England
World ranking: 3rd
Manager: Felicity Keen Odds to win tournament: 3/1 Captain: Virgil van Dijk Star player: Kevin de Bruyne - he has 20 vision in FM20, presumably he has 20:20 vision in real life. And also the year is 2020. Er, anyway, de Bruyne is a brilliant footballer who is likely to shoulder the creative burden for England's midfield. |
2017 Draft World Cup: Second round
2018 Draft World Cup: Quarter final
2019 Draft World Cup: Semi final
2019 Nations Cup: Winners
2020 European Championship: Semi final
2018 Draft World Cup: Quarter final
2019 Draft World Cup: Semi final
2019 Nations Cup: Winners
2020 European Championship: Semi final
England are easily the biggest under-performers in DWC football. Incredibly, they have only lost 5 of the 83 games they've played - and three of those have been to Portugal! Each time they get knocked out of a tournament when they are looking like winners-in-waiting, not least in last year's DWC when they lost 3-2 to Germany despite initially holding a two-goal lead. Their one success has been in the Nations Cup, where they saw off neighbours Wales in the final.
GK: Alisson, de Gea, Ederson
DF: Alexander-Arnold, Cancelo, Laporte, Mendy, Robertson, Rudiger, Stones, van Dijk
MD: Bernardo Silva, de Bruyne, Fabinho, Fernandinho, Kanté, Mané, Pogba, Salah, Sterling
FW: Aguero, Firmino, Kane
Key: Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
DF: Alexander-Arnold, Cancelo, Laporte, Mendy, Robertson, Rudiger, Stones, van Dijk
MD: Bernardo Silva, de Bruyne, Fabinho, Fernandinho, Kanté, Mané, Pogba, Salah, Sterling
FW: Aguero, Firmino, Kane
Key: Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Ukraine
World ranking: 14th
Manager: Olexiy Pogrebnyak Odds to win tournament: 60/1 Captain: Andriy Pyatov Star player: Taison - with opposite winger Marlos and striker Junior Moraes the three give Ukraine a thrilling attacking trio. This may be his last season representing Ukraine in this, as he said he would leave Shakhtar Donetsk following the shameful ban he received for reacting to racial abuse. |
2017 Draft World Cup: Group stage
2018 Draft World Cup: Second round
2019 Draft World Cup: Did not qualify
2019 Nations Cup: Relegated (Division A)
2020 European Championship: Quarter final
2018 Draft World Cup: Second round
2019 Draft World Cup: Did not qualify
2019 Nations Cup: Relegated (Division A)
2020 European Championship: Quarter final
Ukraine's best performance came in the 2018 DWC, where they won their group, only to lose to China in the next round. Last year they couldn't even reach the play-offs, and got relegated in the Nations League. But a really strong showing in the European Championship, where they were the only non-top seed to win their group, marks Ukraine as a very strong side this year.
GK: Bandura, Pyatov, Shevchenko
DF: Artur, Burda, Dodo, Ismaily, Karavaev, Kryvtsov, Matvienko, Popov
MD: Duelund, Konoplyanka, Kovalenko, Maycon, Rybalka, Stepanenko, Sydorchuk, Tsygankov
FW: Gromov, Marlos, Moraes, Taison
Key: Dynamo Kyiv, Rukh Lviv, Shakhtar Donetsk, Vorskla Poltava, Zorya Luhansk, unattached
DF: Artur, Burda, Dodo, Ismaily, Karavaev, Kryvtsov, Matvienko, Popov
MD: Duelund, Konoplyanka, Kovalenko, Maycon, Rybalka, Stepanenko, Sydorchuk, Tsygankov
FW: Gromov, Marlos, Moraes, Taison
Key: Dynamo Kyiv, Rukh Lviv, Shakhtar Donetsk, Vorskla Poltava, Zorya Luhansk, unattached
Chile
2017 Draft World Cup: Group stage
2018 Draft World Cup: Group stage
2019 Draft World Cup: Second round
2019 Nations Cup: Did not qualify (Division B)
2020 South American Championship: Semi final
2018 Draft World Cup: Group stage
2019 Draft World Cup: Second round
2019 Nations Cup: Did not qualify (Division B)
2020 South American Championship: Semi final
A DWC ever-present, Chile couldn't find a way past the group stages until last year, when wins over Zambia and South Korea saw Chile through. They couldn't cope with Germany in the second round, but at least it was a new level of progress. They reached the semi of this year's South American Championship, but lost to Argentina in extra time.
