More Top Picks Best Guitar Pedals For Beginners
player ready...Wednesday’s playoff matches marked the end of the qualifying stages for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, setting the field of 32 countries headed to soccer’s biggest stage.
90 Minutes takes a confederation-by-confedration look at how each of the 32 hopefuls made it to Russia 2018.
Europe
The cream rose to the top in the European qualifiers, save for a couple of glaring exceptions in four-time champions Italy and for runner-up Netherlands. Nine group winners head to Russia, including four World Cup champions, the European champion, and a first-time participant, among others.
Germany:
Numerically, the defending champions arguably had the best qualifying campaign of any continent, let alone Europe. Germany won all ten matches, averaging 4.3 goals per match, and only allowing four goals all campaign. Joachim Low has an embarrasment of riches in terms of talent. It will be his greatest challenge to narrow it down to the ideal 23 come next summer.
Spain:
After dominating international soccer from 2006 to 2015, Spain received a rude awakening in Brazil 2014 and in Euro 2016. The Vicente Del Bosque era ended after the Euro, and Julen Lopetegui was brought in to usher in a new generation he knows very well from his days in the national youth ranks. With Italy in the group as well, the Spanish felt pressure to win the group to avoid a possible playoff, and so the did. Names like Isco, Alvaro Morata, Koke, Vitolo, and Thiago emerged as part of the new core that won Group G, and has championship aspirations in Russia.
France:
Didier Deschamps faced an emotional uphill battle after the disappoitment that represented failiing to win the European title in home soil, and in the final, nonetheless. France is miles deep in young talent, but the pieces still have not clicked in place at times, making for some questionable performances like the scoreless draw with Luxembourg in Toulouse. Still, Les Bleus only lost once and drew twice in qualifying, and should be in prime position to contend in Russia with Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann, and company ready to avenge the Euro 2016 letdown.
England:
England wrapped up a highly successful campaign by winning group F with a match still to go. However, recent history would indicate the Three Lions have enjoyed successful qualifying campaigns before crashing out of major tournament time and time again. Gareth Southgate battles history and the disenchantment of the English faithful, unconvinced the team showed enough to contend in Russia. Even so, England was in the exclusive club of undefeated teams in qualifying, but it is up to Southgate to build a team ready to break with the vicious cycle of recent years.
Portugal:
It took the reigning European champions until the last match to top Switzerland in Group B, but Portugal capped off a very impressive campaign with a 2-0 home win against the Swiss to punch its ticket to Russia. Fernando Santos has continued to build upon the success of Euro 2016, succesfully creating a core around Cristiano Ronaldo that puts the Lusos in prime position to repeat history in Russia. Nine wins, no draws, and one loss was the balance for Portugal, and they enter the World Cup with its championship formula fresh in mind.
Iceland:
The story of Euro 2016 shocked the world once again by winning Group I and making it to its first World Cup ever. Iceland withstood the challenge of Croatia and Ukraine being in the mix, with its classic 4-4-2 formation the world grew to love and respect in France. Gylfi Sigurdsson led the way for the Icelandics with four goals, but the solid foundation of a team built from the youth ranks will seek another shocking run in Russia.
Belgium:
The most talented generation of Belgian players ever finished qualifying with an undefeated record and big expectations to take a big step forward in Russia 2018. Roberto Martinez’s side managed 34 goals in ten matches, with its only blemish being a home draw to Greece. The former Everton manager has plenty of offensive talent to chose from, led by Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, and Dries Mertens. Qualifying was vastly a success, but World Cup success is the necessary next step.
Poland:
Poland makes a triumphant return to the World Cup after missing out in 2010 and 2014. Robert Lewandoski provided all the goals Adam Nawalka could want, leading all European qualifying with 16 goals. The Polish finished with only one loss and one draw, but did allow more than one goal per game on average. Nawalka will need more than just Lewandowski to make a run in Russia 2018.
Serbia:
Having posted failed qualifying campaigns since South Africa 2010, Serbia finally overcame its own downfalls to return to the World Cup. It did not come easy at all for the team led by Salvoljub Muslin, who had to battle with Ireland, Wales, and Austria from beginning to end, as only six points separated the four in the end. Still, the Serbs finished with the one extra victory against Georgia that pushed above the other contenders in Group D.
Switzerland:
The 2-0 road loss to Portugal in the last matchday cost the Swiss a direct ticket to Russia. The loss was the lone stain in an otherwise brilliant campaign for Vladimir Petkovic’s side. Based on its form throughout the group stage (nine wins, no draws, one loss, 32 goals scored, and only four allowed), the Swiss entered the playoff against Northern Ireland as the favorite. The Swiss didn’t live up to its group stage form, and overcame the Northern Irish in controversial fashion to advance to Russia 2018.
