[Football] *****Official World Cup 2018 Sweepstake & Draw Thread*****

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=33649]darkwolf666[/MENTION] & [MENTION=457]sheebo[/MENTION]

Senegal

Pedigree: This is the first time Senegal have qualified for the World Cup since 2002 - and only the second time in history. In 2002, they reached the quarter finals where they were beaten 1-0 by Turkey.

Key player: Sadio Mane is the West African team's most experienced player with 48 caps and 14 goals since his debut in 2012. In 2015 he set a new Premier League record for the fastest hat-trick after scoring three times in 176 seconds during a 6-1 Southampton win over Aston Villa. When he transferred to Liverpool in 2016, he became the most expensive African player in history at the time, for a fee of £34m.

Sadio Mane
Mane became the most expensive African player in history at the time, for a fee of £34m
Premier League players: Cheikhou Kouyate (West Ham), Diafra Sakho (West Ham), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Sadio Mane (Liverpool).

Championship players: Alfred N'Diaye (Wolves), Cheikh N'Doye (Birmingham City),

Who is the boss? Aliou Cisse is a former Senegal, Pompey and Birmingham City player. The 41-year-old briefly became head coach of the team in a caretaker role after Amara Traore's sacking in 2012. He then coached Senegal's under-23 side from 2012-2013 before heading back to the national team in a permanent position.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=17768]Petee[/MENTION] & [MENTION=34154]Hammer15[/MENTION]

Colombia

Pedigree: Colombia produced their best ever performance at a World Cup in Brazil in 2014 when they reached the quarter-finals, before losing 2-1 to hosts Brazil.

James Rodriguez
James Rodriguez was in the Real Madrid squad that won the Champions League in both the last two seasons
Key player: James Rodriguez. The attacking midfielder, who is on loan at Bayern Munich from Real Madrid, won the Golden Boot in the 2014 World Cup, awarded to the top goalscorer in the competition. He scored six goals in that World Cup.

Premier League players: David Ospina (Arsenal), Jose Izquierdo (Brighton), Davinson Sanchez (Tottenham)

Who's the boss: Jose Pekerman has been in charge of the Colombia team since 2012 and has won the South American Coach of the Year on three occasions since then.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=23421]JOLovegrove[/MENTION] & [MENTION=8619]Guy Fawkes[/MENTION]

Tunisia

Pedigree: Next summer will represent the first time Tunisia have appeared at a World Cup finals since the tournament in Germany in 2006, at which they failed to make it beyond the group stage. In three finals appearances prior to that - 1978, 1998 and 2002 - they failed to make the knockout rounds.

Key player: Centre-back Aymen Abdennour is an experienced and talented figure in Tunisia's defence. Currently on loan at French club Marseille from Valencia, he has 57 international caps and has scored twice. Previously linked with moves to the Premier League with both Everton and Chelsea, the 28-year-old was recently reported to be on Watford's radar.

Wahbi Khazri
Wahbi Khazri began this season in the Championship with Sunderland but joined Rennes on loan in August
Premier League players: None

Championship players: Wahbi Khazri (Sunderland, on loan at Rennes)

Who is the boss? Nabil Maaloul is in his second spell as Tunisia coach. His first lasted just seven games in 2013, which ended in his resignation after he failed to take his country to the 2014 World Cup finals. He returned in April of 2017, following spells with El Jaish SC in Qatar and the Kuwait national team. Prior to all this, he was assistant to then head coach Roger Lemerre as Tunisia won the 2004 African Cup of Nations and led ES Tunis to an historic treble in 2011. He won 74 caps for Tunisia during his playing days as a midfielder in the 1980s and 1990s, representing them at the Olympics in Seoul in 1988.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=5194]NEASTGULL[/MENTION] & [MENTION=7]Mustafa[/MENTION]

Belgium

Pedigree: Having failed to qualify for the previous two tournaments, Belgium reached the quarter-finals at Brazil 2014, losing to eventual runners-up Argentina. The Red Devils' best finish was fourth in 1986.

Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard made his Belgium debut as a 17-year-old in 2008
Key player: Eden Hazard. The twinkle-toed Chelsea forward unlocks defences with his rapid change of pace, close control and eye for a pass. He also wears the captain's armband for Roberto Martinez's side.

