Coach Stanislav Cherchesov Group Fifa rank Rank A 66 The hosts are under pressure to perform but they are one of the lowest-ranked teams at the World Cup and the squad has been depleted by injuries. Read a tactical analysis here. Star player Igor Akinfeev Strengths Russia have a clear gameplan and have benefited from a switch to a back three, which most players use at club level. There are also a number of good box-to-box players in the squad. Weaknesses Russia will sorely miss the injured striker Aleksandr Kokorin while the wing-backs are arguably too old and the centre-backs too young and inexperienced.<doc-sep>By the time most people hit the magic number of forty years of age, you wouldn’t expect them to be taking to the pitch at the highest level. But, for a number of players at the 2018 World Cup, they're looking to defy the social norms. They will be representing their nation in Russia for what could be the final time. We’ve come up with a starting eleven of the oldest players that are going to be at the World Cup, and we’ve gone with a classic 4-4-2 formation for this team. The Oldest Players at the World Cup Starting XI GOALKEEPER: Essam El Hadary (45, Egypt) — This guy gets his first and last chance at playing in a World Cup with Egypt, as they qualified for the first time in 24 years. It will be incredible to see El Hadary get his opportunity at the ripe age of 45, but that’s the beauty of the World Cup, isn’t it? Embed from Getty Images DEFENDERS: Rafael Marquez (39, Mexico), Sergei Ignashevich (38, Russia), Felipe Baloy (37, Panama), Bruno Alves (36, Portugal) — You can bet there is plenty of experience in this backline, but little to no pace. Imagine playing with these defenders on FIFA. You’re just asking to concede plenty of goals. Experience does count for something, but depending on who each player is defending against in a match, it could get ugly. Maybe these guys were included in their respective World Cup squads purely for their experience and wisdom. Because, you know, old people are wise and stuff. Marquez already has retired from his club side Atlas, so this World Cup will sadly be the last time we see him on a soccer field. Embed from Getty Images MIDFIELDERS: Olafur Ingi Skulason (35, Iceland), Andres Iniesta (34, Spain), Yuri Zhirkov (34, Russia), Michael Krohn-Dehli (34, Denmark) — There is still a lot of skill left in this midfield, largely thanks to Iniesta and Zhrikov. Iniesta is likely to be the player in this lineup that makes it the furthest in the tournament as well as getting actual playing time, and he could still make an impact. 2010 World Cup final, anyone? For Zhirkov, at least he will get the opportunity to play at a World Cup in front of his own nation, a very special occasion for any player. FORWARDS: Tim Cahill (38, Australia), Blas Perez (37, Panama) — Tim Cahill had a number of petrol stations named after him in Australia, such is his hero status back in the "Land Down Under." This will be his fourth World Cup, and he has also scored in the previous three World Cups he played in, including the absolute screamer that he scored against the Netherlands in 2014. Could he repeat those heroics four years on?<doc-sep>MOSCOW: Just nine days remain until the 2018 World Cup gets underway on Jun 14, when hosts Russia take on Saudi Arabia in the opening match. All 32 countries have announced their squads, with 736 players headed to the biggest showpiece in sport. Advertisement Advertisement Who are your favourites for the World Cup? Let us know in the comments below. GROUP A File photo of Egypt's star Mohamed Salah, who will be one of those expecting to light up World Cup 2018. (Photo: Reuters / Amr Abdallah Dalsh) RUSSIA Advertisement Advertisement Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Gabulov (Brugge/BEL), Andrey Lunev (Zenit St Petersburg) Defenders: