With the World Cup in Russia fast approaching, there are lots of talk amongst supporters about who the stronger teams are this year. From previous winners to new comers, it is truly anyone’s game. Within the post we will try to establish who the main competitors are this season for the trophy as well as addressing who the underdogs could potentially be.
Previous Winners
Established in 1930 the first ever World Cup took place in Uruguay and has since been hosted in a variety of countries across the globe. In history 5 countries have lifted the cup more than once, with the most wins being Brazil with 5 tournament victories. Below we will look at the break down of the winners in history:
- Brazil – 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002
- Italy – 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006
- Germany – 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014
- Uruguay – 1930, 1950
- Argentina – 1978, 1986
- England – 1966
- France – 1998
- Spain – 2010
Group Stages
The group stages of the World Cup in Russia take place on the 14thJune starting with the home country vs Saudi Arabia and ends on the 28thwith the last match being Panama vs Tunisia. Let’s take a brief look at each of the groups and see who has the most potential to make it to the next round.
Group A
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- Egypt
- Uruguay
Uruguay is the strongest going by historic play, winning the cup in 1930 and 1950, they are back again for their 13thtournament. Despite their 12thplace in 2014, they also reached 4thin 2010. Behind them in tying for quality is Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Russia are the host country and having the backing of their home may be a fantastic motivator for the squad, as well as this they have stri