
the final of Euro 2016, although they lost 1-0 to Portugal aer extra time.
Germany
Pedigree: The defending champions, four-time winners (three as West

Germany) and number one team in the world.
Toni Kroos has scored 12 goals in 78 appearances for Germany
Key player: Toni Kroos. Apart from Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil, the
Real Madrid midfielder is the most experienced player in the squad and
keeps things ticking over. Since helping Germany win the 2014 World Cup,
he has won two Champions League titles, one La Liga title and two Fifa
Club World Cup titles.
Premier League players: Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal), Antonio Rudiger

(Chelsea), Emre Can (Liverpool), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Mesut
Ozil (Arsenal), Leroy Sane (Manchester City).
Who's the boss? Joachim Low. Worked as assistant manager to Jurgen

Klinsmann from 2004 to 2006, before being given the top job. The 57-
year-old guided Germany to victory in the 2014 World Cup final against
Argentina, and also triumphed at the Confederations Cup last year.
The international clean sweep has eluded him, though, with Germany
runners-up at Euro 2008 and third four years later.
Iceland
Pedigree: Iceland are heading to their first World Cup aer victory over
Kosovo on 9 October secured their place in Russia. This is clearly a golden
era for the Icelanders aer they reached Euro 2016, where they
memorably defeated England in their second-round tie before losing 5-2
against hosts France in the quarter-finals.
Key player: It is difficult to look beyond Everton's Gylfi Sigurdsson. The

28-year-old midfielder scored the opening goal against Kosovo and is a
superb striker of the ball from long range.
Sigurdsson was on the scoresheet as Iceland reached the World Cup for the first
time
Premier League players: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton), Johann Berg

Gudmundsson (Burnley).
Championship: Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City), Birkir Bjarnason (Aston

Villa), Horour Bjorgvin Magnusson (Bristol City), Jon Dadi Bodvarsson
(Reading).
Scottish Premiership player: Kari Arnason (Aberdeen).
Who's the boss? Keep smiling. Heimir Hallgrimsson, 50, is a dentist who
was in joint charge of the team in France alongside Swedish veteran Lars
Lagerback. Hallgrimsson took sole charge aer Euro 2016 and has
presided over a successful qualification campaign.
Poland
Pedigree: Poland are ranked sixth in the world. They have never won the
World Cup but many believe this is one of the country's strongest squads.
Their highest previous finish is third, which they achieved in 1974 and
1982.
Bayern Munich forward Lewandowski will appear in a World Cup for the first time
in Russia
Key player: Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski has scored 16

goals in nine qualifying matches for Poland and is their all-time record
goal-scorer. The skipper has scored 51 international goals in 91 games.
Premier League players: Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea), Grzegorz

Krychowiak (West Bromwich Albion).
Championship players: Pawel Wszolek (Queens Park Rangers), Kamil

Grosicki (Hull City).
Who's the boss? Adam Nawalka has been in charge since November 2013
and has overseen 39 matches as Poland manager. His contract is due to
run out in December but he guided the team to the quarter-finals of Euro
2016, just two years aer they failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, so
he is expected to remain in charge for his second major tournament.
Portugal
Pedigree: Portugal are the reigning European champions, having beaten

hosts France 1-0 in the final of Euro 2016. Their best performance at a
World Cup came when they finished third in 1966 and they also reached
the semi-finals in 2006 yet failed to make it out of the group phase in
Brazil in 2014.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 79 international goals for Portugal
Key player: Who else? Cristiano Ronaldo. He has been voted the best
player in the world four times, he is the country's most capped player and
also their record goalscorer. The Real Madrid forward, a four-time
Champions League winner, scored 15 goals for Portugal during their
World Cup qualification campaign.
Premier League players: Adrien Silva (Leicester), Bernardo Silva

