The World Cup is upon us once again, and although the hype is not as feverish as it has been for previous tournaments, there is still a month of glorious showcase football awaiting us. This is a mini guide for every team in Qatar, including their nicknames, coaches, captains, key players and ones to watch.
Group A
- Qatar – Surprise champions of Asia in 2019, the Maroons would be looking to shift the focus of their controversial World Cup hosting onto the pitch with some impressive performances in their first World Cup.
Nickname – The Maroons
Coach – Felix Sanchez
Captain – Hassan Al-Haydos
Key Player – Almoez Ali
One to Watch – Akram Afif
Fun Fact – Qatar’s squad features Mohammed Muntari, a Kumasi-born forward who naturalised for the Qataris in 2014.
- Ecuador – An exciting Ecuadorian side packed full of youth and exuberance has the potential to be one of the surprise packages this tournament. Led by young stars Moises Caicedo and Piero Hincapie as well as all time top scorer Enner Valencia, the Ecuadorians would be hoping to improve upon their best ever World Cup finish of reaching the Round of 16.
Nickname – La Tri
Coach – Gustavo Alfaro
Captain – Enner Valencia
Key Player – Moises Caicedo
One to Watch – Piero Hincapie
Fun Fact – La Tri have three players; Moises Caicedo, Pervis Estupinian, and Jeremy Sarmiento plying their trade for Brighton & Hove Albion in the English Premier League.
- Senegal – Champions of Africa and featuring a galaxy of stellar names who have played together for so long under the same local head coach, it is no surprise to see Senegal be a popular choice for tournament dark horses. However, a number of these players are approaching the twilight of their career and must rediscover their best form of Senegal are to make history in Qatar.
Nickname – The Teranga Lions
Coach – Aliou Cisse
Captain – Kalidou Koulibalu
Key Player – Sadie Mane
One to Watch – Ismailia Sarr
Fun Fact – Senegal are one of only three African teams to ever reach the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup (Cameroon 1990 and Ghana 2010 are the two others), achieving this feat in 2002 with current head coach Aliou Cisse as captain.
- Netherlands – Perennial underachievers Netherlands would look to put the shock disappointment of missing out on the 2018 World Cup to bed completely with a strong showing in Qatar. Legendary manager Louis Van Gaal, who oversaw an excellent campaign in 2014 where they were cruelly eliminated on penalties in the semifinal, is back in charge and hoping to do even better this time.
Nickname – Oranje
Coach – Louis Van Gaal
Captain – Virgil Van Dijk
Key Player – Virgil Van Dijk
One to Watch – Cody Gakpo
Fun Fact – This would be the first major tournament elite centre back and talismanic captain Virgil Van Dijk has ever featured in for the Oranje
Group B
- England – The Three Lions would be hoping to build on impressive World Cup and Euros campaigns by going a step further and lifting the trophy in Qatar next month. They have been in poor form heading into the tournament and would need to step things up if they are to stand any chance of becoming champions
Nickname – Three Lions
Coach – Gareth Southgate
Captain – Harry Kane
Key Player – Harry Kane
One to watch – Phil Foden
Fun Fact – Despite being a global powerhouse and the self-acclaimed founders of football, the English only have one major tournament win to their name in their entire history. That came controversially with a World Cup win in 1966.
- Iran – Iran have successfully made it to their fifth World Cup in the last six editions, and would be hoping to cause an upset this campaign with a dangerous front pairing of Mehdi Taremi and Sardar Azmoun.
Nickname – Princes of Persia
Coach – Carlos Queiroz
Captain – Ehsan Hafsaji
Key Player – Mehdi Taremi
One to watch – Sardar Azmoun
Fun Fact – Porto star Mehdi Taremi won the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League Goal of the Season for his spectacular overhead kick against eventual champions Chelsea.
- USA – The US finally look to have the golden generation they longed and worked so hard for. Young stars Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Giovanni Reyna, Tyler Adams and many more would look to use this campaign to make a statement to the world of football that the United States should be taken very seriously indeed.