Vladimir Granat (Rubin Kazan), Fyodor Kudryashov (Rubin Kazan), Ilya Kutepov (Spartak Moscow), Andrey Semyonov (Akhmat Grozny), Igor Smolnikov (Zenit St Petersburg), Mario Fernandes (CSKA Moscow), Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow) Midfielders: Yury Gazinsky (Krasnodar), Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow), Alexander Golovin (CSKA Moscow), Alexander Erokhin (Zenit St Petersburg), Yury Zhirkov (Zenit St Petersburg), Daler Kuzyaev (Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Zobnin (Spartak Moscow, Alexander Samedov (Spartak Moscow), Anton Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Denis Cheryshev (Villarreal/ESP) Forwards: Artem Dzyuba (Arsenal Tula), Alexei Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Fyodor Smolov (Krasnodar) Advertisement SAUDI ARABIA Goalkeepers: Yasser al-Mosaileem (Al-Ahli), Abdullah al-Mayouf (Al-Hilal), Mohammed al-Owais (Al-Ahli) Defenders: Mansour al-Harbi (Al-Ahli), Yasser al-Shahrani (Al-Hilal), Osama Hawsawi (Al-Hilal), Omar Hawsawi (Al-Nassr), Motaz Hawsawi (Al-Ahli), Ali al-Bulayhi (Al-Hilal), Mohammed al-Burayk (Al-Hilal) Midfielders: Abdulla Otayf (Al-Hilal), Salman al-Faraj (Al-Hilal), Mohammed Kanno (Al-Hilal), Abdullah al-Khaibari (Al-Shabab), Hussein al-Moqahwi (Al-Ahli), Abdulmalik al-Khaibari (Al-Hilal), Hattan Bahebri (Al Shabab), Salem al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal), Taisir al-Jassim (Al-Ahli), Yahya al-Shehri (Al-Nassr), Fahad al-Muwallad (Al-Ittihad) Forwards: Mohannad Assiri (Al-Ahli), Mohammed al-Sahlawi (Al-Nassr) EGYPT Goalkeepers: Essam El Hadary (Al Taawoun/KSA), Mohamed El Shenawy (Al Ahly), Sherif Ekramy (Al Ahly) Defenders: Ahmed Fathi (Al Ahly), Saad Samir (Al Ahly), Ayman Ashraf (Al Ahly), Ahmed Hegazi (West Bromwich Albion/ENG), Ali Gabr (West Bromwich Albion/ENG), Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa/ENG), Mohamed Abdel-Shafi (Al Fateh/KSA), Omar Gaber (Los Angeles/USA), Mahmoud Hamdy (Zamalek) Midfielders: Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal/ENG), Tarek Hamed (Zamalek), Sam Morsy (Wigan/ENG), Mahmoud Abdel Razek (Al Raed/KSA), Abdallah El Said (Al Ahly), Mahmoud Hassan (Kasimpasa/TUR), Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke City/ENG), Amr Warda (Atromitos/GRE), Mahmoud Abdel-Moneim (Al Ittihad/KSA) Forwards: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool/ENG), Marwan Mohsen (Al Ahly) URUGUAY Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray/TUR), Martin Silva (Vasco da Gama/BRA), Martin Campana (Independiente/ARG) Defenders: Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Sebastian Coates (Sporting Lisbon/POR), Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid/ENG), Maximiliano Pereira (FC Porto/POR), Gaston Silva (Independiente/ARG), Martin Caceres (Lazio/ITA), Guillermo Varela (Penarol) Midfielders: Nahitan Nandez (Boca Juniors/ARG), Lucas Torreira (Sampdoria/ITA), Matias Vecino (Inter Milan/ITA), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid/ESP), Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus/ITA), Carlos Sanchez (Monterrey/MEX), Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Cruzeiro/BRA), Diego Laxalt (Genoa/ITA), Cristian Rodriguez (Penarol), Jonathan Urretaviscaya (Monterrey/MEX), Nicolas Lodeiro (Seattle Sounders/USA), Gaston Ramirez (Sampdoria/ITA) Forwards: Cristhian Stuani (Girona/ITA), Maximiliano Gomez (Celta Vigo/ESP), Edinson Cavani (PSG/FRA), Luis Suarez (Barcelona/ESP) GROUP B Portugal will be looking to captain Cristiano Ronaldo for inspiration at the World Cup. AFP/FRANCISCO LEONG PORTUGAL Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes (Lyon/FRA), Beto (Goztepe/TUR), Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon) Defenders: Bruno Alves (Glasgow Rangers/SCO), Cedric Soares (Southampton/ENG), José Fonte (Dalian