(Manchester City), Cedric Soares (Southampton), Renato Sanches
(Swansea, on loan from Bayern Munich), Jose Fonte (West Ham).
Championship player: Nelson Oliveira (Norwich)
Scottish Premiership player: Bruno Alves (Rangers)
Who's the boss? Fernando Santos took charge in September 2014 and
guided Portugal to their first international success with victory in Euro
2016. He was manager of Greece during the 2014 World Cup, taking the
team into the last 16, where they lost to Costa Rica on penalties.
Serbia
Pedigree: Russia will be Serbia's 12th appearance at the World Cup -

having previously competed as part of the nations of Yugoslavia and
Serbia and Montenegro. They did not get beyond the group stage in 2006
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and 2010.
Branislav Ivanovic currently has 95 caps for Serbia
Key player: Branislav Ivanovic is closing in on his 100th cap and remains a
key player for Serbia. He is their captain and leader. "We look forward to
playing for you in Russia", he said in an address to the fans on the pitch
aer they secured qualification.
Premier League players: Nemanja Matic (Manchester United), Aleksandar

Mitrovic (Newcastle), Lazar Markovic (Liverpool), Dusan Tadic
(Southampton).
Who's the boss? Slavoljub Muslin, who was appointed in May 2016, is a
widely travelled coach. He is in his first role at national level and has never
been to a major tournament but he had domestic title success in Bulgaria.
Spain
Pedigree: Currently ranked 11th in the world. They held the number one
spot from 2008 until 2013. Spain were world champions in 2010, as well
as European champions in 2008 and 2012.
Isco scored two goals in Spain's 3-0 win over Italy in February
Key player: Real Madrid attacking midfielder Isco has been in fine form
during qualifying, with six goals and an assist in Spain's past seven
matches. He has seven goals in 23 appearances in his international career.
Premier League players: Juan Mata (Manchester United), Nacho Monreal

(Arsenal), Alvaro Morata (Chelsea), David de Gea (Manchester United),
Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Ander Herrera (Manchester United), Pedro
(Chelsea), David Silva (Manchester City).
Who's the boss? Julen Lopetegui was appointed in July 2016 and remains
unbeaten in 13 matches in charge. He has won the European
Championships with Spain's U21s and U19s, although he has never
coached a side at a senior major tournament.
Sweden
Sweden drew 2-2 with England in the group stage at their last World Cup, in 2006
Pedigree: Russia 2018 will be Sweden's 12th World Cup finals

appearance, but their first since 2006. They reached the final in 1958,
losing to Brazil, and finished third in 1994.
Key player: Replacing Zlatan Ibrahimovic was never going to be an easy

task, but Al Ain striker Marcus Berg scored eight times in 10 qualifying
matches as Sweden finished runners-up to France before beating Italy in
the play-offs.
Premier League players: Kristoffer Nordfeldt (Swansea City), Victor

Lindelof (Manchester United), Martin Olsson (Swansea City),
Championship players: Pontus Jansson (Leeds United), Seb Larsson (Hull

City)
Scottish Premiership player: Mikael Lustig (Celtic)
Who's the boss? Janne Andersson, 55, took over in 2016 aer five years
with IFK Norrkoping. He has guided his side to the World Cup in his first
qualifying campaign.
Switzerland
Pedigree: This is Switzerland's 11th World Cup, having reached the

quarter-finals three times - including when they hosted the tournament in
1954. They lost to eventual finalists Argentina in extra time in the last 16
in 2014.
Switzerland beat Northern Ireland in a tense play-off to clinch their place in Russia
Key player: Xherdan Shaqiri. The talented Stoke City playmaker has
scored 20 goals for his country, including a hat-trick against Honduras at
the last World Cup.
Premier League players: Granit Xhaka (Arsenal), Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke),