Denmark:
Age Hareide’s team overcame two early losses to Poland and Montenegro by rattling off five wins and two draws the rest of the way, earning them second place in Group E behind the Polish. The Danes, led by Christian Eriksen’s 11 goals in 12 matches, surpassed Ireland in the playoff to return to the World Cup after missing out in 2014.
Croatia:
For the second consecutive time, Croatia took the playoff rout to seal its spot in the World Cup, having overcome Iceland on the road to Brazil 2014. Managerial and institutional instability seemed to have affected a side filled with playmaking talent like Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Ivan Perisic, Mateo Kovacic, Mario Mandzukic, etc., but a last-day win in Ukraine kept the Croats afloat and headed to the playoffs, where a commanding 4-1 win in the first leg was enough to win a spot.
Sweden:
In its first qualifying campaing since the international retirement of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden overcame a seemingly tough Group A that included France and the Netherlands, but finishing just short of taking first place, and took a spot away from the ailing Dutch. Marcus Berg picked up where Ibrahimovic left off, leading the team with eight goals, supporter by the likes of Emil Forsberg, Andread Granqvist, and Victor Lindelof. The coup came in the playoff stage, where the Sweden took a spot from four-time champions Italy, who hadn’t missed a World Cup since 1958.
South America
The ten-team round robin qualifier came to the last day with five team vying for two and an a half spots, a fitting conclusion to the ever-tight South American qualifiers. CONMEBOL sends its full availability for a third straight tournament, a cast very familiar from Brazil 2014 with one notable absence: two-time Copa America champions Chile.
Brazil:
The five-time champions leave qualifying as the head-and-shoulders best team in the continent, but it was not smooth sailing all the way through. Brazil faced a mid-campaign crisis, as Dunga’s team struggled to rise to the top and convince with its play. In came Tite, and this Brazil returned to the Canarinha of old: relaxed, flashy, and unstoppable. As of the time of this writing, Brazil is called to be one of the contenders for the title.
Argentina:
The most fascinating story of qualifying came to its expected end, as Argentinians managed to punch a direct ticket to Russia on the last day in Ecuador. Getting to this point was the compelling (or depressing for Argentinian fans) part, as the Albiceleste went through two manager before Jorge Samapoli got them over the line. Argentina has a myriad of questions and only one certainty: Lionel Messi.
Uruguay:
More Top Picks Lanterns
Uruguay finished as the highest-placed team not named Brazil in the competition, netting a second-best 32 goals, including ten by leading scorer Edinson Cavani and five from Luis Suarez. Oscar Washington Tabarez led a team that won seven of nine home matches at the Centenario, only losing to Brazil and drawing with Argentina.
Colombia:
Despite not enjoying the commanding home form from the last campaign, Colombia qualified for its second consecutive World Cup by earning the final direct spot with an away draw with Peru on the last day. The Cafeteros were led once again in the goalscorers’ table by James Rodriguez, and complemented by a defense that allowed the third-least amount of goals in 18 matches.
Peru:
36 years without a World Cup ended for Peru after upending New Zealand in the CONMEBOL-OFC intercontinental playoff, 2-0 on aggregate. The Incas upset two-time defending Copa America champions Chile by accumulating three wins and three draws in their last six matches to finish fifth in the South American qualifiers, including a win against Uruguay and draws with Argentina and Colombia.
North, Central America and the Caribbean
Tuesday also marked the end of another close race in the CONCACAF hexagonal stage. The result was the absence of a World Cup mainstay in the United States, losing its place to a first-time participant, along with two traditional World Cup guests.
Mexico:
Following the near-calamity that was the 2014 qualifiers, Mexico returned to the top of CONCACAF, leading the hexagonal from beginning to end, starting with the 2-1 victory over the United States in Columbus after 16 years of losing 2-0. Juan Carlos Osorio, despite heavy criticism from a large sector of home fans, reinstated much-neede stability and consistency, and Mexico returns for a seventh-straight World Cup.
Costa Rica:
Costa Rica delayed its party by a couple of matchdays, but it finally earned its direct spot with a dramatic last-minute goal by Kendall Waston against Honduras in San Jose. The Ticos, the most surprising revelation in Brazil 2014, return to the World Cup with most of its core intact, led by captain Bryan Ruiz and Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas, finishing second in the hexagonal with only two losses at Mexico and at Panama when already qualified.
