With the soccer world cup on the horizon, we profile all of the teams in Groups C and D.
GROUP C
Denmark
To Win Group 9/2 | To Win Tournament 100/1 | FIFA Ranking 12th
How they qualified
A 5-1 aggregate victory over the Republic of Ireland in the European play-offs after finishing as runners-up behind Poland in Group E.
Pedigree
Four soccer world cup appearances (1986, 1998, 2002, 2010) – have progressed from the groups in each tournament but for 2010, going furthest in 1998 when making the quarter-finals.
Coach
Age Hareide – The 64-year-old Norwegian has spent his entire career in Scandinavia, including a five-year spell leading his home country.
Key player
Christian Eriksen – The Tottenham playmaker pulls the strings for the Danes and has added goals to his game. Eriksen bagged 11 goals in qualifying and his hat-trick in the second-leg play-off sent the Republic of Ireland packing.
Group prediction: 2nd
Australia
To Win Group 20/1 | To Qualify From Group 33/10 | FIFA Ranking 40th
How they qualified
Prevailed as 3-1 aggregate winners over Honduras in the intercontinental play-off.
Pedigree
Having first reached the soccer world cup in 1974, Australia have gone on to appear at every tournament since 2006. Their best showing of those four appearances was a last 16 finish in 2006, where they lost 1-0 to Italy.
Coach
Bert van Marwijk – The 66-year-old, who led his native Netherlands to the 2010 soccer world cup final, was appointed as head coach of the Socceroos at the beginning of the year.
Key player
Mike Jedinak – The Aston Villa midfielder is the captain of the Socceroos and his hat-trick sealed Australia’s place in the 2018 soccer world cup at the expense of Honduras.
Group prediction: 4th
France
To Win Group 2/7 | To Win Tournament 13/2 | FIFA Ranking 7th
How they qualified
Group A winners in European qualifying, finishing four points clear of Sweden.
Pedigree
14 soccer world cup appearances, having featured in the inaugural tournament back in 1930. Have reached the semi-finals five times, lifting the trophy on home soil in 1998 after beating Brazil. Went on to lose in the 2006 final to Italy.
Coach
Didier Deschamps – Deschamps, a former player for European giants Juventus and Chelsea, was the captain of the great France team that won the 1998 soccer world cup and the 2000 European Championships. The 49-year-old came close to guiding the nation to glory at their home European Championships in 2016, but Les Bleus lost to Portugal in extra-time.
Key player
Antoine Griezmann – The Atletico Madrid forward was top scorer at the home European Championships in 2016 with six goals, and was voted player of the tournament. He will aim to repeat that success in Russia, and to improve on his appearances at the 2014 showpiece in Brazil, where he failed to score.
Group prediction: 1st
Peru
To Win Group 10/1 | To Qualify From Group 9/4 | FIFA Ranking 11th
How they qualified
A 2-0 aggregate victory over New Zealand in their intercontinental play-off came after finishing fifth in the South American standings.
Pedigree
Four soccer world cup appearances, first qualifying in 1930 before reaching the quarters in 1970 and 1978. Their last appearance came in 1982.
Coach
Ricardo Gareca – The 60-year-old Argentine is the architect behind Peru’s recent achievements. El Tigre has managed the team since 2015, and it only took him a few months to win third place in the Copa America. Two years later, Gareca helped his team qualify for the soccer world cup for the first time since 1982.
Key player
Jose Paolo Guerrero – The 34-year-old, once a player for Bayern Munich, has two bronze Copa America medals to his name and is Peru’s top goalscorer, both all-time and in the recent qualifying campaign with six goals.
Group prediction: 3rd
GROUP D
Argentina
To Win Group 61/100 | To Win Tournament 9/1 | FIFA Ranking 5th
How they qualified
Finished third in the South American standings, with a Lionel Messi hat-trick against Ecuador on the final matchday lifting Argentina from the brink of a shock failure.
Pedigree
Two-time winners in 1978 and 1986, having featured at 16 soccer world cups. Three-time runners-up, having lost the final in 1930, 1990 and most recently to Germany in 2014.
Coach
Jorge Sampaoli – The team’s third coach of the qualifying campaign – following on from Gerardo Martino and Edgardo Bauza – took charge for the final four games. His intense, high-press attacking game was a great success with Chile, and briefly Sevilla, but does he have the players to make it work with Argentina?
Key player
Lionel Messi – The Barcelona star, who single-handedly fired La Albiceleste to Russia 2018, will be making his fourth appearance at the soccer world cup and he is desperate to bow out on a high by winning the trophy, having lost in the final of the last edition to Germany.
Group prediction: 1st
Iceland
To Win Group 12/1 | To Qualify From Group 11/4 | FIFA Ranking 22nd
How they qualified
Group I winners in European qualifying, picking up 22 points from 10 games to finish two points clear of runners-up Croatia.
Pedigree
2018 will be their first soccer world cup appearance, having failed to qualify for the finals on 12 occasions.
Coach
Heimir Hallgrimsson – A qualified dentist who still runs a clinic in his native Westmann Islands, he was appointed assistant to Lars Lagerback, when the Icelandic Football Federation hired the Swede as national coach in 2011. Shortly after failing to qualify for the 2014 soccer world cup, Hallgrimsson and Lagerback signed contracts as joint managers, and when the Swede called it a day after Euro 2016, Hallgrimsson became the sole boss.
Key player
Gylfi Sigurdsson – The Everton midfielder has been named the Icelandic Footballer of the Year for the past six years.
Group prediction: 4th
Nigeria
To Win Group 10/1 | To Win Tournament 200/1 | FIFA Ranking 47th
How they qualified
Group B winners in African qualifying, five points clear of Zambia and six ahead of Cameroon.
Pedigree
Since making their soccer world cup debut in 1994, Nigeria have only missed the 2006 edition in Germany. Of their five appearances, their best achievement has been reaching the last 16 in 1994, 1998 and 2014.
Coach
Gernot Rohr – The 64-year-old German tactician led the national teams of Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso before his surprise appointment by Nigeria in 2016.
Key player
Victor Moses – The Chelsea wing-back was voted Nigeria’s Player of the Year back in February.
Group prediction: 3rd
Croatia
To Win Group 9/4 | To Win Tournament 33/1 | FIFA Ranking 18th
How they qualified
Beat Greece 4-1 on aggregate in the European play-offs after finishing runners-up to Iceland in Group I.
Pedigree
Four appearances, having first qualified in 1998 where they reached the semi-finals. After defeat to eventual winners France, a 2-1 win over the Netherlands saw Croatia secure a third-place finish.
Coach
Zlatko Dalic – Took charge of a critical situation with one game remaining in the qualifying. Presided over a victory over Ukraine 2-0, then Croatia overcame Greece in the playoffs.
Key player
Luka Modric – The Real Madrid midfielder has been named Croatia’s Footballer of the Year six times.
Group prediction: 2nd