Premier League players: Michy Batshuayi, Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard (all Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Toby Alderweireld, Moussa Dembele, Jan Vertonghen, (all Tottenham), Kevin De Bruyne, Vincent Kompany (both Manchester City), Marouane Fellaini, Romelu Lukaku (both Manchester United), Steven Defour (Burnley), Nacer Chadli (West Brom), Kevin Mirallas (Everton), Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace), Divock Origi (Wolfsburg, on loan from Liverpool), Christian Kabasele (Watford).

Scottish Premiership player: Dedryck Boyata (Celtic)

Who's the boss? Roberto Martinez's big achievement in English football was guiding Wigan to FA Cup success in 2013, although they were relegated three days later.

The former Swansea and Everton manager's prowess in organising an attack has never been in question, but there were concerns over his defensive aptitude at club level. That shouldn't be a problem with this Belgium outfit, who have the likes of Tottenham defenders Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, and Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany in their ranks.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=12101]Mellotron[/MENTION] & [MENTION=172]Telboy[/MENTION]

Poland

Pedigree: Poland are ranked sixth in the world. They have never won the World Cup but many believe this is one of the country's strongest squads. Their highest previous finish is third, which they achieved in 1974 and 1982.

Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski
Bayern Munich forward Lewandowski will appear in a World Cup for the first time in Russia
Key player: Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski has scored 16 goals in nine qualifying matches for Poland and is their all-time record goal-scorer. The skipper has scored 51 international goals in 91 games.

Premier League players: Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea), Grzegorz Krychowiak (West Bromwich Albion).

Championship players: Pawel Wszolek (Queens Park Rangers), Kamil Grosicki (Hull City).

Who's the boss? Adam Nawalka has been in charge since November 2013 and has overseen 39 matches as Poland manager. His contract is due to run out in December but he guided the team to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, just two years after they failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, so he is expected to remain in charge for his second major tournament.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=34524]Frankie[/MENTION] [MENTION=20415]PWA[/MENTION]

Mexico

Pedigree: Mexico have reached the knockout stage in each of the past six World Cups, and made the quarter-finals as hosts in 1986.

Juan Carlos Osorio
Key player: Hirving Lozano has scored three goals in three games since leaving Pachuca for PSV Eindhoven this summer, and the 22-year-old is also becoming the star of the national team, netting Mexico's winner against Panama.

'Chucky' even impressed Argentina legend Diego Maradona on his Eredivisie debut, and the Philips Stadion crowd gave the winger a standing ovation following his first goal for PSV.

Premier League players: Javier Hernandez (West Ham).

Who's the boss? Former Manchester City assistant manager Juan Carlos Osorio is the man in charge, but missed his side's Gold Cup campaign this summer after being given a six-match ban by Fifa for "using insulting words and displaying an aggressive attitude towards officials" during the Confederations Cup.

The Colombian, who graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with a diploma in science and football, has been backed by a number of experienced players in his squad following criticism from fans.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=21200]I remember the good times[/MENTION] [MENTION=232]Simster[/MENTION]

Uruguay

Pedigree: Uruguay won the first World Cup in 1930 and then again in 1950, but they only reached the last 16 at Brazil 2014.

Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez has won the Golden Shoe, given to the top scorer in European club football, on two occasions
Key player: Luis Suarez. Barcelona forward Suarez is the country's record goalscorer and scored twice in their last qualifier against Bolivia to secure their qualification.

Championship player: Abel Hernandez (Hull)

Who's the boss: Oscar Tabarez has been in charge of Uruguay since 2006 and guided them to the Copa America title in 2011.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=921]Ken Livingstone Seagull[/MENTION] & [MENTION=20011]Ozymandias86[/MENTION]

Peru

Pedigree: The 32nd and last team to qualify, Peru are heading to their fifth World Cup after goals from Jefferson Farfan and Christian Ramos gave them a 2-0 win over New Zealand in the play-offs. Their best result came in 1970, when they finished seventh, and the last World Cup they qualified for was in 1982. They're 10th in the Fifa rankings.

Key player: Farfan, who plays for Lokomotiv Moscow, has made 79 appearances for Peru, scoring 23 goals. The 33-year-old is known for his speed and scored three goals in four matches during qualifying.

Peru's national football team
Peru became the last side to book their spot at next year's World Cup after beating New Zealand 2-0
Premier League player: Winger Andre Carrillo is playing for Watford after a loan move from Benfica. The 26-year-old has made 34 appearances for Peru.

