Teams : Russia,Egypt,Saudi,Uruguay.
Uruguay and Egypt are the favorites in this group with Russia having the possibilty of being a surprise entry to the next round.Honestly,Saudi is not much fancied to go beyond the group stage but lets hope that they can carry an impressive performance.
Uruguay
Even with the likes of Cavani and Godin,how far Uruguay would go depend on Luiz Suarez’s form who is good enough to take them to the last point,though may not be as effective as in the previous World Cups.Cavani was the top scorer in CONMEBOL qualifiers and it is a chance for him to prove that he is a bigger star than Neymar which he would want to.This is Uruguay's 13th World Cup and they have been champions twice long back in 1930 and 1950.Their recent best was the semifinals in 2010.Their coach Oscar Tabarez is their longest serving coach with 191 games and three successive World Cup qualifications.He had made Uruguay Copa America winners in 2011.
Egypt
The biggest name in the egyptian ranks and one of the expected stars of this World Cup is none other than Mohammed Salah.They have included him in the final 23,despite the injury from the Champions League final in the hope of his recovery before the matches start.They also have Mohammed Elneny in the midfield.Other interesting player would be their midfielder Said.Their Captain and Goalkeeper Essam Al Hadary would be the oldest player in World Cup at 45.This is their 3rd World Cup and they are back after 28 years.They are coached by Argentinian Hector Cuper.
Russia
The advantage of playing at home might motivate the Russian players to play for the next round.Their domestic league top scorers Smolov and Dzyuba spearheads their attack while Kokorin missed out due to injury.Their midfield star is Dzagoev and their goalkeeper and captain Akinfeev would be an important factor if they are to make further progress.This is their 4th World Cup as Russia and they have never gone beyond the group stage.They are coached by former Russian goal keeper Stanislav Cherchesov.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi qualified from the Afc group behind Japan.Most of their players play in their domestic league except for a few who play in the Spanish league.Their midfielder Nawaf Al Abed,one of the top scorers in the AFC qualifiers was not selected in the squad.Al-Sahlawi is their main striker and midfield stars are Al-Shehri and Al-Muwallad.This is their fifth World cup but after 12 years.They made it to the Round of 16 in 1994,their very first campaign,but their run ended in the group stage itself in the attempts thereafter.They are coached by former Barcelona and Spanish striker Juan Antonio Pizzi who had led Chile to Copa America title in 2016 but failed to make them qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
Fifa Ranks @ June 07,2018.
Uruguay : 14
Egypt : 45
Russia : 70
Saudi Arabia : 67