The 2018 FIFA World Cup is set to start in 13 days when hosts Russia will take on Saudi Arabia in the opening match at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.

With the best of world football showcasing their talents, this bonanza will certainly entertain fans around the world, and while Netherlands and Italy will be missed, the football faithful will want another Costa Rica story of underdogs defying odds at this World Cup.

Fans around the world will want Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to perform well in what is likely to be their last World Cup.

In this set of articles I will preview the eight groups of the tournament. It can help us provide insights in predicting how the World Cup will shape.

This is how Group F is shaping up.

Germany

Goalkeepers: Kevin Trapp (PSG), Berndt Leno (Bayer Leverkusen), Marc- Andre Ter Stegen (Barcelona), Manuel Neuer (captain) (Bayern Munich).
Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Matthias Ginter (Borussia Monchengladbach), Jonas Hector (FC Koln), Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Marvin Plattenhardt (Hertha Berlin), Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea), Niklas Sule (Bayern Munich), Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen).
Midfielders: Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Julian Draxler (PSG), Leon Goretzka (Schalke 04), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Sami Khedira (Juventus), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Rudy (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Manchester City).
Forwards: Nils Petersen (SC Freiburg), Mario Gomez (VFB Stuttgart), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich).
Manager: Joachim Low.

Defending Champions Germany are the most consistent team in recent World Cup history. They’ve made it to quarter-finals of every tournament since 1982 and semi-finals since 2002.

The second most successful team in history, with four titles to their name, bulldozed through qualifiers with a 100 per cent win record and a goal difference of +39 after ten games. They come into the tournament as one of the firm contenders to emerge as world champions. However, successful defence of a World Cup was last time achieved in 1958 and 1962 by Brazil.

The team bears a different look than it did in 2014, with retirements of the old guard Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose. However, Low is still their manager and has a supremely talented squad with him.

They come into this World Cup without a ‘superstar’, but team spirit has always been their strength. Their strategy of having a strong set of talented players better than individual talents has made them so successful in recent decades. They are also known to use a lot of technology while formulating defensive and offensive strategies. It will come in handy when they take the field in Russia.

They have an experienced backline led by Boateng and Hummels, a very strong set of midfielders to choose from and Muller leading the line. This tournament can be a big opportunity for hotshot Timo Werner. Consistent performances with RB Leipzig and the German national team have caught eyes of leading clubs around the continent. He will be expected to partner Muller on top. With such an immense talent, it is a matter of a happy headache for Low to choose his final XI.

It could be a cause for concern if Manuel Neuer doesn’t become fit. He was out injured for nearly the entire of last season. While Ter Stegen is a more than competent replacement, Neuer’s experience and class sets the Germans apart whenever he plays.

In this tournament they are drawn in one of the tougher groups. However, Low will be fancied to manage his team to the knockouts and possibly lift the trophy on 15 July.

(AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Mexico

Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa (Standard Liege), Jose de Jesus Corona (Cruz Azul), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca).
Defenders: Hector Moreno (Real Sociedad), Miguel Layun (Sevilla), Diego Reyes (Porto), Hugo Ayala (UANL), Oswaldo Alanis (Guadalajara), Jesus Gallardo (UNAM), Carlos Salcedo (Eintracht Frankfurt), Edson Alvarez (America).
Midfielders: Andres Guardado (Captain) (Real Betis), Marco Fabian (Eintracht Frankfurt), Hector Herrera (Porto), Rafael Marquez (Atlas), Jesus Molina (Monterrey), Jonathan Dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Giovani Dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Erik Gutierrez (Pachuca).
Forwards: Javier Aquino (UANL), Javier Hernandez (West Ham United), Carlos Vela (Los Angeles FC), Oribe Peralta (America), Raul Jimenez (Benfica), Jesus Manuel Corona (Porto), Hirving Lozano (PSV Eindhoven), Jurgen Damm (UANL).
Coach: Juan Carlos Osorio.

Apart from Costa Rica, Mexico were one of surprises of last World Cup. They reached the round of 16 before Arjen Robben’s dive duped them off a quarter-final berth.

This side, managed by Colombian Juan Carlos Osorio, is one of the better Mexican squads of recent times. It has a perfect blend of experience, youth and talent. Many among them were key when Mexico won a gold medal at 2012 Olympic games. Most of the players are the same ones who shined at last World Cup.

Mexico have a settled core with Ochoa, Moreno, Layun, Guardado, Herrera, Dos Santos brothers, Hernandez and Vela. They are solid at the back, comfortable in the midfield and pacey in attack. A strong playing XI is one of Mexico’s strengths at this World Cup.

However, the lack of bench strength and the absence of another quality wingback to partner Layun may come back to bite them. In recent times they have also struggled to regain lost possession in the midfield as well.

This could be a big tournament for 22-year-old midfielder Hirving Lozano. This lanky winger was PSV Eindhoven’s star as they won the Dutch league. With 17 goals and eight assists, he directly contributed in 25 of their league goals. Amid Everton links, Lozano will hope to replicate his PSV form raise his stock further.

El Tri find themselves in a tough group against Germany, Sweden and South Korea. With Germany almost certain to progress, any among the other three can join them. With a good manager and a settled squad, Mexico look favourites to progress through to the knockouts alongside the defending champions.