Edimilson Fernandes (West Ham), Shani Tarashaj (Everton), Florent
Hadergjonaj (Huddersfield, on loan from Ingolstadt)
Championship player: Timm Klose (Norwich)
Who's the boss? Vladimir Petkovic has been in charge of the Swiss since
2014 and led them to the last 16 at Euro 2016. The Sarajevo-born coach
has a Swiss passport and won the 2013 Coppa Italia as Lazio manager.
South America
Argentina
Pedigree: Argentina have won the World Cup twice - in 1978 and 1986 -
and been runners-up on three occasions, in 1930, 1990 and in Brazil in
2014, when they lost 1-0 to Germany in the final.
Lionel Messi helped Argentina win Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008
Key player: Lionel Messi. Messi, who has been voted the best player in the
world on five occasions, scored the hat-trick in the last round of South
American Qualifying against Ecuador to take Argentina to the finals.
Premier League players: Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Otamendi (both

Manchester City), Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Manuel Lanzini
(West Ham).
Who's the boss: Former Chile boss Jorge Sampaoli, who guided Chile to
the Copa America in 2015, became Argentina boss in May 2017. He
succeeded in his first task - to ensure Argentina qualified for the World
Cup.
Brazil
Pedigree: Winners in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002, Brazil were
beaten 7-1 at the semi-final stage by Germany in the World Cup they
hosted four years ago.
Paris St-Germain forward Neymar is the world's most expensive footballer
Key player: Neymar. The £200m forward is averaging a goal and an assist
per game since his world-record move to Paris St-Germain. Brazil legend
Pele says the 25-year-old is the country's best player and has backed him
to win the Ballon d'Or.
Premier League players: Ederson, Fernandinho, Gabriel Jesus (all

Manchester City), Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino (both Liverpool),
Willian (Chelsea).
Who's the boss? Brazil were sixth with a third of the qualifying campaign
gone when journeyman coach Tite replaced former Brazil midfielder
Dunga. The former Corinthians boss, 56, guided his country 10 points
clear of second-placed Uruguay by the time qualifying ended.
"What a difference a coach makes. Out went the snarling Dunga and in
came Tite - charismatic and intelligent - and he made an immediate
impact," South American football expert Tim Vickery told BBC Radio 5
live.
Colombia
Pedigree: Colombia produced their best ever performance at a World Cup

in Brazil in 2014 when they reached the quarter-finals, before losing 2-1
to hosts Brazil.
James Rodriguez was in the Real Madrid squad that won the Champions League in
both the last two seasons
Key player: James Rodriguez. The attacking midfielder, who is on loan at

Bayern Munich from Real Madrid, won the Golden Boot in the 2014 World
Cup, awarded to the top goalscorer in the competition. He scored six
goals in that World Cup.
Premier League players: David Ospina (Arsenal), Jose Izquierdo

(Brighton), Davinson Sanchez (Tottenham)
Who's the boss: Jose Pekerman has been in charge of the Colombia team
since 2012 and has won the South American Coach of the Year on three
occasions since then.
Peru
Pedigree: The 32nd and last team to qualify, Peru are heading to their
fih World Cup aer goals from Jefferson Farfan and Christian Ramos
gave them a 2-0 win over New Zealand in the play-offs. Their best result
came in 1970, when they finished seventh, and the last World Cup they
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World Cup 2018 - which 32 teams have qualified for Russia? - BBC Sport
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qualified for was in 1982. They're 10th in the Fifa rankings.
Key player: Farfan, who plays for Lokomotiv Moscow, has made 79
appearances for Peru, scoring 23 goals. The 33-year-old is known for his
speed and scored three goals in four matches during qualifying.
Peru became the last side to book their spot at next year's World Cup aer beating
New Zealand 2-0
Premier League player: Winger Andre Carrillo is playing for Watford aer
a loan move from Benfica. The 26-year-old has made 34 appearances for
Peru.
Who's the boss? Argentine Ricardo Gareca, nicknamed 'The Tiger', has
managed Peru since 2015. He played 20 times for Argentina and has been
a manager for more than 20 years. The 59-year-old introduced a
psychologist to the Peru team when he began coaching them.
Uruguay
Pedigree: Uruguay won the first World Cup in 1930 and then again in
1950, but they only reached the last 16 at Brazil 2014.
Luis Suarez has won the Golden Shoe, given to the top scorer in European club
football, on two occasions
Key player: Luis Suarez. Barcelona forward Suarez is the country's record
goalscorer and scored twice in their last qualifier against Bolivia to secure
their qualification.
Championship player: Abel Hernandez (Hull)
Who's the boss: Oscar Tabarez has been in charge of Uruguay since 2006
and guided them to the Copa America title in 2011.
North, Central America and Caribbean
Mexico
Pedigree: Mexico have reached the knockout stage in each of the past six
World Cups, and made the quarter-finals as hosts in 1986.
Key player: Hirving Lozano has scored three goals in three games since
leaving Pachuca for PSV Eindhoven this summer, and the 22-year-old is
also becoming the star of the national team, netting Mexico's winner
against Panama.
'Chucky' even impressed Argentina legend Diego Maradona on his

