The FIFA World Cup is only days away and each team is in the last stages of preparation for the biggest tournament in the soccer world. Sunday is the deadline for teams to submit their rosters but a number of countries have already finalized their 26-man squads.
Here is a breakdown of every roster announced so far, with updates expected throughout the weekend.
Goalkeepers: Saad Al Sheeb, Meshaal Barsham, Yousuf Hassan
Defenders: Pedro Miguel, Musaab Khidir, Tarek Salman, Bassam Al Rawi, Khoukhi Boualem, Abdelkarim Hassan, Ismael Mohammed, Homam Al Amin
Midfielders: Jassim Jabir, Ali Asad, Mohammed Waad, Salem Al Hajri, Assim Modibo, Mustafa Meshaal, Karim Boudiaf, Abdulaziz Hatim, Naif Alhadhrami
Forwards: Hassan Al-Haydos, Akram Afif, Almoez Ali, Mohammed Muntari, Ahmed Alaa, Khalid Muneer
Ecuador notably left Byron Castillo off its roster, after a number of legal hurdles related to the defender nearly cost the South American side from participating in the tournament.
Both Chile and Peru accused Castillo of being Colombian and therefore an illegal member of the Ecuador side but that claim was rejected following a review.
Goalkeepers: Moisés Ramírez (Independiente del Valle), Alexander Domínguez (Liga de Quito), Hernán Galíndez (Aucas).
Defenders: Piero Hincapié (Bayer Leverkusen), Robert Arboleda (Sao Paulo), Pervis Estupiñán (Brighton), Angelo Preciado (Genk), Jackson Porozo (Troyes), Xavier Arreaga (Seattle Sounders), Diego Palacios (Los Angeles), Félix Torres (Santos Laguna), William Pacho (Royal Antwerp).
Midfielders: Carlos Gruezo (Augsburg), José Cifuentes, Jhegson Méndez (Los Angeles), Moisés Caicedo (Brighton), Jeremy Sarmiento (Brighton), Alan Franco (Talleres), Ángel Mena (León), Ayrton Preciado (Santos), Gonzalo Plata (Valladolid), Romario Ibarra (Pachuca).
Forwards: Djorkaeff Reasco (Newell’s Old Boys), Énner Valencia (Fenerbahçe), Kevin Rodríguez (Imbabura), Michael Estrada (Cruz Azul).
Though Senegal doesn’t find themselves in the hardest group, they do potentially find themselves without the help of Sadio Mané who is likely to miss at least part of the tournament due to a leg injury. The superstar forward led Senegal to their first-ever title in the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, scoring three goals at the tourney as well as the winning penalty against Egypt in the finals.
The Lions are entering this tournament on the back of what has become their Golden Generation. Players like keeper Edouard Mendy, captain Kalidou Koulibaly and midfielder Idrissa Gueye have made their marks in the Premier League and across Europe. The hope is that this Senegal team goes further than any team from the continent has gone before.
Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy, Alfred Gomis, Seny Diang
Defenders: Kalidou Koulibaly, Pape Abou Cisse, Abdou Diallo, Fode Ballo Toure, Youssouf Sabaly, Ismail Jakobs, Formose Mendy
Midfielders: Pape Matar Sarr, Pape Gueye, Nampalys Mendy, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Moustapha Name, Loum Ndiaye, Cheikhou Kouyate, Krepin Diatta, Pathe Ciss
Forwards: Sadio Mane, Ismaila Sarr, Bamba Dieng, Boulaye Dia, Famara Diedhiou, Ilman Ndiaye, Nicolas Jackson
The Netherlands has been playing well as of late sitting at 5-1-0 and atop their group in the UEFA Nations League. Much of their success can be attributed to Memphis Depay's scoring prowess, however, he's been dealing with a hamstring injury since September. The hope is that they're able to survive what should be an easy group and have Depay ready for the knockout stages.
Of the names left out, Newcastle's Sven Botman, Bayern's Ryan Gravenburch, and Ajax's Brian Brobbey are the most notable. In their place is the uncapped Xavi Simons, a surprise addition to the squad. So far this season in the Eredivisie, the 19-year-old midfielder has scored eight goals in 13 appearances for PSV Eindhoven.