Nickname – The Stars and Stripes
Coach – Gregg Berhalter
Captain – Christian Pulisic
Key Player – Christian Pulisic
One to Watch – Giovanni Reyna
Fun Fact – The United States would be one of the hosts for the next World Cup to be held in 2026, along with North American neighbours Canada and Mexico.
- Wales – For a country which has had iconic players such as Ian Rush, Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale represent them, it is rather surprising that this would only be Wales’s second-ever World Cup appearance and their first since 1958. Legendary forward Gareth Bale would look to help them make up for lost time with an impressive showing in Qatar.
Nickname – The Dragons
Coach – Rob Page
Captain – Gareth Bale
Key Player – Gareth Bale
One to Watch – Ethan Ampadu
Fun Fact – This would be the last tournament where Wales would be playing under the name ‘Wales’, as they have been given permission by FIFA to switch to Cymru in 2023.
Group C
- Argentina – Tipped by many to go all the way this year, Argentina finally look to have put together a team capable of winning Messi his long awaited World Cup trophy. With Emi Martinez in goal, Lisandro Martinez and Christian Romero in defense, Enzo Fernandes and Rodrigo De Paul in midfield, Angel Di Maria and Leo Messi himself on the wings, and Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez in attack, Argentina will prove a force to be reckoned with this campaign.
Nickname – Albicelieste
Coach – Lionel Scaloni
Captain – Lionel Messi
Key Player – Lionel Messi
One to Watch – Enzo Fernandes
Fun Fact – Generational superstar Lionel Messi is yet to score a knockout goal for his country in 4 previous attempts.
- Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia would be hoping to stun the world and emulate the great Al-Owairan-led team of 1994 by qualifying from their group this campaign. They might fancy their chances playing in a familiar climate, despite the strength in quality of their opponents.
Nickname – Green Falcons
Coach – Herve Renard
Captain – Salman Al-Faraj
Key Player – Salem Al-Dawsari
One to Watch – Firas Al-Buraikan
Fun Fact – Head coach Herve Renard became the first coach to win the African Cup of Nations with different teams, achieving this feat with Zambia and Ivory Coast in 2012 and 2015 respectively.
- Poland – The Poles would be heavily reliant on legendary centre forward Robert Lewandowski to break his World Cup duck and be at his best if they are to match their best ever World Cup finish of third place in 1974 and 1982.
Nickname – The Eagles
Coach – Czesław Michniewicz
Captain – Robert Lewandowski
Key Player – Robert Lewandowski
One to Watch – Nicola Zalewski
Fun Fact – Aston Villa right back Matty Cash has lived in England all his life, but has Polish ancestry roots from his maternal lineage and switched allegiance to the Poles last year upon receiving his Polish passport.
- Mexico – Q. What do the 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 World Cups all have in common? A. Mexico have been knocked out in the round of 16. Consistently reaching the World Cup and consistently being able to make it out of their groups is never quite enough for the Mexicans as they always seem to falter at the second hurdle. Will they be able to make it to the quarters for the first time since 1986?
Nickname – El Tri
Coach – Gerardo Martino
Captain – Andres Guardado
Key Player – Raul Jimenez
One to Watch – Diego Lainez
Fun Fact – Captain Andres Guardado is the current joint appearance record holder, meaning he only needs an appearance at the World Cup to make him clear at number one.
Group D
- France – Champions of the World and with the 2022 world’s best player Karim Benzema leading their attack, France are as threatening a proposition on paper as they often are. But with injuries to key players and the old ‘Champion’s Curse’ which has seen four of the last five World Cup winners eliminated in the group stages of the next competition, Les Bleus should be wary of complacency.
Nickname – Les Bleus
Coach – Didier Deschamps
Captain – Hugo Lloris
Key Player – Kylian Mbappé
One to Watch – Aurélien Tchouameni
Fun Fact – Veteran striker Olivier Giroud is only three goals away from becoming France’s all time top scorer.
