Brazil
World ranking: 8th
Manager: Jádson da Silva Odds to win tournament: 20/1 Captain: Dani Alves Star player: Dani Alves - with fellow Seleção international Felipe Luís as the opposite full back, Brazil are returning to the tradition of flying full backs. Whilst he lacks his old athleticism, Dani Alves is an elite playmaker, which is all the rage these days. |
2017 Draft World Cup: Did not qualify
2018 Draft World Cup: Final
2019 Draft World Cup: Semi final
2019 Nations Cup: Relegated (Division A)
2020 South American Championship: Winner
2018 Draft World Cup: Final
2019 Draft World Cup: Semi final
2019 Nations Cup: Relegated (Division A)
2020 South American Championship: Winner
In the first year of the DWC Brazil couldn't qualify from a very busy group, not even making the play-offs. But when they did qualify a year later, they marked it in style, beating the holders Germany to win their group and going all the way to the final, where they ran out of steam against Spain. Last year they again went on a run, but this time were knocked out by France in the semis. A Nations League relegation was a blip, as they qualified strongly this year and went on to win the South American Championship.
GK: Fábio, Santos, Vanderlei
DF: Cuesta, Daniel Alves, Fágner, Filipe Luís, Geromel, Gil, Kannemann
MD: Alisson, Bruno Henrique (I), Cantillo, Everton, Hernanes, Patrick, Robinho, Scarpa
FW: Bruno Henrique (II), Gabriel Barbosa, Guerrero, Luan, Luiz Adriano
Key: Athletico Paranaense, Corinthians, Cruzeiro, Flamengo, Grêmio, Internacional, Palmeiras, São Paulo
DF: Cuesta, Daniel Alves, Fágner, Filipe Luís, Geromel, Gil, Kannemann
MD: Alisson, Bruno Henrique (I), Cantillo, Everton, Hernanes, Patrick, Robinho, Scarpa
FW: Bruno Henrique (II), Gabriel Barbosa, Guerrero, Luan, Luiz Adriano
Key: Athletico Paranaense, Corinthians, Cruzeiro, Flamengo, Grêmio, Internacional, Palmeiras, São Paulo
Greece
2017 Draft World Cup: Quarter final
2018 Draft World Cup: Second round
2019 Draft World Cup: Did not qualify
2019 Nations Cup: Did not qualify (Division A)
2020 European Championship: Second round
2018 Draft World Cup: Second round
2019 Draft World Cup: Did not qualify
2019 Nations Cup: Did not qualify (Division A)
2020 European Championship: Second round
A case of diminishing returns for Greece, who beat Spain in making the 2017 DWC quarters, only to lose to Uruguay. The year after they lost to the Dutch in the second round and the year after they got knocked out despite being top seeds in their group. In the European Championship Greece finished 3rd in their group and lost to Ukraine in the first knockout round.
GK: Barkas, Paschalakis, Sá
DF: Chygrynskyi, Elabdellaoui, Insúa, Semedo, Tsimikas, Varela, Vieirinha, Vranjes
MD: El Kaddouri, Fortounis, Guilherme, Maurício, Misic, Simoes, Stoch, Valbuena, Wernbloom
FW: El Arabi, Livaja, Oliveira
Key: AEK Athens, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, PAOK
DF: Chygrynskyi, Elabdellaoui, Insúa, Semedo, Tsimikas, Varela, Vieirinha, Vranjes
MD: El Kaddouri, Fortounis, Guilherme, Maurício, Misic, Simoes, Stoch, Valbuena, Wernbloom
FW: El Arabi, Livaja, Oliveira
Key: AEK Athens, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, PAOK
Kazakhstan
World ranking: 34th
Manager: Erlan Zhaksylyk Odds to win tournament: 500/1 Captain: Milos Vidovic Star player: Marin Tomasov - the experienced Croatian international still has a good burst of pace on him. A good dribbler he is capable of holding his own from a deeper position, or being more of an attacking threat higher up. |
2017 Draft World Cup: Did not enter
2018 Draft World Cup: Did not qualify
2019 Draft World Cup: Group stage
2019 Nations Cup: Round 10
2020 Asian Championship: Second round
2018 Draft World Cup: Did not qualify
2019 Draft World Cup: Group stage
2019 Nations Cup: Round 10
2020 Asian Championship: Second round
Kazakhstan count as an Asian side in DWC-land, and took advantage to earn their debut qualification last year. They couldn't pick up a point, however. They won their Nations League group and did okay in the Asian Championship, pushing eventual finalists China to penalties.