Yifang/CHN), Mario Rui (Napoli/ITA), Pepe (Besiktas/TUR), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Ricardo Pereira (FC Porto), Ruben Dias (Benfica) Midfielders: Adrien Silva (Leicester City/ENG), Bruno Fernandes (Sporting Lisbon), Joao Mario (West Ham/ENG), Joao Moutinho (Monaco/FRA), Manuel Fernandes (Lokomotiv Moscow/RUS), William Carvalho (Sporting Lisbon), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City/ENG) Forwards: Andre Silva (AC Milan/ITA), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/ESP), Gelson Martins (Sporting Lisbon), Goncalo Guedes (Valencia/ESP - on loan from Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas/TUR) SPAIN Goalkeepers: David de Gea (Manchester United/ENG), Pepe Reina (Napoli/ITA), Kepa Arrizabalaga (Athletic Bilbao) Defenders: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Alvaro Odriozola (Real Sociedad), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Nacho (Real Madrid), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea/ENG), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Nacho Monreal (Arsenal/ENG) Midfielders: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Saul Niguez (Atletico Madrid), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Alcantara (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), David Silva (Manchester City/ENG) Forwards: Isco (Real Madrid), Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), Lucas Vazquez (Real Madrid), Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo), Rodrigo (Valencia), Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid) MOROCCO Goalkeepers: Mounir El Kajoui (Numancia/ESP), Yassine Bounou (Girona/ESP), Ahmad Reda Tagnaouti (Ittihad Tanger) Defenders: Mehdi Benatia (Juventus/ITA), Romain Saiss (Wolverhampton/ENG), Manuel Da Costa (Basaksehir/TUR), Nabil Dirar (Fenerbahce/TUR), Achraf Hakimi (Real Madrid/ESP), Hamza Mendyl (Lille/FRA) Midfielders: M'barek Boussoufa (Al Jazira/UAE), Karim El Ahmadi (Feyenoord/NED), Youssef Ait Bennasser (Caen/FRA), Sofyan Amrabat (Feyenoord/NED), Younes Belhanda (Galatasaray/TUR), Faycal Fajr (Getafe/ESP), Amine Harit (Schalke 04/GER) Forwards: Khalid Boutaib (Malatyaspor/TUR), Aziz Bouhaddouz (Saint Pauli/GER), Ayoub El Kaabi (Renaissance Berkane), Nordin Amrabat (Leganes/ESP), Mehdi Carcela (Standard Liege/BEL), Hakim Ziyech (Ajax/NED), Youssef En-Nesyri (Malaga/ESP) IRAN Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis), Rashid Mazaheri (Zob Ahan), Amir Abedzadeh (Maritimo/POR) Defenders: Ali Gholizadeh (Saipa), Majid Hosseini (Esteghlal), Milad Mohammadi (Akhmat Grozny/RUS), Mohammad Khanzadeh (Padideh), Morteza Pouraliganji (Alsaad/QAT), Pejman Montazeri (Esteghlal), Ramin Rezaeian (Ostende/BEL), Roozbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal) Midfielders: Ehsan Haji Safi (Olympiacos/GRE), Karim Ansarifard (Olympiacos/GRE), Masoud Shojaei (AEK Athens/GRE), Mahdi Torabi (Saipa), Omid Ebrahimi (Esteghlal), Saeid Ezatolahi (Amkar Perm/RUS) Forwards: Alireza Jahanbakhsh (AZ Alkmaar/NED), Ashkan Dejageh (Nottingham Forest/ENG), Mahdi Taremi (Al-Gharafa/QAT), Reza Ghoochannejhad (Heerenveen/NED), Saman Ghoddos (Ostersunds/SWE), Sardar Azmoun (Rubin Kazan/RUS), Vahid Amiri (Persepolis) GROUP C Paul Pogba is expected to lead the charge for France in Group C. (Photo: Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes) FRANCE Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur/ENG), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain) Defenders: Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City/ENG), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart/GER), Adil Rami (Marseille), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona/ESP), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid/ESP) Midfielders: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea/ENG), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus/ITA), Steven