- Australia – Asian powerhouses Australia are a team in transition. They have struggled to recapture the days of their golden generation that included Tim Cahill and Mark Schwarzer and saw them finish in the Round of 16 in 2006. They would be hoping to put on a good showing with their new team in Qatar this year.
Nickname – The Socceroos
Coach – Graham Arnold
Captain – Matt Ryan
Key Player – Aaron Mooy
One to Watch – Garang Kuol
Fun Fact – Garang Kuol is one of the few players born in 2004 who could potentially make his debut at the World Cup in Qatar.
- Denmark – The Danes are feeling great again, after a Euros performance that saw them take Europe by storm and finish in the semifinals and a near-perfect World Cup qualification record. They would be looking to qualify from the group and potentially spring an upset or two in the knockout rounds of the competition.
Nickname – Danish Dynamite
Coach – Kasper Hjulmand
Captain – Simon Kjaer
Key Player – Christian Eriksen
One to Watch – Mikkel Damagaard
Fun Fact – Team captain Simon Kjaer won the UEFA President’s Award in 2021 for helping to save the life of star player Christian Eriksen on the field in a Euros group stage game against Finland.
- Tunisia – The North African side would be looking to make more of an impact on this tournament after getting knocked out in the group stages of each of the last six World Cup tournaments they have featured in.
Nickname – Carthage Eagles
Coach – Jalel Kadri
Captain – Youssef Msakni
Key Player – Wahib Khazri
One to Watch – Hannibal Mejbri
Fun Fact – Manchester United wonderkid Hannibal Mejbri (on loan at Birmingham City) naturalised for the Carthage Eagles in May last year.
Group E
- Spain – La Roja are looking to bounce back from a disappointing Round of 16 exit in the last World Cup. They are one of the teams in the midst of a rebuild, with veteran players David de Gea, Sergio Ramos and Thiago all dropped from the team. With the likes of Ansu Fati, Pedri and Gavi though, there is a new wave of Spanish football ready to make a name for themselves on the world stage.
Nickname – La Roja
Coach – Luis Enrique
Captain – Sergio Busquets
Key Player – Pedri
One to Watch – Gavi
Fun Fact – Athletic Bilbao youngster might be one of a select few players to face his brother at a World Cup, with his elder brother Iñaki Williams representing the Black Stars of Ghana.
- Costa Rica – With Spain, Germany and an enterprising Japan side in their group, football fans might be forgiven for thinking Costa Rica would be pushovers. But history would tell you not to write them off. In 2014, the Central American outfit not only qualified from a group including a much fancied Italy, England, and Uruguay, but topped it unbeaten with seven points. Who’s to say lightning can’t strike twice ?
Nickname – Los Ticos
Coach – Luis Fernando Suarez
Captain – Bryan Ruiz
Key Player – Keylor Navas
One to Watch – Jewison Bennette
Fun Fact – At 37, seasoned captain Bryan Ruiz is one of the oldest players at the tournament
- Germany – What a horrific tournament Die Mannschaft had in Ukraine. From Lozano’s neat front post finish in their opener to iconic goalkeeper Neuer getting stranded in midfield in their final game against South Korea, everything that could go wrong for the Germans did as they found themselves victims of the ‘Champion’s Curse’. After a substantial rebuild that has seen the likes of Jamal Musiala and Youssoufa Moukoko called up to the side, the Germans would be looking for a much better campaign this time round.
Nickname – Die Mannschaft
Coach – Hansi Flick
Captain – Manuel Neuer
Key Player – Thomas Muller
One to Watch – Jamal Musiala
Fun Fact – With 10 goals, Thomas Muller is 6 goals away from equalling countryman Miroslav Klose’s record as the all time top scorer at FIFA World Cups
- Japan – It’s an exciting time to be Japanese. With the likes of Tomiyasu, Mitoma, Minamino, and Kubo, it is no surprise to see Japan tipped as one of the dark horses for the competition. Can they gel well enough to upset the odds and become the first Asian team to go all the way?