Eredivisie debut, and the Philips Stadion crowd gave the winger a standing
ovation following his first goal for PSV.
Premier League players: Javier Hernandez (West Ham).
Who's the boss? Former Manchester City assistant manager Juan Carlos
Osorio is the man in charge, but missed his side's Gold Cup campaign this
summer aer being given a six-match ban by Fifa for "using insulting
words and displaying an aggressive attitude towards officials" during the
Confederations Cup.
The Colombian, who graduated from Liverpool John Moores University

with a diploma in science and football, has been backed by a number of
experienced players in his squad following criticism from fans.
Costa Rica
Pedigree: Russia 2018 will be the fih time Los Ticos have appeared at a
World Cup finals. Last time out in Brazil, they finished top of a group
containing Uruguay, Italy, and bottom-placed England, before going out in
the quarter-finals on penalties to the Netherlands.
Key player: Bologna defender Giancarlo Gonzalez made the BBC pundits'
team of the tournament in 2014, but the man on whom Costa Rica's
recent success is built is Keylor Navas. The 30-year-old goalkeeper's
performances at the last World Cup earned him a move to Real Madrid.
Since then he has established himself as the number one there, winning
one Spanish league title and two Champions Leagues.
Navas celebrates qualifying for the 2018 World Cup
Premier League players: Arsenal striker Joel Campbell is Costa Rica's only
Premier League player - although he is on a season-long loan at La Liga
side Real Betis.
Scottish Premiership player: Cristian Gamboa (Celtic)
Who's the boss? Oscar Ramirez was a player when Costa Rica made their
World Cup debut in 1990. Since ending his playing career and moving into
coaching, he has carved out a reputation for being tactically astute and
creative, winning several league titles in club football before taking over
from Paulo Wanchope, who resigned aer being involved in a brawl
during a match against Panama, at the helm of the national side in 2015.
Panama
Panama
Pedigree: None. Panama reached their first World Cup finals with a victory
over Costa Rica that took advantage of the United States' defeat by
Trinidad & Tobago. They were runners-up at Concacaf's Gold Cup in 2013.
Key player: Roman Torres, 31, is a central defender who plays for Seattle
Sounders and whose composure and leadership will be vital if Panama are
to have any chance of making an impression in Russia. His name has
already been etched indelibly into Panama's history aer scoring the
winning goal against Costa Rica that clinched their qualification.
Hernan Dario Gomez has done a remarkable job by steering Panama to the finals
Premier League players: None. Only three of the current squad play in
Europe.
Who's the boss? Colombian Hernan Dario Gomez has had a varied
international coaching career, including managing his homeland twice.
This will be his third World Cup aer taking Colombia to the 1998 finals,
where they lost to England, and Ecuador to the 2002 tournament.
Asia
Australia
Pedigree: This will be the fourth consecutive World Cup appearance and a
fih overall for Australia. Their best performance came in 2006 when they
went out in the last 16, losing 1-0 to eventual champions Italy through a
95th-minute Francesco Totti penalty.
Tim Cahill has accumulated 103 caps for Aistralia
Key player: Tim Cahill may be 37 years old but he continues to be his
country's talisman. The former Everton midfielder has scored 11 times
during qualification, including the two decisive goals in Australia's second-
leg victory over Syria.
Premier League players: Mathew Ryan (Brighton), Aaron Moy