Goalkeepers: Justin Bijlow, Remko Pasveer and Andries Noppert
Defenders: Daley Blind, Stefan de Vrij, Virgil van Dijk, Matthijs de Ligt, Denzel Dumfries, Nathan Ake, Jurrien Timber, Tyrell Malacia and Jeremie Frimpong
Midfielders: Frenkie de Jong, Steven Berghuis, Davy Klaassen, Marten de Roon, Teun Koopmeiners, Kenneth Taylor and Xavi Simons
Forwards: Memphis Depay, Luuk de Jong, Steven Bergwijn, Vincent Janssen, Wout Weghorst, Cody Gakpo and Noa Lang.
The Three Lions have been on a shockingly poor run of form this year in the lead-up to the World Cup, playing six UEFA Nations Leagues games and coming away without a single victory. Now relegated from League A, they turn their attention towards the World Cup, hoping to forget the misery that has been their recent streak in Europe.
Perhaps in an effort to change their misfortunes and breathe new life into the squad, manager Gareth Southgate made the surprising decision to include Leicester City’s James Maddison in the 26-man squad. The midfielder has only made one appearance for the national team, however, he has been strong in the Premier League, scoring six goals and assisting four more this season.
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope
Defenders: Kieran Trippier, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Ben White, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eric Dier, Conor Coady
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips, Mason Mount, Jordan Henderson, Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher
Forwards: Harry Kane, Callum Wilson, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, James Maddison
Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand, Hossein Hosseini, Payam Niazmand, Amir Abedzadeh
Defenders: Ramin Rezaeian, Abolfazl Jalali, Hossein Kananizadegan, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Mortza Pouraliganji, Majid Hosseini, Sadegh Moharrami, Milad Mohammadi, Ehsan Hajisafi
Midfielders: Saeid Ezatolahi, Ahmad Nourollahi, Ali Karimi, Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Vahid Amiri, Mehdi Torabi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Ali Gholizadeh, Saman Ghoddos
Forwards: Sardar Azmoun, Karim Ansarifard, Mehdi Taremi.
The USA have been rather unimpressive in the lead-up to this World Cup, finishing third in CONCACAF qualifying and only picking up five of a possible 18 points against Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica.
They’re also plagued by injury, with Sergino Dest and Weston McKennie both dealing with lingering issues since late October. Moreover, the biggest name on the team sheet, Christian Pulisic, has only been selected to start five matches for Chelsea this season, a worrying poor run of form for the winger.
This is a young American squad and could project to be one of the youngest at the tournament with an average age of only 25 years. The only player still remaining from the 2014 World Cup squad is DeAndre Yedlin.
Goalkeepers: Ethan Horvath, Sean Johnson, Matt Turner
Defenders: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Sergino Dest, Aaron Long, Shaq Moore, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Joe Scally, DeAndre Yedlin, Walker Zimmerman
Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson, Kellyn Acosta, Tyler Adams, Luca de la Torre, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Cristian Roldan
Forwards: Jesus Ferreira, Jordan Morris, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Josh Sargent, Tim Weah, Haji Wright.
After netting a big goal in LAFC’s win in the MLS Cup last week, Gareth Bale is hopeful that he can get over what has been an injury-riddled season for him.
Though Wales has Premier League talent littered across the roster in the form of players like Brennan Johnson, Ben Davies and Harry Wilson, they've been underperforming in the run-up to the World Cup. Just like their group-mates England, Wales is set to be relegated from League A to League B in the UEFA Nations League, finishing with a record of 0-1-5.
Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey, Danny Ward, Adam Davies
Defenders: Ben Davies, Ben Cabango, Tom Lockyer, Joe Rodon, Chris Mepham, Ethan Ampadu, Chris Gunter, Neco Williams, Connor Roberts
Midfielders: Sorba Thomas, Joe Allen, Matthew Smith, Dylan Levitt, Harry Wilson, Joe Morrell, Jonny Williams, Aaron Ramsey, Rubin Colwill
Forwards: Gareth Bale, Kieffer Moore, Mark Harris, Brennan Johnson, Dan James.