Panama:
Speaking of which, that Panamanian victory over Costa Rica meant the first-ever trip to the World Cup the Canaleros, courtesy of captain and leader Roman Torres’ late winner on the last day. Panama is lead by Hernan Dario Gomez, who is going to his third World Cup after taking Colombia in 1998 and then-first-timer Ecuador in 2002. Despite only netting nine goals in ten matches, Panama combined an undefeated home record with key results in Costa Rica and Honduras to make it to Russia.
Asia
The Asian qualifiers maintained its usual cast of characters atop the groups in the final stage, with Syria being the Cinderella story before falling by the wayside in the playoff stage. All five spots were filled after the intercontinental playoffs.
Iran:
Iran was the third team to qualify to Russia 2018 all the way back in June, joining the party for the second straight time. That is how dominant Iran was, finishing as the only undefeated team in Asia, with an amazing defensive effort that only allowed two goals in all then matches. Rubin Kazan’s Sardar Azmoun leads the offensive end for Carlos Queiroz’s team, which overcame perennial World Cup participant South Korea, the surprising Syria, and Uzbekistan to run away with Group A.
Japan:
It did not take that much longer for Japan to punch its own ticket to Russia. The Japanese overcame an early shocking loss to the United Arab Emirates in Saitama, rattling off six wins and two draws to steamroll over Saudi Arabia and Australia in Group B. The qualification after a first-match loss was the first time Japan ever accomplished such a feat, mainly led by a new generation of players like Takuma Asano and Yosuke Ideguchi to go along veterans like Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki.
South Korea:
While South Korea makes the World Cup for a remarkable ninth time in a row, this qualifying campaing was anything but remarkable. Four wins in ten matches are a sympthom of a team that never found its way, struggling to create an identity and consistency despite the results. Manager Uli Stielike was fired mid-campaign, and replaced by Shin Tae-Yong, but the South Koreans will have a lot of work to do before next summer comes.
Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia makes its return to the big stage for the first time since 2006, fending off the struggling Australia in goal differential with an impressive home win against Japan in Jeddah. The Saudis did undergo a coaching change, as former Argentina manager Edgardo Bauza repalced Bert van Marwijk late in the campaign, and Bauza will need more time to create a more solid side towards Russia 2018.
Australia:
Defending Asian Cup champion Australia finished an underwhelming qualifying campaign with a commanding 3-1 aggregate win in the CONCACAF-AFC playoff against Honduras, after finishing third place in Group B behind Japan and Saudi Arabia. The Aussies also struggled to overcome a courageous Syria en route to the Honduras clashes, needed a Tim Cahill goal in extra time of the second leg after a near-miss by the Syrians in the final minutes of regular time to earn a spot in the intercontinental playoff.
Africa
CAF concluded its campaign as the confederation of the returning teams. Four of the five countries that won their groups missed out on Brazil 2014, while three of the five come from the northern region of the continent.
Egypt:
28 years of agony ended when Mohamed Salah converted the aggregate-time penalty kick that sent Egypt to its first World Cup since Italy 1990. The generation that dominated the African Cup of Nations without ever making it to a World Cup is long gone, and new crop, led by Salah, Ramadan Sobhi, and Ahmed Hegazy, along with 44-year-old icon Essam El Hadary, and led by the experience of Hector Cuper, overcame Ghana, Uganda, and Congo to finally get over the hump and into the World Cup.
Nigeria:
The Super Eagles were the first African team in Russia after Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi’s late winner beat Zambia and clinched Group B. Nigeria’s ticket is certainly well-earned after topping a group that included African champions Cameroon and the talented Algeria. Gernot Roth’s side was unstoppable at home, beating Cameroon 4-0 and Algeria 3-1 before the victory over Zambia, 1-0.
Senegal:
The Lions of Teranga make a return to the World Cup for the first time since the Cinderalla run of 2002 that thrust Senegal into the world stage. Aliou Cisse, one of the heroes of 2002, led his team to a commanding first place finish in Group D, winning four of ten and finishing undefeated in a group with South Africa, Burkina Faso, and Cape Verde.
Morocco:
Led by the ever-impressive Herve Renard, Morocco overcame group favorites Ivory Coast in Group C to earn its first berth since France 1998. More impressively, the Atlas Lions’ victory in Abidjan on the final matchday capped off and unbeaten campaign without allowing a single goal, something no other country can claim come Russia 2018.
Tunisia:
Another side making its return to the World Cup is Tunisia. The Eagles of Carthage found themselves in a Group A that didn’t inspire much fear on paper, despite a late charge by the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tunisia won the group without having one notable player that stands out, as eight different players scored in qualifying.
More Top Picks Best Standing Desks For Kids