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Saudi Arabia
FIFA ranking: 34
Qualification: 1st place in the group
Friendly matches: 0-2 against Czech Republic, 0-1 against Turkey
Saudi Arabia's driving force is Yassir Al Qahtani, who has scored 32 goals in 45 matches for the national team, intensively preparing for a tough lone striker battle. "I hope to score a lot," said the player. The relevant question is whether he will have the opportunity to touch the ball, let alone direct it towards the opponents' goal. Brazilian coach Marcos Paqueta and the national team have achieved just two wins away from his appointment to this post in January.
Verdict: The national team can be considered to be in the tournament solely because of the number - they should fly back home before the World Cup gains momentum.
Spain
FIFA ranking: 5
Qualification: 2nd place in the group
Friendly matches: 0-0 against Russia, 2-0 against Egypt, 2-1 against Croatia
Spanish clubs have become Champions League and UEFA Cup winners this year, so the question arises whether they can make a hat-trick and win the World Cup. History shows otherwise, but coach Luis Aragones is satisfied with the team's progress. Interestingly, since the strategist took over the team, Spain has not lost a single match. The team captain Raul scored his first goal in the last 220 days during the match against Egypt.
Prediction: L. Aragones has strengthened the Spanish national team, but 8 out of those unbeaten 21 matches ended in draws, so the Spaniards would need to be more aggressive to compete for the World Champions title. They should manage in their group, but most likely will not reach the final.
Tunisia
FIFA ranking: 21
Qualification: 1st place in the group
Friendly matches: 3-0 against Belarus, 0-0 against Uruguay
Their preparation for the final stage of the World Cup was disrupted when they refused to play friendly matches against Kuwait and Iraq national teams. But Tunisia arrives in good physical and mental shape for the first championship match against Saudi Arabia. Head coach Roger Lemerre maintains strict discipline and is characterized by a strong character.
Prediction: It's hard to say which Tunisia we will see. The match against the Saudi Arabian national team, where a win is necessary, should demonstrate the team's capabilities.
Ukraine
FIFA ranking: 45
Qualification: 1st place in the group
Friendly matches: 0-0 against Italy, 3-0 against Libya, 3-0 against Luxembourg
New record-breaking London's "Chelsea" acquisition, Andriy Shevchenko, should have recovered from a knee injury suffered at the beginning of May and appear in the World Cup, but his physical condition is causing concern in Ukraine. The striker's recovery is one of coach Oleg Blokhin's worries, who is also concerned about the lack of experience, as four youth team players were included in the national team.
Prediction: A team of talented players with superstar A. Shevchenko leading the attack. A great debut in the group stage could lead them to move forward energetically and continue, and in the further stages, surprises can be expected from the Ukrainians.