Is this Lionel Messi's best chance at World Cup glory? Only last summer at the Copa América did the 35-year-old find long-awaited success at an international tournament. With his legacy on the line, how does this Argentina squad stack up?
This might be the best team built around Messi in his career with Argentina. Up front, the pairing with Lautaro Martinez who was outed from the 2018 squad will be a deadly partnership. This could also potentially be the best defence Argentina has had, with Otamendi and Romero anchoring the back-line.
Goalkeeping is the biggest point of concern for this squad, with likely first-choice Emiliano Martinez struggling in his campaign with Aston Villa.
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez, Geronimo Rulli, Franco Armani
Defenders: Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, German Pezzella, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez, Juan Foyth, Nicolas Tagliafico, Marcos Acuna
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Guido Rodriguez, Alexis Mac Allister, Alejandro Gomez, Enzo Fernandez, Exequiel Palacios
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez, Angel Di Maria, Paulo Dybala, Joaquin Correa, Nicolas Gonzalez
Goalkeepers: Mohammed Al-Owais, Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Mohammed Al-Yami
Defenders: Hassan Tambakti, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Ali Al-Bulaihi, Abdullah Madu, Saud Abdulhamid, Sultan Al-Ghanam, Mohammed Al-Breik, Yasser Al-Shahrani, Ali Al-Hassan
Midfielders: Abdulellah Al-Malki, Riyadh Sharahili, Abdullah Otayf, Mohamed Kanno, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Salman Al-Faraj, Sami Al-Najei, Salem Al-Dawsari, Hattan Bahebri
Forwards: Fahad Al-Muwallad, Abdulrahman Al-Aboud, Haitham Asiri, Firas Al-Buraikan, Saleh Al-Shehri
The omission of Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez is notable, as the forward had a strong season for LA Galaxy, contributing to 21 goals in 32 appearances during the MLS season. He's also Mexico's all-time leading goal scorer with 52 goals in 109 caps. Pairing him and Napoli forward Hirving Lozano could have been a recipe for success in the attack.
Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa, Rodolfo Cota, Alfredo Talavera
Defenders: Nestor Araujo, Jesus Gallardo, Gerardo Arteaga, Hector Moreno, Jorge Sanchez, Johan Vasquez, Cesar Montes, Kevin Alvarez
Midfielders: Erick Gutierrez, Orbelin Pineda, Hector Herrera, Carlos Rodriguez, Andres Guardado, Edson Alvarez, Luis Chavez, Luis Romo
Forwards: Roberto Alvarado, Uriel Antuna, Hirving Lozano, Rogelio Funes Mori, Henry Martin, Alexis Vega
Transferring from the Bundesliga to La Liga has been absolutely no problem for superstar Polish striker Robert Lewandowski. He has 18 goals in all competitions with Barcelona this season and hopes to continue his immaculate run of form in the World Cup.
The rest of the team is nothing to scoff at either, as the players selected to the squad represent teams at the highest level of every league across Europe. From the Aston Villa defensive duo of Jan Bednarek and Matty Cash to the always-dependable Juventus keeper Wojciech Szczesny, Poland is a talented team and should definitely escape Group C.
Goalkeepers: Wojciech Szczesny, Bartlomiej Dragowski, Lukasz Skorupski
Defenders: Jan Bednarek, Kamil Glik, Robert Gumny, Artur Jedrzejczyk, Jakub Kiwior, Mateusz Wieteska, Bartosz Bereszynski, Matty Cash, Nicola Zalewski
Midfielders: Krystian Bielik, Przemyslaw Frankowski, Kamil Grosicki, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Jakub Kaminski, Michal Skoras, Damian Szymanski, Sebastian Szymanski, Piotr Zielinski, Szymon Zurkowski
Forwards: Robert Lewandowski, Arkadiusz Milik, Krzysztof Piatek, Karol Swiderski
Though Australia has qualified for their fifth consecutive World Cup, this isn’t exactly a team with much experience. Of the 26 players selected, only nine have played on this stage for the Socceroos before.
One of the decisions that factored into this relatively green team was the choice to select 18-year-old forward Garang Kuol and pass over veteran keeper Mitch Langerak, 34. The hope, according to coach Graham Arnold, is to give these younger players more experience and a chance for them to shine in national team colours.
