Watch the draw of teams from Moscow, Friday, December 1, 10 a.m. ET, televised at FS1 and streaming at FIFA.com.
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France: After a much-needed roster makeover from their 2010 South Africa World Cup debacle and a winless performance that saw the Frenchmen eliminated, the 2014 Brazil World Cup roster introduced confident, energetic, and young stars.
Paul Pogba (photo, ibtimes.co.uk)
France, led by Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba, reached the quarterfinal with minimal problems, only to be eliminated by eventual champion, Germany 1–0.
This French group will also look to avenge their 2016 Euro finals 1–0 loss to Cristiano Ronaldo-less Portugal.
Without a recent major tournament win for this young French team, it’s hard to select them as the leading favorite, but they can pose a serious threat if they stay healthy.
Players to watch: Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba, Dimitri Payet
Brazil: Brazil are keen to begin the 2018 World Cup and erase memories of their disastrous semifinal performance against Germany, losing 7–1 in front of the home crowd.
Goal.com
Neymar Jr,, who was a recent finalist for Best FIFA Men’s Player, was absent for the semifinal game against Germany due to a back injury sustained in the previous game. Neymar will surely be the central focus of Brazil’s attacking strategy heading into Russia 2018.
Many analysts and fans are eager to jump on the Brazilian ship because of the potential of Neymar and the surrounding cast of speedy, young weapons around him to support.
I’m just not a firm believer of Brazil to reach the finals. But, at the very least, they will be an interesting storyline to follow.
Players to watch: Neymar Jr., Willian, Marcelo
Germany: This generation of German players continues to put on a display of dominating soccer. That means the future looks as bright as ever.
Manual Neuer (photo, The Daily Mail)
Germany is the heavy favorite, by far, and for good reason. They should return nearly all starters from the 2014 team in Brazil, including Thomas Müller and Toni Kroos, and will surely bring another experienced roster deep enough to fill in any role during the tournament.
The biggest question mark for Germany is the health of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Considered by most as the current best goalkeeper in the modern era, Neuer is currently recovering from surgery on a broken right foot. He’s expected to return by early 2018–if his rehab schedule goes as planned.
Players to watch: Thomas Müller, David Alaba, Mario Götze
Underdogs
James Rodriguez (Daily Mirror)
Colombia: Colombia can be considered a dark horse heading into Russia if they are dealt a favorable path to the World Cup final and remain healthy.
After their loss to Argentina in the previous World Cup semifinals, this group led James Rodriguez felt there was a sense of underachievement.
With a supporting cast of world-class players, including Juan Cuadrado, Radamel Falcao, and David Ospina, Colombia’s roster brings a balanced team equipped to attack and defend at a high rate.
But will they able to adapt to the cold playing conditions to compete deep into the tournament?
Juan Carlos Osorio (photo, AS Columbia)
Mexico: Mexico’s issues remain ingrained in the DNA of this federation–a shaky backline complimented by inconsistent finishing. But under the tenure of Colombian manager, Juan Carlos Osorio, Mexico has reemerged atop CONCACAF, qualifying first out of the region.
Their backline confusions and inconsistencies must be solved by the end of the group stages. Otherwise, there is little chance of Mexico advancing past the round of 32.
It’s hard to deny the attacking prowess sprinkled throughout this roster, but will they finish enough chances to establish themselves as contenders? We shall see.