GK: Eric, Nepogodov, Pokatilov
DF: Bystrov, Dugalic, Fontanello, Mikanovic, Naumov, Postnikov, Shomko
MD: Goralski, Kankava, Mahlangu, Murtazaev, Rotariu, Sigurjónsson, Tomasov, Vidovic
FW: Dosmagambetov, Esaola, Pertsukh, Shchetkin
Key: Astana, Kairat, Ordabasy, Shakhter Karagandy, Tobol, Zhetysu, unattached
DF: Bystrov, Dugalic, Fontanello, Mikanovic, Naumov, Postnikov, Shomko
MD: Goralski, Kankava, Mahlangu, Murtazaev, Rotariu, Sigurjónsson, Tomasov, Vidovic
FW: Dosmagambetov, Esaola, Pertsukh, Shchetkin
Key: Astana, Kairat, Ordabasy, Shakhter Karagandy, Tobol, Zhetysu, unattached
Tunisia
World ranking: 44th
Manager: Salma Harzi Odds to win tournament: 500/1 Captain: Oussama Darragi Star player: Oussama Darragi - there are shades of Italy 1970 with this Tunisian team as the team's two outstanding players are number 10s. Yassine Chikhaoui is a good threat in the box, but Darragi is likely to start as captain. Manager Harzi may go all Sven-Göran Eriksson and play both, but that seems risky with Tunisia the group underdogs. |
2017 Draft World Cup: Did not enter
2018 Draft World Cup: Group stage
2019 Draft World Cup: Did not qualify
2019 Nations Cup: Round 12
2020 African Championship: Second round
2018 Draft World Cup: Group stage
2019 Draft World Cup: Did not qualify
2019 Nations Cup: Round 12
2020 African Championship: Second round
Tunisia qualified for the DWC at the first attempt, and even won their debut match, against Thailand. They couldn't get through the group however, and last year finished behind Algeria to end up in the African play-offs. There they couldn't kill off games and got eliminated. They won their Nations League group, but suffered an embarrassing defeat to Angola in this year's African Championship.
GK: Ben Ayoub, Ben Chrifia, Jridi
DF: Breno, Chemmam, Coulibaly, Derbali, Hichri, Ifa, Jemal, Konaté, Oueslati
MD: Ben Massaoud, Ben Yahia, Chikhaoui, Darragi, Harrane, Melliti, Mouihbi, Tandia
FW: Ben Youssef, Khalifa, Khenissi
Key: AS Marsa, Club Africain, CS Sfaxien, Espérance de Tunis, Étoile du Sahel, Hammamet, Stade Gabèsien, US Ben Guerdane, US Monastir, unattached
DF: Breno, Chemmam, Coulibaly, Derbali, Hichri, Ifa, Jemal, Konaté, Oueslati
MD: Ben Massaoud, Ben Yahia, Chikhaoui, Darragi, Harrane, Melliti, Mouihbi, Tandia
FW: Ben Youssef, Khalifa, Khenissi
Key: AS Marsa, Club Africain, CS Sfaxien, Espérance de Tunis, Étoile du Sahel, Hammamet, Stade Gabèsien, US Ben Guerdane, US Monastir, unattached
Between the four teams they lost 2 games in qualifying, so this could be a very competitive group. However, Brazil and Greece look a bit above their rivals, and this might end up being a battle between the sides ranked 8th and 9th for the group's top spot, and it may all come down to the final match between the two teams.