Goalkeepers: Mathew Ryan, Andrew Redmayne, Danny Vukovic
Defenders: Aziz Behich, Milos Degenek, Thomas Deng, Joel King, Nathaniel Atkinson, Fran Karacic, Harry Souttar, Kye Rowles, Craig Goodwin
Midfielders: Aaron Mooy, Jackson Irvine, Ajdin Hrustic, Bailey Wright, Cameron Devlin, Riley McGree, Keanu Baccus
Forwards: Awer Mabil, Mathew Leckie, Martin Boyle, James Maclaren, Jason Cummings, Mitchell Duke, Garang Kuol
Though the full 26-man roster is still yet to be finalized, the Danes still look to be solid threats to contend at the tournament. Group D shouldn't be too much of an obstacle for a team bringing back the majority of the roster that lost in the semi-finals to England at the European Championship last summer. In Nations League play, they're 2-0 against group-mates France and should prove to be a pain in the favourites side.
The strength of this team resides in their defence. They only conceded three goals in their qualifying matches, with Andreas Christensen and Simon Kjaer holding down the backline. Up front, expect the pairing of Kasper Dolberg and Martin Braithwaite to take advantage of great passing from Erik, Hojbjerg, and Delaney.
Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel, Oliver Christensen
Defenders: Simon Kjaer, Joachim Andersen, Joakim Maehle, Andreas Christensen, Rasmus Kristensen, Jens Stryger Larsen, Victor Nelsson, Daniel Wass
Midfielders: Thomas Delaney, Mathias Jensen, Christian Eriksen, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Forwards: Andreas Skov Olsen, Jesper Lindstrom, Andreas Cornelius, Martin Braithwaite, Kasper Dolberg, Mikkel Damsgaard, Jonas Wind
Goalkeepers: Aymen Dahmen, Mouez Hassen, Aymen Balbouli, Bechir Ben Said
Defenders: Mohamed Dräger, Wajdi Kechrida, Bilel Ifa, Montassar Talbi, Dylan Bronn, Yassine Meriah, Nader Ghandri, Ali Maâloul, Ali Abdi
Midfielders: Ellyes Skhiri, Aissa Laidouni, Ferjani Sassi, Ghaylen Chaaleli, Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, Hannibal Mejbri
Forwards: Seifeddine Jaziri, Naim Sliti, Taha Yassine Khenissi, Anis Ben Slimane, Issam Jebali, Wahbi Khazri, Youssef Msakni
France, as always, looks to be a stiff competitor at the World Cup, and regardless of the fact that injuries are eating away at the squad, Les Bleus continue to produce some of the best young talents in the world and seem ready to replace what is lost.
Though Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante will miss the tournament, Real Madrid pairing Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga seem set to take over in the midfield. The same goes for the backline where questionable Raphael Varane and Presnel Kimpembe are replaced by William Saliba of Arsenal and Dayot Upamecano of Bayern Munich.
What may concern this team most though is the lack of playing time Ballon D’Or winner Karim Benzema has had in the run-up to the tournament. He hasn’t suited up for Real Madrid in the last six club games. Coach Didier Deschamps is spoiled for choice in selecting his potential replacement, with Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud or Antoine Griezmann all being more than suitable stand-ins for France.
Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola, Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda
Defenders: Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe, Ibrahima Konate, Jules Koundé, Benjamin Pavard, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Raphael Varane
Midfielders: Youssouf Fofana, Eduardo Camavinga, Matteo Guendouzi, Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jordan Veretout
Forwards: Karim Benzema, Kingsley Coman, Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe, Christopher Nkunku
This is one of the younger squads Spain has sent to a World Cup with players like Pedri, 19, and Gavi, 18, heading up the midfield. The back-to-back Golden Boy award winners from Barcelona will be flanking veteran Sergio Busquets in what should be one of the strongest midfield units at the tournament.
Their No. 9 spot could potentially be the weakness for this squad, with Alvaro Morata likely occupying the role. Though he has 27 goals in 57 caps, he's been plagued by spells of inconsistency. Could the inclusion of 20-year-old Ansu Fati play a pivotal role up front?