Who's the boss? Argentine Ricardo Gareca, nicknamed 'The Tiger', has managed Peru since 2015. He played 20 times for Argentina and has been a manager for more than 20 years. The 59-year-old introduced a psychologist to the Peru team when he began coaching them.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=21875]worthingseagull[/MENTION] & [MENTION=12422]Taybha[/MENTION]

Costa Rica

Pedigree: Russia 2018 will be the fifth time Los Ticos have appeared at a World Cup finals. Last time out in Brazil, they finished top of a group containing Uruguay, Italy, and bottom-placed England, before going out in the quarter-finals on penalties to the Netherlands.

Key player: Bologna defender Giancarlo Gonzalez made the BBC pundits' team of the tournament in 2014, but the man on whom Costa Rica's recent success is built is Keylor Navas. The 30-year-old goalkeeper's performances at the last World Cup earned him a move to Real Madrid. Since then he has established himself as the number one there, winning one Spanish league title and two Champions Leagues.

Costa Rica keeper Keylor Navas
Navas celebrates qualifying for the 2018 World Cup
Premier League players: Arsenal striker Joel Campbell is Costa Rica's only Premier League player - although he is on a season-long loan at La Liga side Real Betis.

Scottish Premiership player: Cristian Gamboa (Celtic)

Who's the boss? Oscar Ramirez was a player when Costa Rica made their World Cup debut in 1990. Since ending his playing career and moving into coaching, he has carved out a reputation for being tactically astute and creative, winning several league titles in club football before taking over from Paulo Wanchope, who resigned after being involved in a brawl during a match against Panama, at the helm of the national side in 2015.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=310]ditchy[/MENTION] , [MENTION=3913]blue'n'white[/MENTION] & [MENTION=6625]Badger[/MENTION] - flying the flag for the Albion

Australia

Pedigree: This will be the fourth consecutive World Cup appearance and a fifth overall for Australia. Their best performance came in 2006 when they went out in the last 16, losing 1-0 to eventual champions Italy through a 95th-minute Francesco Totti penalty.

Tim Cahill
Tim Cahill has accumulated 103 caps for Aistralia
Key player: Tim Cahill may be 37 years old but he continues to be his country's talisman. The former Everton midfielder has scored 11 times during qualification, including the two decisive goals in Australia's second-leg victory over Syria.

Premier League players: Mathew Ryan (Brighton), Aaron Moy (Huddersfield), Brad Smith (Bournemouth), Adam Federici (Bournemouth).

Championship players: Bailey Wright (Bristol City), Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa), Massimo Luongo (QPR), Jackson Irvine (Hull City).

Scottish Premiership player: Tom Rogic (Celtic)

Who's the boss? No-one - at the moment. Greece-born Australian Ange Postecoglou resigned six days after the team qualified, saying the job had "taken a toll" on him.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=13645]SUIYHP[/MENTION] & [MENTION=26802]martin tyler[/MENTION]

Iceland

Pedigree: Iceland are heading to their first World Cup after victory over Kosovo on 9 October secured their place in Russia. This is clearly a golden era for the Icelanders after they reached Euro 2016, where they memorably defeated England in their second-round tie before losing 5-2 against hosts France in the quarter-finals.

Key player: It is difficult to look beyond Everton's Gylfi Sigurdsson. The 28-year-old midfielder scored the opening goal against Kosovo and is a superb striker of the ball from long range.

Gylfi Sigurdsson celebrates an Iceland goal on the night they secured qualification
Sigurdsson was on the scoresheet as Iceland reached the World Cup for the first time
Premier League players: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton), Johann Berg Gudmundsson (Burnley).

Championship: Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City), Birkir Bjarnason (Aston Villa), Horour Bjorgvin Magnusson (Bristol City), Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Reading).

Scottish Premiership player: Kari Arnason (Aberdeen).

Who's the boss? Keep smiling. Heimir Hallgrimsson, 50, is a dentist who was in joint charge of the team in France alongside Swedish veteran Lars Lagerback. Hallgrimsson took sole charge after Euro 2016 and has presided over a successful qualification campaign.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=4675]Frutos[/MENTION] & [MENTION=15377]Nathan[/MENTION]

Morocco

Pedigree: Morocco will be making their first appearance at a World Cup finals in 20 years next summer. In 1998 in France, a win, a draw and a defeat was not enough for them to qualify from the group stage. They have managed this feat just once in four attempts at finals, in Mexico in 1986 when they reached the last 16, where they were beaten 1-0 by eventual runners-up West Germany.