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South Korea

Goalkeepers: Kim Seung-gyu (Vissel Kobe), Kim Jin-hyeon (Cerezo Osaka), Cho Hyun- woo (Daegu FC).
Defenders: Kim Young-gwon (Guangzhou Evergrande), Jang Hyun-Soo (FC Tokyo), Park Joo-ho (Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Lee Yong (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Go Yo-han (FC Seoul), Kim Min-woo (Sangju Sangmu), Hong Chul (Sangju Sangmu), Yun Young-sun (Seongnam FC), Kwon Kyung-won (Tianjin Quanjian), Jung Seung-hyun (Sagan Tosu), Oh Ban-suk (Jeju United).
Midfielders: Moon Seon-min (Incheon United), Ju Se-jong (Asan Mugunghwa), Jung Woo-young (Vissel Kobe), Lee Jae-sung (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Lee Seung-woo (Hellas Verona), Koo Ja-cheol (FC Augsburg), Ki Seung-yueng (Captain) (Swansea City), Lee Chung-yong (Crystal Palace).
Attackers: Kim Shin-wook (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Hwang Hee-chan (Red Bull Salzburg), Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur).
Coach: Shin Tae-young.

South Korea had an unconvincing run with only four wins in ten matches at World Cup qualifiers. It also included two goalless draws away against Syria and Uzbekistan.

South Korea famously finished fourth in 2002. However, much has changed since those heroics. It would be as surprising as Montpellier’s Ligue 1 win if South Korea reach the semi-finals again. This is their tenth World Cup, the highest total of any Asian side.

They have improved under Shin’s management, and pace is their biggest strength. Colombia experience the Korean tsunami in November 2017 when their attacks couldn’t be contained. In many ways it was Korea’s best performance since their 2002 World Cup campaign. In Ki, Lee, Kwon and Koo, they have classy midfielders. If they can click and get space to play the ball, Korea will be a very attractive team.

However, the performances of their best player, Son, will be most crucial. While struggling to score on national duty, he netted 12 times and assisted a further six for Tottenham this season. Korean fans and players will hope that he can carry his form to the World Cup.

The biggest weakness of this team is their defence. Lapses of concentration are not so odd, and mistakes are common by their defenders. Goalkeeper Kim is good but prone to mistakes. Set pieces have bothered them time and again as well.

With this squad Korea might have fancied themselves to reach knockouts from another group. Here two teams are better than them – Germany and Mexico. For them to progress through this tough group they should hope to get at least four points from their first two matches against Sweden and Mexico.

(Tony Feder/Getty Images)

Sweden

Goalkeepers: Robin Olsen (Copenhagen), Karl-Johan Johnsson (Guingamp), Kristoffer Nordfeldt (Swansea City).
Defenders: Mikael Lustig (Celtic), Andreas Granqvist (Krasnodar), Victor Lindeolf (Manchester United), Martin Olsson (Swansea City), Ludwig Augustinsson (Werder Bremen), Filip Helander (Bologna), Emil Krafth (Bologna), Pontus Jansson (Leeds United).
Midfielders: Marcus Rohden (Crotone), Sebastian Larsson (Hull City), Victor Claesson (Krasnodar), Oscar Hiljemark (Genoa), Albin Ekdal (Hamburg SV), Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig), Gustav Svensson (Seattle Sounders FC), Jimmy Durmaz (Toulouse).
Forwards: John Guidetti (Alaves), Marcus Berg (Al Ain), Ola Toivonen (Toulouse), Isaac Kiese Thelin (Waasland-Beveren).
Coach: Janne Andresson.

Quite a few footballing hearts were broken when Sweden knocked out Italy and booked their place in the World Cup. Andersson seems to have inspired the team, who defeated France in the qualifiers group stage.

They come to this World Cup without star Zlatan Ibrahimovic. However, Berg seems to have filled his boots competently, scoring eight goals in World Cup qualifiers. No other player managed four.

Interestingly, Zlatan’s absence appears to have made this team more united. They might have lost the fear factor or the glamour, but they are performing better as a team. Such team spirit is one of their biggest strengths coming into this tough tournament.

Sweden have a talented and thinking coach in Andresson. He masterminded Norrkoping’s 2015 league triumph. Under his management the team is very well organised. They are a confident unit with physically strong players. Clear the danger with tall centre backs, get the ball out of the box and run are their preferred tactics.

In absence of Zlatan, Sweden appear light on firepower. Also, nobody is coming off a good club season. Talented Lindelof struggled in his debut season at Manchester United, Guidetti could not get running at Alaves and Toivonen did not get much game time at Toulouse.

Sweden’s tournament hinges on the form of Forsberg. He is their best player and his performances will be important for Sweden to do well in the tournament.

They find themselves in one of the toughest groups of this tournament alongside Germany, South Korea and Mexico. Germany are favourites to win the group and Mexico look the likeliest to join them. The Swedes must get a positive result against South Korea and be fearless to have a chance of progressing to the next round.

Group F fixture

See more World Cup fixtures.

Likely qualifiers from this group
Germany and Mexico.