Goalkeepers: Unai Simon, Robert Sanchez and David Raya
Defenders: Dani Carvajal, Cesar Azpilicueta, Eric Garcia, Hugo Guillamon, Pau Torres, Aymeric Laporte, Jordi Alba and Jose Gaya
Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Rodri, Gavi, Pedri, Carlos Soler, Koke and Marcos Llorente
Forwards: Alvaro Morata, Ferran Torres, Pablo Sarabia, Dani Olmo, Nico Williams, Yeremy Pino, Marco Asensio and Ansu Fati
After finishing fourth in CONCACAF qualifiers and taking down New Zealand 1-0 in the Inter-confederation play-off, Costa Rica has made their third consecutive World Cup. In 2014 they made it all the way to the quarter-finals, effectively turning players into folk heroes almost overnight.
Of that 2014 squad, a few players return for another run at glory such as keeper Keylor Navas and forward Joel Campbell. Though as far as European talent goes, the squad is sorely lacking and will likely struggle to escape what could be this year’s group of death.
Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas, Esteban Alvarado, Patrick Sequeira
Defenders: Francisco Calvo, Juan Pablo Vargas, Kendall Waston, Oscar Duarte, Daniel Chacon, Keysher Fuller, Carlos Martínez, Bryan Oviedo, Ronald Matarrita
Midfielders: Yeltsin Tejeda, Celso Borges, Youstin Salas, Roan Wilson, Gerson Torres, Douglas Lopez, Jewison Bennette, Alvaro Zamora, Anthony Hernández, Brandon Aguilera, Bryan Ruiz
Forwards: Joel Campbell, Anthony Contreras, Johan Venegas
Coach Hajime Moriyasu has already made it clear that his intention for his Japan squad at this tournament is to at the very least make the quarterfinals. The path won’t be easy as they’ve been placed into a group with favourites Germany and Spain.
Injuries have hampered the Japanese team in recent days though as defender Yuta Nakayama and midfielder Wataru Endo were both swapped out after the squad announcement after being hurt playing for their club teams.
Goalkeepers: Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt, Eiji Kawashima
Defenders: Miki Yamane, Hiroki Sakai, Maya Yoshida, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Shogo Taniguchi, Ko Itakura, Hiroki Ito, Yuto Nagatomo
Midfielders: Wataru Endo, Hidemasa Morita, Ao Tanaka, Gaku Shibasaki, Kaoru Mitoma, Daichi Kamada, Ritsu Doan, Junya Ito, Takumi Minamino, Takefusa Kubo, Yuki Soma
Forwards: Daizen Maeda, Takuma Asano, Ayase Ueda, Shuto Machino
Fitness has been a thorn in Germany’s side in the lead-up to this World Cup. Forwards Timo Werner and Marco Reus, as well as defender Mats Hummels are set to miss the tournament due to injury.
In Reus’ place, Dortmund teammate Youssoufa Moukoko is set to make his World Cup debut at only 17 years old. The young star has already contributed to 10 goals this Bundesliga season. The other players to watch making their World Cup debuts are Bayern’s Jamal Musiala and Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi.
The rest of the squad is as stable as ever, with players like Antonio Rudiger, Joshua Kimmich, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller looking to continue their consistently strong contributions to the national team.
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Kevin Trapp
Defenders: Armel Bella-Kotchap, Matthias Ginter, Christian Gunter, Thilo Kehrer, Lukas Klostermann, David Raum, Antonio Rudiger, Nico Schlotterbeck, Niklas Sule
Midfielders: Julian Brandt, Niclas Fullkrug, Leon Goretzka, Mario Gotze, Ilkay Gundogan, Jonas Hofmann, Joshua Kimmich
Forwards: Karim Adeyemi, Serge Gnabry, Kai Havertz, Youssoufa Moukoko, Thomas Muller, Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sane
Could this be the last chance at World Cup glory for Belgium’s golden generation? Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has had a stellar Premier League campaign, leading the league in assists with nine and keeper Thibaut Courtois received 82 points in Ballon D’Or voting, leading the pack for his position.
However, Belgium comes into this tournament with some bad luck on the injury side. Star striker Romelu Lukaku is questionable for the competition and likely won’t play in the group stage after he hurt his thigh playing for Inter Milan. Michy Batshuayi is likely to replace him in the starting lineup.