(Huddersfield), Brad Smith (Bournemouth), Adam Federici
(Bournemouth).
Championship players: Bailey Wright (Bristol City), Mile Jedinak (Aston

Villa), Massimo Luongo (QPR), Jackson Irvine (Hull City).
Scottish Premiership player: Tom Rogic (Celtic)
Who's the boss? No-one - at the moment. Greece-born Australian Ange

Postecoglou resigned six days aer the team qualified, saying the job had
ostecoglou es g ed s Worlddays
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ae t e tea qual ed, say g t e job ad
Cup 2018 - which 32 teams have qualified for Russia? - BBC Sport
"taken a toll" on him.
Iran
Pedigree: This is the fih time Iran have qualified for a World Cup, but
their only victory in the tournament remains a 2-1 win over the United
States at France 98.
Carlos Queiroz has led Iran to back-to-back World Cups
Key player: Striker Sardar Azmoun is arguably Asia's best striker since his
compatriot Ali Daei, who scored more international goals than any other
male player. The 22-year-old Azmoun is strong with both feet, and in the
air, and plays his club football for Russian side Rubin Kazan.
Premier League players: None
Who's the boss? Carlos Queiroz has a CV to rival any manager in

international football. Via Sporting Lisbon, South Africa, Real Madrid, Sir
Alex Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United and two stints in charge
of Portugal, it is with Iran that Queiroz has spent the past six years.
"They fight for their lives they fight for history they fight for their
They fight for their lives, they fight for history, they fight for their
reputations," said the Portuguese, having seen Iran become the highest-
placed Asian side in Fifa's rankings at 24th.
Iran ticket 'glitch' gave female fans hope
Japan
Pedigree: Mainstays in the competition since 1998, Japan have twice

reached the second round, including in 2002 when they jointly hosted the
tournament with South Korea.
Key player: Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa and Leicester forward Shinji
Okazaki will of course be key, but a young forward on the books at
Arsenal could be leading the line come next summer.
Takuma Asano has already netted three times for his country and helped
Stuttgart win promotion to the Bundesliga last season while on loan from
the Gunners. Arsene Wenger has called the 22-year-old "a talented young
striker and very much one for the future".
Premier League players: Maya Yoshida (Southampton), Shinji Okazaki

(Leicester City), Takuma Asano (Stuttgart, on loan from Arsenal).
Who's the boss? Vahid Halilhodzic, although that could change come the
finals if reports of unrest in the camp are true. The Bosnian, however, has
already proved his worth on the World Cup stage by leading Algeria to the
knockout stages for the first time in the country's history in 2014.
The former Yugoslavia forward has also coached teams such as Paris St-
Germain, Dinamo Zagreb and the Ivory Coast.
Saudi Arabia
Pedigree: Saudi Arabia's only victories at a World Cup came in their first
appearance in 1994, when they won two group matches and reached the
second round. Their second win - 1-0 against Belgium - featured one of
the greatest goals of all time when forward Saeed Al Owairan ran from his
own half and beat half the Belgian defence to score.
Key player: Yahya Al Shehri, a 27-year-old winger, has been at the centre
of the national team's rejuvenation since making his debut as a teenager.
He became the most expensive Saudi footballer in 2013 when he moved
from Ettifaq to Al-Nassr for £9.6m.
Who's the boss? Good question. Bert van Marwijk steered the team
through qualification but le just days aer the successful conclusion of
the campaign. He was replaced by former Argentina coach Edgardo Bauza
but he has since been sacked aer just five games in charge.
South Korea
Pedigree: No Asian team has a better World Cup pedigree than the side
nicknamed the Taegeuk Warriors. South Korea's goalless draw against
Uzbekistan secured a place at a 10th finals and the tournament in Russia
will be the ninth World Cup in a row in which they have featured.
Lee Dong-gook will be 39 by the time the World Cup begins in Russia
Key player: Son Heung-min has showcased his trickery at Tottenham and
is the stand-out name on the team sheet. He has managed just one
international goal since the start of 2016 however, as the side have
struggled in front of goal. And keep an eye out for Lee Dong-gook who
came on as a substitute in their final qualifier and will be 39 by the time
the World Cup comes around. The former Middlesbrough striker boasts
105 caps spanning 19 years.
Premier League players: Ki Sung-yueng (Swansea), Son Heung-min