GK: Arias, de Paul, Herrera
DF: Barroso, Cuevas, de la Fuente, González, Insaurralde, Kuscevic, Rodríguez, Zaldivia
MD: Aued, Cabrera, Carrasco, Castellani, Fernández, Montillo, Pinares, Puch
FW: Blandi, Castro, Larrivey, Mouche
Key: Colo-Colo, Everton, Huachipato, O'Higgins, Palestino, Unión La Calera, Universidad Católica, Universidad de Chile, Universidad de Concepción
DF: Barroso, Cuevas, de la Fuente, González, Insaurralde, Kuscevic, Rodríguez, Zaldivia
MD: Aued, Cabrera, Carrasco, Castellani, Fernández, Montillo, Pinares, Puch
FW: Blandi, Castro, Larrivey, Mouche
Key: Colo-Colo, Everton, Huachipato, O'Higgins, Palestino, Unión La Calera, Universidad Católica, Universidad de Chile, Universidad de Concepción
Ivory Coast
World ranking: 61st
Manager: Hervé Kouassi Odds to win tournament: 750/1 Captain: Yaya Touré Star player: Yaya Touré - now eligible for his international nation after leaving Qingdao Huanghai in China, he is undoubtedly the main man for the tournament's lowest-ranked team. Pretty much devoid of pace now, he will likely be operating as a midfield general. |
2017 Draft World Cup: Did not enter
2018 Draft World Cup: Did not qualify
2019 Draft World Cup: Did not qualify
2019 Nations Cup: Round 6
2020 African Championship: Final
2018 Draft World Cup: Did not qualify
2019 Draft World Cup: Did not qualify
2019 Nations Cup: Round 6
2020 African Championship: Final
Ivory Coast's first DWC saw them lost to Sierra Leone in Round 2 of African qualifying. The year after saw improvement but still they didn't get near qualification. But since then they have turned a corner, winning their Nations League group, qualifying for this tournament and reaching the final of the African Championship.
GK: Karim Cissé, Kouadio, N'Dri
DF: Ablakor, Bakayoko, Diomandé, Djakpa, Goua, I Koné, Samaké, Zéguéi
MD: Diallo, Fonsinho, B Koné, Lamah, Ouattara, Sanogo, Singoné, Touré, Zouzoua
FW: Cissé, Yéssoh, Zan Bi
Key: AFAD, Africa Sports d'Abidjan, ASEC Mimosas, Racing Club D'Abidjan, San Pedro, SC Gagnoa, SOA, USC Bassam, unattached
DF: Ablakor, Bakayoko, Diomandé, Djakpa, Goua, I Koné, Samaké, Zéguéi
MD: Diallo, Fonsinho, B Koné, Lamah, Ouattara, Sanogo, Singoné, Touré, Zouzoua
FW: Cissé, Yéssoh, Zan Bi
Key: AFAD, Africa Sports d'Abidjan, ASEC Mimosas, Racing Club D'Abidjan, San Pedro, SC Gagnoa, SOA, USC Bassam, unattached
It's a pretty nasty draw for Ivory Coast, who will probably be lucky to get anything from this group. England are a machine when it comes to games against teams that aren't Portugal, whilst Ukraine are playing as well as they've ever done, and Chile are a very dangerous DWC team. The opening round clash between Ukraine and Chile may well be the decisive one in this group.