As for players to watch, forward Charles De Ketelaere of AC Milan will hope to make an impression though has only bagged one assist in all competition after being sold from Club Brugge in August.
Goalkeepers: Koen Casteels, Thibaut Courtois, Simon Mignolet
Defenders: Toby Alderweireld, Zeno Debast, Wout Faes, Arthur Theate, Jan Vertonghen, Timothy Castagne, Thomas Meunier, Yannick Carrasco
Midfielders: Thorgan Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Leander Dendoncker, Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans, Hans Vanaken, Axel Witsel, Charles De Ketelaere
Forwards: Jeremy Doku, Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens, Leandro Trossard, Michy Batshuayi, Lois Openda, Romelu Lukaku
Morocco could be a sleeper at this World Cup and especially in Group F if they manage to figure out the right formula at striker. As it currently stands the spot will likely belong to Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri who has scored 14 goals for the national team but has yet to score a goal this season in La Liga.
The standout player for this team is likely to be Paris Saint-Germain attacking full-back Achraf Hakimi. Despite playing from the backline, he has netted eight goals for Morocco. Elsewhere on the team, Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech or Angers’ Sofiane Boufal could turn into the primary scoring threats if En-Nesyri is unable to recapture his form.
Goalkeepers: Yassine Bono, Munir, Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti
Defenders: Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui, Romain Saiss, Nayef Aguerd, Achraf Dari, Jawad El-Yamiq, Yahia Attiat-Allal, Badr Benoun
Midfielders: Sofyan Amrabat, Selim Amallah, Abdelhamid Sabiri, Azzedine Ounahi, Bilel El Khanouss, Yahya Jabrane
Forwards: Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En-Nesyri, Sofiane Boufal, Zakaria Aboukhlal, Ez Abde, Amine Harit, Ilias Chair, Abderrazak Hamdallah, Walid Cheddira
For Croatia, similarly to Belgium, this World Cup seems to be the last chance for the country's golden generation to succeed. After losing to France in the finals of the 2018 World Cup, the window may have already closed, but one last go at it with a core as strong as theirs isn’t impossible.
Like in previous years, the team will be spearheaded by veterans Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic. Dejan Lovren and Mateo Kovacic also return from the 2018 runner-up squad.
AC Milan winger Ante Rebic would be a welcome addition to this squad lacking in solid attacking options but was left off the team by coach Zlatko Dalic. Instead, they’ll likely be relying on the services of Hoffenheim striker Andrej Kramaric.
Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovic, Ivica Ivusic, Ivo Grbic
Defenders: Domagoj Vida, Dejan Lovren, Borna Barisic, Josip Juranovic, Josko Gvardiol, Borna Sosa, Josip Stanisic, Martin Erlic, Josip Sutalo
Midfielders: Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic, Mario Pasalic, Nikola Vlasic, Lovro Majer, Kristijan Jakic, Luka Sucic
Forwards: Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric, Bruno Petkovic, Mislav Orsic, Ante Budimir, Marko Livaja
Goalkeepers: Milan Borjan, Dayne St. Clair, James Pantemis
Defenders: Samuel Adekugbe, Derek Cornelius, Alistair Johnston, Richie Laryea, Kamal Miller, Steven Vitoria, Joel Waterman
Midfielders: Stephen Eustaquio, Liam Fraser, Atiba Hutchinson, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Ismael Kone, Jonathan Osorio, Samuel Piette, David Wotherspoon
Forwards: Tajon Buchanan, Lucas Cavallini, Jonathan David, Alphonso Davies, David (Junior) Hoilett, Cyle Larin, Liam Millar, Ike Ugbo
Much is to be said about the attacking prowess of group-mates Brazil, however, the options up front for Serbia can contend with the best of them. Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Serie A strikers Dusan Vlahovic and Luka Jovic will form an intimidating front-line for the Eagles.
However, this Serbian team isn't known for its pace and against a squad like Brazil, that could come back to haunt them. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will need to hold down the midfield, a tall-task for the Lazio player.