(Tottenham)
Who is the boss? Shin Tae-yong has been nicknamed 'the Asian Mourinho'
but he has come under pressure as a result of their hit-and-miss displays
in qualifying. However, having only taken charge in July, he is likely to be
given time to get things right. The 48-year-old spent 12 years as a player
in South Korea's K-League and then made a single league appearance in
Australia before retiring in 2005.
Africa
Egypt
Pedigree: Egypt are currently 30th in Fifa's world rankings - one place
below the Netherlands. Having missed out on the 2010 and 2014
competitions aer play-off defeats, they qualified for Russia when
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scored an injury-time winner against Congo
on 8 October. Their last notable success at a major tournament was in
2010, when they lied the Africa Cup of Nations for the seventh time.
Mohamed Salah will be making his World Cup debut in Russia
Key player: Mohamed Salah, Liverpool's major summer signing, is Egypt's

most talented player. The speedy forward has scored 32 goals in 56
international appearances, including five during qualifying for Russia.
Premier League players: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Mohamed Elneny

(Arsenal), Ahmed Hegazy (West Brom), Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke),
Championship players: Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa).
League One players: Sam Morsy (Wigan).
Who's the boss? Argentinian Hector Cuper, who previously coached

Valencia and Inter Milan, was appointed in March 2015. He also managed
Georgia between 2008 and 2009. His only major tournament was the
2017 Africa Cup of Nations - where Egypt were defeated 2-1 in the final
by Cameroon.
Morocco
Pedigree: Morocco will be making their first appearance at a World Cup

finals in 20 years next summer. In 1998 in France, a win, a draw and a
defeat was not enough for them to qualify from the group stage. They
have managed this feat just once in four attempts at finals, in Mexico in
1986 when they reached the last 16, where they were beaten 1-0 by
eventual runners-up West Germany.
Key player: He has not been a regular with club side Juventus this season
(there is some stiff competition there at the back) but defender Medhi
(there is some stiff competition there at the back) but defender Medhi
Benatia is extremely highly rated at the Italian champions, who signed him
on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich this year following a successful
loan spell. The 30-year-old is Morocco's captain and has 52 caps to his
name, five of which came during a 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign in
which they did not concede a goal. He also scored one of the goals in the
2-0 win over Ivory Coast that sealed their place in Russia.
Medhi Benatia joined Juventus from Bayern Munich on a permanent deal in May
Premier League players: Sofiane Boufal (Southampton)
Championship players: Romain Saiss (Wolves)
Who is the boss? Frenchman Herve Renard has had something of a

nomadic coaching career since retiring from playing in 1998. One of his
early roles was as boss of Cambridge United, who he joined in the summer
of 2004 and le 25 games later with the club second bottom of League
Two. Since then he has won the Africa Cup of Nations twice, with Zambia
in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015. Aer an unsuccessful stint as Lille boss,
he took over as Morocco head coach in 2016.
Nigeria
Pedigree: This will be Nigeria's sixth appearance at a World Cup - and