N'Zonzi (Sevilla/ESP), Paul Pogba (Manchester United/ENG), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich/GER) Forwards: Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona/ESP), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea/ENG), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Thomas Lemar (Monaco), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Florian Thauvin (Marseille) AUSTRALIA Goalkeepers: Mat Ryan (Brighton/ENG), Danny Vukovic (Genk/BEL), Brad Jones (Feyenoord/NED) Defenders: Aziz Behich (Bursaspor/TUR), Milos Degenek (Yokohama F. Marinos/JPN), Matthew Jurman (Suwon Bluewings/KOR), James Meredith (Millwall/ENG), Josh Risdon (Western Sydney), Trent Sainsbury (Grasshoppers Zurich/SUI) Midfielders: Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa/ENG), Jackson Irvine (Hull/ENG), Robbie Kruse (Bochum/GER), Massimo Luongo (Queens Park Rangers/ENG), Mark Milligan (Al Ahli/KSA), Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield/ENG), Tom Rogic (Celtic/SCO) Forwards: Tim Cahill (Millwall/ENG), Tomi Juric (FC Lucerne/SUI), Matthew Leckie (Hertha Berlin/GER), Andrew Nabbout (Urawa Red Diamonds/JPN), Dimitri Petratos (Newcastle Jets), Daniel Arzani (Melbourne City), Jamie Maclaren (Hibernian/SCO) PERU Goalkeepers: Pedro Gallese (Veracruz/MEX), Jose Carvallo (UTC), Carlos Caceda (Municipal) Defenders: Luis Advincula (Lobos/MEX), Miguel Araujo (Alianza Lima), Aldo Corzo (Universitario), Nilson Loyola (Melgar), Christian Ramos (Veracruz/MEX), Alberto Rodríguez (Junior/COL), Anderson Santamaria (Puebla/MEX), Miguel Trauco (Flamengo/BRA) Midfielders: Pedro Aquino (Lobos/MEX), Wilmer Cartagena (Veracruz/MEX), Christian Cueva (Sao Paulo/BRA), Edison Flores (Aalborg/DEN), Paolo Hurtado (Vitoria Guimaraes/POR), Andy Polo (Portland Timbers/USA), Renato Tapia (Feyernoord/NED), Yoshimar Yotun (Orlando City/USA) Attackers: Andre Carrillo (Watford/ENG), Raul Ruidiaz (Morelia/MEX), Jefferson Farfan (Lokomotiv/RUS), Paolo Guerrero (Flamengo/BRA) DENMARK Goalkeepers: Frederik Ronnow (Brondby), Jonas Lossl (Huddersfield/ENG), Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester/ENG) Defenders: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea/ENG), Henrik Dalsgaard (Brentford/ENG), Jannik Vestergaard (Borussia Monchengladbach/GER), Jens Stryger Larsen (Udinese/ITA), Jonas Knudsen (Ipswich/ENG), Mathias Jorgensen (Huddersfield/ENG), Simon Kjaer (Sevilla/ESP) Midfielders: Christian Eriksen (Tottenham/ENG), Lasse Schone (Ajax/NED), Lukas Lerager (Bordeaux/FRA), Michael Krohn-Dehli (Deportivo La Coruna/ESP), Thomas Delaney (Werder Bremen/GER), Willian Kvist (FC Copenhagen) Forwards: Andreas Cornelius (Atalanta/ITA), Kasper Dolberg (Ajax/NED), Martin Braithwaite (Bordeaux/FRA), Nicolai Jorgensen (Feyenoord/NED), Pione Sisto (Celta Vigo/ESP), Viktor Fischer (FC Copenhagen), Yussuf Yurary Poulsen (RB Leipzig/GER) GROUP D Lionel Messi will surely be aiming to win the World Cup for the first time in his extraordinary career. (Photo: AFP) ARGENTINA Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Manchester United/ENG), Wilfredo Caballero (Chelsea/ENG), Franco Armani (River Plate) Defenders: Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla/ESP), Cristian Ansaldi (Torino/ITA), Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City/ENG), Federico Fazio (Roma/ITA), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United/ENG), Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax/NED), Marcos Acuna (Sporting Lisbon/POR) Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Hebei China Fortune/CHN), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica/POR), Lucas Biglia (AC Milan/ITA), Giovani Lo Celso (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Ever Banega (Sevilla/ESP), Manuel Lanzini (West Ham/ENG), Maximiliano