Goalkeepers: Marko Dmitrovic Predrag Rajkovic, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic
Defenders: Stefan Mitrovic, Nikola Milenkovic, Strahinja Pavlovic, Milos Veljkovic, Filip Mladenovic, Strahinja Erakovic, Srdjan Babic
Midfielders: Nemanja Gudelj, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Sasa Lukic, Marko Grujic, Filip Kostic, Uros Racic, Nemanja Maksimovic, Ivan Ilic, Andrija Zivkovic, Darko Lazovic
Forwards: Dusan Tadic, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Dusan Vlahovic, Filip Duricic, Luka Jovic, Nemanja Radonji
The Swiss enter this World Cup as a team on a solid upswing. After being unable to break past the Round of 16 in the last two World Cups, they knocked out France at the European Championship last year, then gave Spain a run for their money in an eventual penalty shootout loss.
Four goalkeepers are on the squad due to Yann Sommer and Jonas Omlin, the first two options, dealing with injuries. Coach Murat Yakin chose to bring along Gregor Kobel and Phillipp Kohn, the latter of which is still uncapped.
Switzerland has strong players all through this lineup, with captain Granit Xhaka headlining the squad after scoring three goals and picking up three assists for Arsenal in this campaign.
Goalkeepers: Gregor Kobel, Philipp Kohn, Jonas Omlin, Yann Sommer
Defenders: Manuel Akanji, Eray Comert, Nico Elvedi, Ricardo Rodriguez, Fabian Schar, Silvan Widmer
Midfielders: Granit Xhaka, Edimilson Fernandes, Fabian Frei, Remo Freuler, Ardon Jashari, Fabian Rieder, Xherdan Shaqiri, Djibril Sow, Renato Steffen, Denis Zakaria, Michel Aebischer
Forwards: Breel Embolo, Christian Fassnacht, Noah Okafor, Haris Seferovic, Ruben Vargas
Three players on the squad are making their third appearance at the tournament: Nicolas Nkoulou, Eric Choupo-Moting and captain Vincent Aboubakar.
Choupo-Moting is the player to watch for this Cameroonian team, with the 33-year-old striker finding the back of the net 10 times so far in all competitions for Bayern Munich this season. His presence in front of the net has allowed the German outfit to quell the loss of Robert Lewandowski. The hope is that he’s able to do the same at this tournament for his country, with Napoli’s Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa being the primary distributor for him.
Goalkeepers: Devis Epassy, Simon Ngapandouetnbu, Andre Onana
Defenders: Jean-Charles Castelletto, Enzo Ebosse, Collins Fai, Olivier Mbaizo, Nicolas Nkoulou, Tolo Nouhou, Christopher Wooh
Midfielders: Martin Hongla, Pierre Kunde, Olivier Ntcham, Gael Ondoua, Samuel Oum Gouet, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa
Forwards: Vincent Aboubakar, Christian Bassogog, Eric-Maxime Choupo Moting, Souaibou Marou, Bryan Mbeumo, Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu, Jerome Ngom, Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, Jean-Pierre Nsame, Karl Toko Ekambi
To say that Brazil has a wealth of options at forward would be an egregious understatement. Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli has had a great year with the lead leading outfit, scoring five goals and assisting two more, while partner-in-crime Gabriel Jesus has also scored five while earning assists on five more.
The skill of Neymar and Vinicius Jr. is already well documented, with both being widely considered some of the best players in the world. The question now becomes whether this creative, colourful and incredibly talented squad can pool their individual abilities into international success.
Where this team will struggle though is from their fullback position. Surprisingly, coach Tite chose to call up 39-year-old Dani Alves who hasn’t played a game for his club team, Liga MX outfit UNAM, since September.
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Ederson, Weverton
Defenders: Dani Alves, Danilo, Alex Sandro, Alex Telles, Bremer, Eder Militao, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva
Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes, Casemiro, Everton Ribeiro, Fabinho, Fred, Lucas Paqueta
Forwards: Antony, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Neymar, Pedro, Raphinha, Richarlison, Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr.
Much of the fuss about Portugal will surely surround Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, and likely his last chance at World Cup glory. The superstar hasn’t made it past the Round of 16 at this tournament since his first appearance in 2006, and if he wishes to cement his legacy, especially as it pertains to the conversation between him and Lionel Messi, he will want to go much further this time around.