their third in a row. They have reached the last 16 three times - 1994,
1998 and 2014 - but have never advanced beyond that stage.
Key player: Captain John Mikel Obi, the most experienced member of the
squad with 80 caps, will be a key figure for the Super Eagles in Russia. This
will be the former Chelsea midfielder's second World Cup - the 30-year-
old helped the team reach the knockout stages in 2014 for the first time
since 1998. He now plays in China with Tianjin Teda.
John Mikel Obi helped Nigeria win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations
Premier League players: Alex Iwobi (Arsenal), Victor Moses (Chelsea),

Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City), Ahmed
Musa (Leicester City) and Ola Aina (on loan at Hull City from Chelsea).
Who is the boss? Gernot Rohr has managed all over the world. From Nice
to Gabon, Burkina Faso to Nigeria, the 64-year-old German has extensive
knowledge. Rohr played at Bayern Munich and Bordeaux. He then
coached Bordeaux when they lost to Bayern in the 1996 Uefa Cup final.
Previous managerial jobs also include French club Nantes, Young Boys
Berne in Switzerland, Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel and the Niger national
team.
Senegal
Pedigree: This is the first time Senegal have qualified for the World Cup
since 2002 - and only the second time in history. In 2002, they reached the
quarter finals where they were beaten 1-0 by Turkey.
Key player: Sadio Mane is the West African team's most experienced
player with 48 caps and 14 goals since his debut in 2012. In 2015 he set a
new Premier League record for the fastest hat-trick aer scoring three
times in 176 seconds during a 6-1 Southampton win over Aston Villa.
When he transferred to Liverpool in 2016, he became the most expensive
African player in history at the time, for a fee of £34m.
Mane became the most expensive African player in history at the time, for a fee of
£34m
Premier League players: Cheikhou Kouyate (West Ham), Diafra Sakho

(West Ham), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Sadio Mane (Liverpool).
Championship players: Alfred N'Diaye (Wolves), Cheikh N'Doye

(Birmingham City),
Who is the boss? Aliou Cisse is a former Senegal, Pompey and

Birmingham City player. The 41-year-old briefly became head coach of the
team in a caretaker role aer Amara Traore's sacking in 2012. He then
coached Senegal's under-23 side from 2012-2013 before heading back to
the national team in a permanent position.
Tunisia
Pedigree: Next summer will represent the first time Tunisia have appeared
at a World Cup finals since the tournament in Germany in 2006, at which
they failed to make it beyond the group stage. In three finals appearances
prior to that - 1978, 1998 and 2002 - they failed to make the knockout
rounds.
Key player: Centre-back Aymen Abdennour is an experienced and

talented figure in Tunisia's defence. Currently on loan at French club
Marseille from Valencia, he has 57 international caps and has scored
twice. Previously linked with moves to the Premier League with both
Everton and Chelsea, the 28-year-old was recently reported to be on
Watford's radar.
Wahbi Khazri began this season in the Championship with Sunderland but joined
Rennes on loan in August
Championship players: Wahbi Khazri (Sunderland, on loan at Rennes)
Who is the boss? Nabil Maaloul is in his second spell as Tunisia coach. His
first lasted just seven games in 2013, which ended in his resignation aer
he failed to take his country to the 2014 World Cup finals. He returned in
April of 2017, following spells with El Jaish SC in Qatar and the Kuwait
national team. Prior to all this, he was assistant to then head coach Roger
Lemerre as Tunisia won the 2004 African Cup of Nations and led ES Tunis
to an historic treble in 2011. He won 74 caps for Tunisia during his playing
days as a midfielder in the 1980s and 1990s, representing them at the
Olympics in Seoul in 1988.
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World Cup 2018 - Which 32 Teams Have Qualified For Russia

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World Cup 2018 - Which 32 Teams Have Qualified For Russia

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17/06/2018 World Cup 2018 - which 32 teams have qualified for Russia?