Meza (Independiente), Angel di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors) Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona/ESP), Paulo Dybala (Juventus/ITA), Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus/ITA), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City/ENG) ICELAND Goalkeepers: Hannes Halldorsson (Randers/DEN), Runar Runarsson (Nordsjaelland/DEN), Frederik Schram (Roskilde/DEN) Defenders: Kari Arnason (Aberdeen/SCO), Holmar Eyjolfsson (Levski Sofia/BUL), Rurik Gislason (Sandhausen/GER), Sverrir Ingason (Rostov/RUS), Hordur Magnusson (Bristol City/ENG), Birkir Saevarsson (Valur), Ragnar Sigurdsson (Rostov/RUS), Ari Skulason (Lokeren/BEL) Midfielders: Birkir Bjarnason (Aston Villa/ENG), Samuel Fridjonsson (Valerenga/NOR), Johann Gudmundsson (Burnley/ENG), Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City/WAL), Emil Hallfredsson (Udinese/ITA), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton/ENG), Olafur Skulason (Karabukspor/TUR), Arnor Traustason (Malmo/SWE)<doc-sep>
The road to the World Cup was not a smooth one for Argentina. The South Americans almost missed out on the tournament this year, following their mediocre displays in the qualifiers. It was one man, Lionel Messi that decided the fate of the nation, bagging a fantastic hat-trick against Ecuador to send Jorge Sampaoli's men through. Now that preparations are underway for the prestigious tournament, the expectations are rising again as many people consider the Albiceleste as one of the favorites to lift the trophy. While many people are looking forward to seeing how Jorge Sampaoli will fit Lionel Messi and Paulo Dybala in the same formation, the manager himself recognizes that his task is much bigger than that. Sampaoli understands that this could be the last chance for his all-star squad to claim the World Cup trophy. Despite the level of quality in the team, the manager also recognizes that he needs to find a way of utilizing the amazing superstars at his disposal, in order to get a shot at the prestigious trophy in Russia. Therefore, we suggest 3 fantastic ways the 58-year-old can arrange his team in order to come out victorious in the tournament this year: Goalkeeper: Chelsea's Wilfredo Caballero should feature between the sticks, with River Plate's Franco Armani serving as his backup. #3. The 4-1-3-2 Formation Argentina Training Session Since the Albiceleste have a lot of quality up front, let us begin with a formation that allows them to use their attackers efficiently. The 4-1-3-2 is one of the best formations for attacking teams and it will definitely suit Jorge Sampaoli's men in the World Cup in Russia. Starting from the back, Nicolas Otamendi should be paired with Federico Fazio in the center of the defense. Both men are capable of absorbing incoming attacks using their amazing physicality and aggression, and they are also efficient in the air. By virtue of his decent performances with Manchester United last term, Marcos Rojo should start on the left while Gabriel Mercado should occupy the right-back position. One of the most experienced players in the squad, Javier Mascherano should be deployed as a defensive midfielder. Barcelona playmaker, Lionel Messi should operate as an attacking midfielder with the freedom to roam in the offensive areas. Juventus superstar, Paulo Dybala should start on the right flank beside Messi while Angel Di Maria should play next to the Barcelona maestro on the left. Argentina's 2-man attack should consist of Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero. The two players are both amazing when it comes to putting the ball into the back of the net. With an attacking formation consisting of Messi, Dybala, Di Maria, Aguero, and Higuain, we can expect the Albiceleste to rack up plenty of goals in the tournament this year. 1 / 3 NEXT