Nickname – Samurai Blues
Coach – Hajime Moriyasu
Captain – Maya Yoshida
Key Player – Takehiro Tomiyasu
One to Watch – Takefusa Kubo
Fun Fact – Despite making it to each of the last seven World Cups, Japan have never made it past the Round of 16.
Group F
- Belgium – How Belgium’s golden generation have not even made it to a major tournament final would forever be one of football’s greatest mysteries, as well as one of its greatest disappointments. A squad littered with legends like Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, Vincent Kompany, Dries Mertens and many many others have failed to reach their potential time after time. For some of them, their time is already up, but others like the aforementioned Hazard, De Bruyne and Courtois have one last shot at international glory with this World Cup.
Nickname – Red Devils
Coach – Roberto Martinez
Captain – Eden Hazard
Key Player – Kevin De Bruyne
One to Watch – Charles De Ketelaere
Fun Fact – Belgium’s third place finish at the last World Cup was their best ever.
- Canada – It has been a long, long wait for the Canadians. Not since 1986, where they were promptly knocked out of the group stages after losing all three group games, have they qualified for a World Cup tournament. With the likes of young stars Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, they would be looking to give a much better account of themselves this time round.
Nickname – The Maple Leaves
Coach – John Herdman
Captain – Atiba Hutchinson
Key Player – Alphonso Davies
One to Watch – Jonathan David
Fun Fact – Star player Alphonso Davies was born to Liberian refugee parents in Budumburam, Ghana.
- Morocco – Forever blessed with skilful dribblers, the Atlas Lions would be looking to add some substance to their style at this year’s World Cup. The return of maverick midfielder Hakim Ziyech coupled with the threat of Achraf Hakimi and Youssef El-Nesyri would do their group qualification chances the world of good.
Nickname – Atlas Lions
Coach – Walid Regragui
Captain – Romain Saiss
Key Player – Achraf Hakimi
One to Watch – Abde Ezzalzouli
Fun Fact – Morocco would be seeking to become become the first North African team to make it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
- Croatia – Everything seemed to click for the Croats in 2018 as all their stars delivered and they made it all the way to the final of the FIFA World Cup, only to be overpowered by the French. The team has undergone something of a mini rebuild since then, but the midfield is still jam packed with quality with the likes of Modric, Kovacic and Brozovic seeking to dominate the middle of the park.
Nickname – Vatreni
Coach – Zlatko Dalic
Captain – Luka Modric
Key Player – Luka Modric
Fun Fact – Midfield maestro Luka Modric was adjudged to be the Player of the Tournament at the last World Cup.
Group G
- Brazil – “Indo Para Seis” (Going For Six) is the motto for the almighty Brazilians this campaign as they seek to remind the world of why they are widely considered to be the greatest national team of all time with a sixth World Cup trophy in their sites. With indomitable leaders Neymar and Thiago Silva possibly playing their last tournament this year, the Brazilians would be giving their all to make sure they leave Qatar as champions.
Nickname – Samba Boys
Coach – Tite
Captain – Thiago Silva
Key Player – Neymar
One to Watch – Vinicius Junior
Fun Fact – Neymar is only three goals away from becoming Brazil’s all time top scorer, surpassing the late great Pele if he does so.
- Cameroon – Speaking of ‘indomitable’, Cameroon would be looking to give a much better account of themselves in this tournament after a string of disappointing performances. The likes of Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting and Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa would be looking to invoke the footballing spirits of legends in years past such as Roger Milla and Francois Omam-Biyik in Qatar this year.
Nickname – Indomitable Lions
Coach – Rigobert Song
Captain – Vincent Aboubakar
Key Player – Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa
One to Watch – Bryan Mbuemo
Fun Fact – Cameroon coach Rigobert Song has featured as a player in 4 World Cups, playing in 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010.
