However, the 2018 runners-up, headed by midfield magician Luka Modric, will open their World Cup campaign against Morocco with little excitement and few anticipating triumph. Croatia have won their last five games and have only lost once in the past 16 months. Zlatko Dalic's team, who made it all the way to the final before losing to France four years ago, is so unfavourable that bookies are giving them a 50-1 shot this time around.
13:36 (IST) Nov 23
- STAT ATTACK
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13:36 (IST) Nov 23
- Nineteen-year-old Bayern midfielder Jamal Musiala is likely to take Sané's place on the left
13:35 (IST) Nov 23
- Germany will be without Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sané, who missed Tuesday's training session with a knee problem
13:35 (IST) Nov 23
- Counterpart Hansi Flick is impressed by the impact Japanese players have had in the Bundesliga
13:36 (IST) Nov 23
- Nineteen-year-old Bayern midfielder Jamal Musiala is likely to take Sané's place on the left
13:35 (IST) Nov 23
- Germany will be without Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sané, who missed Tuesday's training session with a knee problem
13:35 (IST) Nov 23
- Counterpart Hansi Flick is impressed by the impact Japanese players have had in the Bundesliga
13:13 (IST) Nov 23
- Germany vs Japan
13:13 (IST) Nov 23
- A strong showing in what will be Germany's 110th World Cup game might dispel any uncertainty from last year, inspire the team, and perhaps even persuade some of the spectators who are boycotting the tournament due to Qatar's human rights record to turn on their televisions for the remaining matches.
13:13 (IST) Nov 23
- The four-time winners were eliminated from the competition in the group stage for the first time ever.
13:13 (IST) Nov 23
- Germany's preparation for the game has been difficult because of fan protests, political declarations, boycott calls, and lacklustre performances from a team that is still attempting to find its spark after an unexpected group-stage loss as the reigning champion in 2018.
13:13 (IST) Nov 23
- Germany's opening World Cup match against Japan will serve as a barometer for the remainder of the competition, both for the team and potential home viewers.
12:26 (IST) Nov 23
- STAT ATTACK
12:26 (IST) Nov 23
- Amine Harit, a forward for Morocco who has been in five previous World Cups, was forced to miss the tournament due to a knee injury.
12:26 (IST) Nov 23
- Hakim Ziyech of Chelsea, one of the players at the centre of that argument, was suspended by Halilhodzic for insubordination but was brought back by Regragui despite making just two club starts this year.
12:26 (IST) Nov 23
- At Al Bayt Stadium, Croatia's Group F campaign will get underway against a Moroccan team whose preparation was clouded by controversy surrounding their coach after they fired Vahid Halilhodzic in August over a player-selection issue and replaced him with Walid Regragui.
12:26 (IST) Nov 23
- Concerns over Brozovic's participation in the competition were allayed as he played 70 minutes against the Saudis while recovering from a muscle rupture.
11:57 (IST) Nov 23
Morocco vs Croatia.png "MOROCCO-VS-CROATIA")
.png "MOROCCO-VS-CROATIA")
11:57 (IST) Nov 23
- At the age of 37, Modric, the 2018 tournament's player of the year, will likely line up against Morocco as part of an excellent midfield combination with Marcelo Brozovic of Inter Milan and Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea.
11:57 (IST) Nov 23
- There is no lack of skill in their ranks, especially in the midfield, despite the fact that they may have lost some of the top players from their successful season in 2018, including the attacker Mario Mandzukic and the midfielder Ivan Rakitic.
11:57 (IST) Nov 23
- Croatia enters the contest riding a winning streak that came to a stop with a 1-0 triumph against Saudi Arabia in their final pre-tournament friendly. Additionally, they defeated the World Cup hosts France, Denmark, and Austria to win their Nations League group.
14:39 (IST) Nov 23
- With Romelu Lukaku being 29 years old, Kevin De Bruyne being 31 years old, and Eden Hazard being in the following age group at 25, Belgium's core may be at or just past their peak.
14:39 (IST) Nov 23
The Red Devils fell to Italy in the quarterfinals of the 2017 European Championship and placed third at the 2018 World Cup.
14:38 (IST) Nov 23
Part of a Group F that includes Croatia and Morocco, Belgium is in its seventh year under coach Roberto Martinez
14:32 (IST) Nov 23
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14:32 (IST) Nov 23
- Coach John Herdman, who led the Canadian women to bronze medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics before switching to the men in 2018, managed a turnaround as Canada won CONCACAF qualifying.
14:32 (IST) Nov 23
- Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, and Cyle Larin are the leaders of a new generation leading the Canadians.
14:32 (IST) Nov 23
- With a team that included Bob Lenarduzzi, Tino Lettieri, and Branko Segota, Canada lost three straight games to France, Hungary, and the Soviet Union while scoring zero goals.
14:32 (IST) Nov 23
- Atiba Hutchinson, the captain of Canada, is the only member of the team who was still alive during the country's final World Cup game.
14:31 (IST) Nov 23
The Canadian soccer team, long a secondary sport to hockey in their homeland, is back in the World Cup for the first time since 1986 and faces a formidable foe in the opening match: Belgium, ranked second, reached the 2018 semifinals.
23 November 14:22 (IST)
- Spain's sole setback since its Nations League loss to France in October of last year came against Switzerland in September.
23 November 14:22 (IST)
- Spain's most recent major championship was won at Euro 2012, and earlier this year, they made it to the Nations League Final Four for the second time in a row.
23 November 14:22 (IST)
- Last year, Spain advanced to both the Nations League final and the semifinals of the European Championship.
23 November 14:22 (IST)
- Due to problems with the entry of their players into Iraq, Costa Rica was unable to play their final World Cup warm-up match against Iraq last week.
23 November 14:22 (IST)
- The final team to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar was the Costa Rican side led by Colombian Luis Suárez, which also has Bryan Ruiz returning from the 2014 roster. Costa Rica defeated New Zealand in an intercontinental playoff in June.
23 November 14:22 (IST)
- Keylor Navas, a former Real Madrid goalkeeper, and Joel Campbell, a striker who has played for Villarreal and Real Betis in the Spanish league, are two players in the Costa Rican team who are well-known to the Spanish-speaking nation.
23 November 14:22 (IST)
- A few players from Costa Rica's historic campaign in 2014, when they lost to the Netherlands in a penalty shootout in the last eight, are returning for their third consecutive World Cup appearance.
14:19 (IST) Nov 23
STAT ATTACK
23 November 14:19 (IST)
- Due to a knee injury, Guillamón was not expected to play in the opening game, and experienced defender Dani Carvajal was questionable after missing practise due to the flu.
14:19 (IST) Nov 23
- Ferran Torres, Yéremy Pino, Eric Garca, Hugo Guillamón, and Alejandro Balde are among the other young players on the team, while Pedri, Gavi, and Fati are expected to start against Costa Rica at
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