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World Cup 2018 - which 32 teams have qualiﬁed

Five-time winners Brazil are there, as are defending champions Germany,

BBC Sport ﬁnds out more...

Pedigree: Stanislav Cherchesov's side will be the fourth Russia team to

Spotlight on the hosts

Premier League players: None.

Pedigree: Having failed to qualify for the previous two tournaments,

Eden Hazard made his Belgium debut as a 17-year-old in 2008

Key player: Eden Hazard. The twinkle-toed Chelsea forward unlocks

Premier League players: Michy Batshuayi, Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard

Scottish Premiership player: Dedryck Boyata (Celtic)

Who's the boss? Roberto Martinez's big achievement in English football

The former Swansea and Everton manager's prowess in organising an

Belgium outﬁt, who have the likes of Tottenham defenders Jan

Pedigree: Croatia gained admission to Fifa in June 1993, meaning they

Premier League players: Dejan Lovren (Liverpool), Nikola Vlasic (Everton)

Key player: All of Denmark's best play goes through Tottenham

Eriksen joined Tottenham from Ajax for £11m in August 2013

Premier League players: Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester), Jonas Lossl

Championship players: Jonas Knudsen (Ipswich), Henrik Dalsgaard,

Premier League players: Laurent Koscielny, Alexandre Lacazette and

Pedigree: The defending champions, four-time winners (three as West

Toni Kroos has scored 12 goals in 78 appearances for Germany

Premier League players: Shkodran Mustaﬁ (Arsenal), Antonio Rudiger

Who's the boss? Joachim Low. Worked as assistant manager to Jurgen

Key player: It is diﬃcult to look beyond Everton's Gylﬁ Sigurdsson. The

Premier League players: Gylﬁ Sigurdsson (Everton), Johann Berg

Championship: Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiﬀ City), Birkir Bjarnason (Aston

Scottish Premiership player: Kari Arnason (Aberdeen).

Key player: Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski has scored 16

Premier League players: Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea), Grzegorz

Championship players: Pawel Wszolek (Queens Park Rangers), Kamil

Pedigree: Portugal are the reigning European champions, having beaten

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 79 international goals for Portugal

Premier League players: Adrien Silva (Leicester), Bernardo Silva

Championship player: Nelson Oliveira (Norwich)

Scottish Premiership player: Bruno Alves (Rangers)

Pedigree: Russia will be Serbia's 12th appearance at the World Cup -

Branislav Ivanovic currently has 95 caps for Serbia

Premier League players: Nemanja Matic (Manchester United), Aleksandar

Premier League players: Juan Mata (Manchester United), Nacho Monreal

Pedigree: Russia 2018 will be Sweden's 12th World Cup ﬁnals

Key player: Replacing Zlatan Ibrahimovic was never going to be an easy

Premier League players: Kristoﬀer Nordfeldt (Swansea City), Victor

Championship players: Pontus Jansson (Leeds United), Seb Larsson (Hull

Scottish Premiership player: Mikael Lustig (Celtic)

Pedigree: This is Switzerland's 11th World Cup, having reached the

Premier League players: Granit Xhaka (Arsenal), Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke),

Championship player: Timm Klose (Norwich)

Lionel Messi helped Argentina win Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008

Premier League players: Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Otamendi (both

hosted four years ago.

Paris St-Germain forward Neymar is the world's most expensive footballer

Premier League players: Ederson, Fernandinho, Gabriel Jesus (all

Pedigree: Colombia produced their best ever performance at a World Cup

Key player: James Rodriguez. The attacking midﬁelder, who is on loan at

Premier League players: David Ospina (Arsenal), Jose Izquierdo

Championship player: Abel Hernandez (Hull)

North, Central America and Caribbean

'Chucky' even impressed Argentina legend Diego Maradona on his