- Serbia – After their exploits in World Cup qualification, it is no surprise to see many fans tip Serbia to be one of the potential tournament dark horses. Coming into this tournament on the back of finishing first in a group containing a much fancied Portugal side, Serbia will be looking to veteran stars Dusan Tadic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and Alexander Mitrovic, as well as young sensation Dusan Vlahovic, to work their magic for them in Qatar.
Nickname – The Eagles
Coach – Dragan Stojkovic
Captain – Dusan Tadic
Key Player – Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
One to Watch – Dusan Vlahovic
Fun Fact – Despite the wealth of talent at their disposal, Serbia have never made it to the knockout stages of the World Cup since they were recognized as Serbia in 2006.
- Switzerland – Switzerland are one of the World Cup teams that seem to always qualify but never make a substantial impact. With the likes of Granit Xhaka, Yann Sommer and Manuel Akanji, they would be looking to change that narrative this campaign.
Nickname – Red Crosses
Coach – Murat Yakin
Captain – Granit Xhaka
Key Player – Granit Xhaka
One to Watch – Noah Okafor
Fun Fact – Mercurial midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri is only ten games away from equalling the record of the most appearances for the Swiss national team (108).
Group H
- Portugal – All time national team appearance record holder. All time national team (and world) record scorer. But there is one thing the greatest goal scorer of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, does not have. And that is the World Cup trophy. In what will surely be his last World Cup tournament at the age of 37, can Rafael Leao, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo and co help him claim what would be the greatest trophy in his long catalogue?
Nickname – Selecao
Coach – Fernando Santos
Captain – Cristiano Ronaldo
Key Player – Cristiano Ronaldo
One to Watch – Rafael Leao
Fun Fact – Just like his long time counterpart Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo is still yet to score a knockout goal in the World Cup after four attempts.
- Uruguay – Although their golden generation has aged now with a number of them no longer playing for the national team, Uruguay’s rebuild is going very smoothly. In Fede Valverde, they have arguably the most complete midfielder in the world right now, and he together with Ronald Araujo, Rodrigo Bentancur and the zany Darwin Nunez would be looking to wreak havoc on the opposition this winter.
Nickname – La Celeste
Coach – Diego Alonso
Captain – Diego Godin
Key Player – Fede Valverde
One to Watch – Facundo Pellistri
Fun Fact – Legendary forward Luis Suarez could be making his fourth straight World Cup tournament appearances this year. Remember him, Ghanaians?
- South Korea – The Koreans have quietly put together one of their best ever teams on paper and would fancy their chances of making it out of a group where qualification spots are up for grab and even making an impact further down in the tournament. With an inform Kangin Lee, Hwang Hee Chan, and the greatest footballing export from Asia, Son Heung Min, South Korea have a lethal attack that could rival the very best the competition has to offer.
Nickname – Taegeuk Warriors
Coach – Paulo Bento
Captain – Son Heung-Min
Key Player – Son Heung-Min
One to Watch – Kangin Lee
Fun Fact – The Koreans would be looking to emulate their remarkable exploits in 2002 where they made it all the way to the semifinals.
- Ghana – Coming of the back of a torrid African Cup of Nations in January and having won twice all year with those victories coming against Madagascar and Nicaragua, it is safe to say Ghana are not in a good place heading into arguably the most dangerous group in the tournament. But as we have seen time and again in football, anything can happen, and with talent like Thomas Partey, Mohammed Kudus and Iñaki Williams, the Black Stars might yet spring a surprise in Qatar.
Nickname – Black Stars
Coach – Otto Addo
Captain – Andre Ayew
Key Player – Thomas Partey
One to Watch – Mohammed Kudus
Fun Fact – Charismatic Ghana captain Andre Ayew is no stranger to playing in Qatar as he plies his trade for Qatari powerhouse Al-Sadd.
So there you have it, a mini go-to guide on all 32 teams featuring at this World Cup. What are your predictions? Who would be the young star of the tournament? Player of the tournament? Unsung hero? Golden boot winner? Fallen Giants? Champions? Let us know in the comments.