Key player: He has not been a regular with club side Juventus this season (there is some stiff competition there at the back) but defender Medhi Benatia is extremely highly rated at the Italian champions, who signed him on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich this year following a successful loan spell. The 30-year-old is Morocco's captain and has 52 caps to his name, five of which came during a 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign in which they did not concede a goal. He also scored one of the goals in the 2-0 win over Ivory Coast that sealed their place in Russia.

Medhi Benatia
Medhi Benatia joined Juventus from Bayern Munich on a permanent deal in May
Premier League players: Sofiane Boufal (Southampton)

Championship players: Romain Saiss (Wolves)

Who is the boss? Frenchman Herve Renard has had something of a nomadic coaching career since retiring from playing in 1998. One of his early roles was as boss of Cambridge United, who he joined in the summer of 2004 and left 25 games later with the club second bottom of League Two. Since then he has won the Africa Cup of Nations twice, with Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015. After an unsuccessful stint as Lille boss, he took over as Morocco head coach in 2016.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=20121]Albion_Dave[/MENTION] & [MENTION=27389]mjking73[/MENTION] - Sacrebleu

France

Pedigree: France won the World Cup when they hosted the tournament in 1998 and also reached the final eight years later, losing on penalties to Italy. They reached the quarter-finals in Brazil in 2014 and were runners-up as hosts at Euro 2016.

Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann finished third in the 2016 Ballon d'Or, behind winner Cristiano Ronaldo and runner-up Lionel Messi
Key player: Antoine Griezmann. The Atletico Madrid striker was the top scorer with six goals as France reached the Euro 2016 final and scored the second as France beat Belarus 2-1 to secure their qualification on 10 October.

Premier League players: Laurent Koscielny, Alexandre Lacazette and Olivier Giroud (all Arsenal), Tiemoue Bakayoko and N'Golo Kante (both Chelsea), Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace), Eliaquim Mangala and Benjamin Mendy (both Manchester City), Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba (both Manchester United), Kurt Zouma (Stoke, on loan from Chelsea), Hugo Lloris and Moussa Sissoko (both Tottenham).

Who's the boss? Didier Deschamps played 103 times for France and helped them win the 1998 World Cup and the European Championship in 2000. He has been national team boss since July 2012 and guided them to the final of Euro 2016, although they lost 1-0 to Portugal after extra time.Sacrebleu

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=19309]Lord Sabre[/MENTION] & [MENTION=1365]Westdene Seagull[/MENTION]

Saudi Arabia

Pedigree: Saudi Arabia's only victories at a World Cup came in their first appearance in 1994, when they won two group matches and reached the second round. Their second win - 1-0 against Belgium - featured one of the greatest goals of all time when forward Saeed Al Owairan ran from his own half and beat half the Belgian defence to score.

Key player: Yahya Al Shehri, a 27-year-old winger, has been at the centre of the national team's rejuvenation since making his debut as a teenager. He became the most expensive Saudi footballer in 2013 when he moved from Ettifaq to Al-Nassr for £9.6m.

Premier League players: None

Who's the boss? Good question. Bert van Marwijk steered the team through qualification but left just days after the successful conclusion of the campaign. He was replaced by former Argentina coach Edgardo Bauza but he has since been sacked after just five games in charge.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=13022]Brighton4Cambridge3[/MENTION] & [MENTION=17368]Johnnyboy[/MENTION] - this proves I didn't fix it!!!!

England

Pedigree: Since their solitary World Cup success in 1966, England have reached the semi-finals only once - in 1990, when they finished fourth. In 2014, the Three Lions were knocked out in the group stage. That was the first time since 1958 they failed to get out of their group, and the only time they have been eliminated after just two matches.

England failed to progress from the group stages of the World Cup in 2014
Key player: With 13 goals for club and country in September, Harry Kane is one of the world's most in-form strikers. His 27 goals in 2017 puts him only nine behind Lionel Messi.

Premier League players: The entire England squad play in the Premier League.

Who's the boss? Gareth Southgate will take charge of his first major tournament. England have lost twice under his stewardship - to Germany and France - and are unbeaten in qualification.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=3]Trigger[/MENTION] & [MENTION=267]TSB[/MENTION]

Croatia

Pedigree: Croatia gained admission to Fifa in June 1993, meaning they were too late to compete for a place at the finals in the United States in 1994. However, they qualified for a finals at the first time of asking at France 98 and have reached all but one of the five summer tournaments since. Their best performance to date remains their first, when Davor Suker, Zvonimir Boban et al helped them to a third place finish after losing to hosts and eventual winners France in the semis.