Luckily for him, this may be the best squad he’s had around him at a World Cup. As opposed to the 2018 Portugal squad, much of the supporting staff are hitting their primes at the perfect time. Manchester has a strong presence on the team, with City stars Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo, as well as United competitors Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes all likely to make strong impressions for their National squad.
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, Jose Sa, Rui Patricio
Defenders: Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo, Danilo Pereira, Pepe, Ruben Dias, Antonio Silva, Nuno Mendes, Raphael Guerreiro,
Midfielders: Joao Palhinha, Ruben Neves, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Mario, Matheus Nunes, Otavio Monteiro, Vitinha, William Carvalho
Forwards: Andre Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo, Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, Ricardo Horta
Though perhaps not as strong as their 2006 and 2010 counter-parts, this iteration of the Black Stars squad is still solid with plenty of European talent scattered throughout.
The Premier League duo of Crystal Palace's Jordan Ayew and Arsenal's Thomas Partey will likely be the centrepieces on this roster. However, Ayew isn't in the best run of form as of late, having only assisted one goal in 14 EPL appearances this season. On the other hand, Partey has scored twice from his central-defensive midfield role and has been an engine in the middle of a potent Arsenal team.
Goalkeepers: Danlad Ibrahim, Manaf Nurudeen, Lawrence Ati-Zigi
Defenders: Mohammed Salisu, Tariq Lamptey, Daniel Amartey, Baba Abdul Rahman, Alexander Djiku, Alidu Seidu, Gideon Mensah, Denis Odoi, Joseph Aidoo
Midfielders: Thomas Partey, Elisha Owusu, Salis Samed, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, Mohammed Kudus
Forwards: Inaki Williams, Kamal Sowah, Osman Bukari, Daniel Afriyie Barnieh, Jordan Ayew, Andre Ayew, Antoine Semenyo, Fatawu Issahaku, Kamaldeen Sulemana
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez unsurprisingly was selected for his first-ever World Cup, however, he isn't a lock to crack the starting line-up, as stalwarts Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are both likely higher on the team sheet. For both, this will also be their fourth appearance at the tournament.
Elsewhere on the roster, Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde will look to announce his talent to those still somehow unaware of it. In 20 appearances for club this season, he has contributed to 12 goals and stabilized one of the strongest midfields in Europe.
Goalkeepers: Sergio Rochet, Fernando Muslera, Sebastián Sosa
Defenders: Diego Godín, José María Giménez, Ronald Araujo, Sebastián Coates, Martín Cáceres, Mathiás Olivera, Guillermo Varela, José Luís Rodríguez, Matías Viña
Midfielders: Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Betancur, Matías Vecino, Lucas Torreira, Manuel Ugarte, Nicolás de la Cruz, Giorgian De Arrascaeta, Facundo Pellistri, Facundo Torres, Agustín Canobbio
Forwards: Luis Suárez, Darwin Núñez, Edinson Cavani, Maximiliano Gómez
Despite his fractured eye socket, the hopes of South Korea rest on Son Heung-min. Though he incurred the injury in Tottenham's champions league fixture against Marseille on Nov. 2, Son made it clear to fans via Instagram that he wouldn't miss this tournament for anything. The star has 35 goals in 104 international caps.
If Son isn't able to play at top form, which seems unlikely, South Korea, who don't possess a ton of top-end talent at the moment, will potentially struggle to escape an under-the-radar tough group. In his place, players like Lee Jae-sung of Mainz 05 and Hwang Hee-han of Wolverhampton will have to step up on offence.
Goalkeepers: Kim Seung-gyu, Jo Hyeon-woo, Song Bum-keun
Defenders: Kim Min-jae, Kim Jin-su, Hong Chul, Kim Moon-hwan, Yoon Jong-gyu, Kim Young-gwon, Kim Tae-hwan, Kwon Kyung-won, Cho Yu-min
Midfielders: Jung Woo-young, Na Sang-ho, Paik Seung-ho, Son Jun-ho, Song Min-kyu, Kwon Chang-hoon, Lee Jae-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, Hwang In-beom, Jeong Woo-yeong , Lee Kang-in
Forwards: Hwang Ui-jo, Cho Gue-sung , Son Heung-min
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