2018-06-04 08:35
Manuel Neuer (Supplied)
Cape Town – All the need-to-know facts on the international teams vying for glory in Group F at the 2018 Soccer World Cup in Russia.
GERMANY
Honours: World Cup winners 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014. European champions 1972, 1980, 1996. Confederations Cup winners 2017
Past World Cup performance: 19th participation.
Best result: winners in 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014
FIFA ranking: 1
Main clubs: Bayern Munich, Schalke 04, Borussia Dortmund, Hoffenheim, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig
Nickname: 'Die Mannschaft'
How they qualified: Won European qualifying group C with a perfect record of 10 victories.
Friendly matches scheduled before the World Cup:
June 8 v Saudi Arabia (Leverkusen)
Provisional World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona/ESP), Kevin Trapp (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA)
Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Matthias Ginter (Borussia Moechengladbach), Jonas Hector (Cologne), Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Marvin Plattenhardt (Hertha Berlin), Antonio Ruediger (Chelsea/ENG) Niklas Suele (Bayern Munich), Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen)
Midfielders: Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Julian Draxler (Paris Saint-Germain), Leon Goretzka (Schalke 04), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City/ENG), Sami Khedira (Juventus/ITA), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid/ESP), Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal/ENG), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Rudy (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Manchester City/ENG)
Forwards: Nils Petersen (Freiburg), Mario Gomez (VfB Stuttgart), Timo Werner (RB Leipizg)
SOUTH KOREA
Honours: Asian Cup winners 1956, 1960
Past World Cup performance: 10th participation. Best result: Fourth in 2002
FIFA ranking: 61st
Main clubs: FC Seoul, Jeonbuk Motors, Suwon Bluewings
Nicknames: Taeguk Warriors, The Reds
How they qualified: Second behind Iran in Asian Group A
Friendly matches scheduled before World Cup: June 7 v Bolivia (Innsbruck); June 11 v Senegal (Grodig)
Provisional World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Kim Seung-gyu (Vissel Kobe/JPN), Kim Jin-hyeon (Cerezo Osaka/JPN), Cho Hyun-woo (Daegu FC)
Defenders: Kim Young-gwon (Guangzhou Evergrande/CHN), Jang Hyun-soo (FC Tokyo/JPN), Jung Seung-hyun (Sagan Tosu/JPN), Yun Yong-sun (Seongnam FC), Kwon Kyung-won (Tianjin Quanjian/CHN), Oh Ban-suk (Jeju United), Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Kim Min-woo (Sangju Sangmu), Park Joo-ho (Ulsan Hyundai), Hong Chul (Sangju Sangmu), Go Yo-han (FC Seoul), Lee Yong (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
Midfielders: Ki Sung-yueng (Swansea City/ENG), Jung Woo-young (Vissel Kobe/JPN), Ju Se-jong (Asan Mugunghwa FC), Koo Ja-cheol (Augsburg/GER), Lee Jae-sung (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Lee Seung-woo (Hellas Verona/ITA), Moon Seon-min (Incheon United), Lee Chung-yong (Crystal Palace/ENG)
Forwards: Kim Shin-wook (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur/ENG), Hwang Hee-chan (Red Bull Salzburg/AUT)
SWEDEN
Honours: Olympic Gold 1948
Past World Cup performance: 12th participation. Best result: Runners-up in 1958
FIFA ranking: 23rd
Main clubs: Malmo FF, AIK, IFK Gothenburg, IFK Norrkoping
Nickname: The Blue and Yellows (Blgult)
How they qualified: Finished second in UEFA qualifying Group A behind France, then beat Italy in play-offs (1-0).
Friendly matches scheduled: June 9 v Peru (Gothenburg)
23-man World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Robin Olsen (FC Copenhagen/DEN), Kristoffer Nordfeldt (Swansea City/ENG), Karl-Johan Johnsson (Guingamp/FRA).
Defenders: Andreas Granqvist (Krasnodar/RUS), Victor Lindelof (Manchester United/ENG), Mikael Lustig (Celtic/SCO), Ludwig Augustinsson (Werder Bremen/GER), Pontus Jansson (Leeds/ENG), Emil Krafth (Bologna/ITA), Filip Helander (Bologna/ITA), Martin Olsson (Swansea City/ENG)
Midfielders: Sebastian Larsson (Hull City/ENG), Gustav Svensson (Seattle Sounders/USA), Albin Ekdal (Hamburg/GER), Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig/GER), Viktor Claesson (Krasnodar/RUS), Jimmy Durmaz (Toulouse/FRA), Marcus Rohden (Crotone/ITA), Oscar Hiljemark (Genoa/ITA).
Attackers: Marcus Berg (Al Ain/UAE), John Guidetti (Alaves /ESP) Isaac Kiese-Thelin (Waasland Beveren/BEL), Ola Toivonen (Toulouse/FRA)
MEXICO
Honours: Olympic Gold 2012; Confederations Cup winners 1999; 10-time winners of the CONCACAF Championship/Gold Cup
Past World Cup performance: 16th appearance.
Best result: quarter-finalists in 1970 and 1986
FIFA ranking: 15th
Main clubs: America, Guadalajara, Cruz Azul, Pumas
Nickname: El Tri
How they qualified: finished first in CONCACAF qualifying
Friendly matches scheduled: June 9 v Denmark (Copenhagen)
Provisional World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa (Standard Liege/BEL), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca), Jesus Corona (Cruz Azul)
Defenders: Carlos Salcedo (Einracht Frankfurt/GER), Diego Reyes (Porto/POR), Hector Moreno (Real Sociedad/ESP), Hugo Ayala (Tigres), Oswaldo Alanis (Getafe/ESP), Edson Alvarez (America), Miguel Layun (Sevilla/ESP), Jesus Gallardo (Pumas)
Midfielders: Jesus Molina (Monterrey), Rafael Marquez (Atlas), Hector Herrera (Porto/POR), Jonathan dos Santos (Los Angeles Galaxy/USA), Andres Guardado (Betis/ESP), Erick Gutierrez (Pachuca), Marco Fabian (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Giovani dos Santos (Los Angeles Galaxy/USA)
Forwards: Javier Hernandez (West Ham/ENG), Raul Jimenez (Benfica/POR), Oribe Peralta (America), Jesus Manuel Corona (Porto/POR), Carlos Vela (Los Angeles Galaxy/USA), Javier Aquino (Tigres), Hirving Lozano (PSV Eindhoven/NED), Jurgen Damm (Tigres)