Key player: Luka Modric - once of Tottenham, now at Real Madrid - is the creative force at the heart of the Croatia side. Blessed with superb touch and vision, the 32-year-old has won the Champions League three times with his current club. He recently clocked up a century for his country, for whom he has scored 12 times.

Luka Modric
Luke Modric moved to Real Madrid from Tottenham for £30m in August 2012
Premier League players: Dejan Lovren (Liverpool), Nikola Vlasic (Everton)

Who's the boss? Zlatko Dalic's reign as Croatia national team boss has been short and sweet thus far. He only took over in October 2017, replacing Ante Cacic, who left with one qualifying game left and the country at serious risk of failing to make the play-offs. Dalic led Croatia to a 2-0 win in Ukraine in his first game in charge to seal a play-off spot, where they dispatched Greece 4-1 on aggregate. A midfielder in his playing days, he spent the first seven years of this decade coaching in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

 

[Insel affe]

Am I too late as usual ?

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=16461]The Brighton Bear[/MENTION] & [MENTION=2743]Mellor 3 Ward 4[/MENTION]

Brazil

Pedigree: Winners in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002, Brazil were beaten 7-1 at the semi-final stage by Germany in the World Cup they hosted four years ago.

Neymar
Paris St-Germain forward Neymar is the world's most expensive footballer
Key player: Neymar. The £200m forward is averaging a goal and an assist per game since his world-record move to Paris St-Germain. Brazil legend Pele says the 25-year-old is the country's best player and has backed him to win the Ballon d'Or.

Premier League players: Ederson, Fernandinho, Gabriel Jesus (all Manchester City), Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino (both Liverpool), Willian (Chelsea).

Who's the boss? Brazil were sixth with a third of the qualifying campaign gone when journeyman coach Tite replaced former Brazil midfielder Dunga. The former Corinthians boss, 56, guided his country 10 points clear of second-placed Uruguay by the time qualifying ended.

"What a difference a coach makes. Out went the snarling Dunga and in came Tite - charismatic and intelligent - and he made an immediate impact," South American football expert Tim Vickery told BBC Radio 5 live.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=118]Hiney[/MENTION] & [MENTION=6026]Withdean11[/MENTION]

Portugal

Pedigree: Portugal are the reigning European champions, having beaten hosts France 1-0 in the final of Euro 2016. Their best performance at a World Cup came when they finished third in 1966 and they also reached the semi-finals in 2006 yet failed to make it out of the group phase in Brazil in 2014.

Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 79 international goals for Portugal
Key player: Who else? Cristiano Ronaldo. He has been voted the best player in the world four times, he is the country's most capped player and also their record goalscorer. The Real Madrid forward, a four-time Champions League winner, scored 15 goals for Portugal during their World Cup qualification campaign.

Premier League players: Adrien Silva (Leicester), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Cedric Soares (Southampton), Renato Sanches (Swansea, on loan from Bayern Munich), Jose Fonte (West Ham).

Championship player: Nelson Oliveira (Norwich)

Scottish Premiership player: Bruno Alves (Rangers)

Who's the boss? Fernando Santos took charge in September 2014 and guided Portugal to their first international success with victory in Euro 2016. He was manager of Greece during the 2014 World Cup, taking the team into the last 16, where they lost to Costa Rica on penalties.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

[MENTION=12904]Napier[/MENTION] & [MENTION=5203]OzMike[/MENTION]

Japan

Pedigree: Mainstays in the competition since 1998, Japan have twice reached the second round, including in 2002 when they jointly hosted the tournament with South Korea.

Key player: Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa and Leicester forward Shinji Okazaki will of course be key, but a young forward on the books at Arsenal could be leading the line come next summer.

Takuma Asano has already netted three times for his country and helped Stuttgart win promotion to the Bundesliga last season while on loan from the Gunners. Arsene Wenger has called the 22-year-old "a talented young striker and very much one for the future".

Premier League players: Maya Yoshida (Southampton), Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City), Takuma Asano (Stuttgart, on loan from Arsenal).

Who's the boss? Vahid Halilhodzic, although that could change come the finals if reports of unrest in the camp are true. The Bosnian, however, has already proved his worth on the World Cup stage by leading Algeria to the knockout stages for the first time in the country's history in 2014.

The former Yugoslavia forward has also coached teams such as Paris St-Germain, Dinamo Zagreb and the Ivory Coast.