On June 14, the most anticipated sports event of the year begins - the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In Russia, for over a month, 32 of the strongest teams on the planet will compete for the main tournament trophy - the golden cup. In these championships, Europe has the most representatives - 14 national teams. Following them, five teams come from other continents - Africa, South America, and Asia. North and Central America have three representatives - Costa Rica, Mexico, and Panama. In total, the 32 teams are divided into eight groups - from A to H. As usual, each team in the group will play against each other, and then the knockout stages will begin - from the round of 16 to the final. The World Cup will be spread throughout Russia - the matches will take place in 11 different cities. The opening match will be played at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, which can accommodate 81 thousand spectators. This is where the most important tournament matches will take place - the fight for the champions' title. The most popular football news portal in the country, "EuroFootball.com," will also provide the most interesting and heated news from Russia throughout the championship. With only a few matches left until the end of the championship, we present an overview of Group B, where Portugal, Spain, Morocco, and Iran will compete. Portugal Visiting card: Confederation: UEFA (Europe) Coach: Fernando Santos (Portuguese) Captain: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) Top scorer: Cristiano Ronaldo (82) Most matches played: Cristiano Ronaldo (149) FIFA ranking: 4 Highest achievements in World Cup: third place (1966) The team's path to the World Cup: The Portuguese national team's path to Russia was not easy. Despite finishing first in their qualifying group and immediately securing a direct ticket to the World Cup, they were closely followed by Switzerland, who lost the first position only in the final round. Portugal and Switzerland played very confidently in this group - both teams won nine games and suffered one loss. Team star: Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly the leader, both in his club and in the national team. The Portuguese's performance in the qualifying matches led the team forward - he scored a total of 15 goals and provided three assists. C. Ronaldo did not have the most impressive season of his career, but in the second half, the forward demonstrated better results, ending the season with his highest scoring rate. This will be C. Ronaldo's fourth World Cup. He can make history in football and become one of the few players to have scored in four World Cups. The forward has already won with Portugal in the European Championship, but he will do everything in his power to repeat the feat in Russia. Team experience: Despite C. Ronaldo being the most experienced player in the team, another important player is Pepe. The long-time teammate of C. Ronaldo, both in the national team and in the club, is an emotional leader in the team. His coolness will be particularly needed in defense - Portugal doesn't have another center-back of Pepe's level, so the Portuguese will have to squeeze everything out of himself. Team coach: Fernando Santos has already made a mark on the country's football history. He became the first national team coach to lead the team to international recognition. The experienced strategist led the team excellently in the European Championship - his disciplined play, tactical orientation, and the harmonious atmosphere he created in the team led Portugal to become the strongest team in Europe. Portugal's squad: Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Beto (Goztepe), Rui Patricio (Sporting); Defenders: Bruno Alves (Rangers), Cedric Soares (Southampton), Jose Fonte (Dalian Yifang), Mario Rui (Napoli), Pepe (Besiktas), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), Ricardo Pereira (Porto), Ruben Dias (Benfica); Midfielders: Adrien Silva (Leicester), Bruno Fernandes (Sporting), Joao Mario (West Ham), Joao Moutinho (Monaco), Manuel Fernandes (Lokomotiv Moscow), William Carvalho (Sporting); Forwards: Andre Silva (Milan), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Gelson Martins (Sporting), Goncalo Guedes (Valencia), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas). Spain Visiting card: Confederation: UEFA (Europe) Coach: Julen Lopetegui (Spanish) Captain: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) Top scorer: David Villa (59) Most matches played: Iker Casillas (167) FIFA ranking: 8 Highest achievements in World Cup: winner (2010) The team's path to the World Cup: Spain's route to Russia through the qualifiers was almost flawless - in their group of six teams, they won nine games, drew once, and did not suffer any losses on their way to the first position. Team star: Andres Iniesta will most likely play his last World Cup and bid farewell to the national team. The 34-year-old midfielder is the author of the most important goal in Spanish football history - his goal in the 2010 final against the Netherlands brought the first World Cup title. Despite his age, A. Iniesta will play an important role in this World Cup and will be a vital figure on the field. Team experience: 32-year-old Sergio Ramos is the emotional leader in both his club and the national team. The renowned S. Ramos is not lacking in controversy on the field and is second only to European record-holder Iker Casillas in terms of appearances for the national team. From a defender like him, one can expect everything in this World Cup - goals, good defensive displays, lots of passion, cards, and not necessarily the most beautiful moments. However, S. Ramos, along with A. Iniesta, are the main figures in this team. Team coach: Julen Lopetegui took over from Vicente Del Bosque in 2016. The strategist has done an excellent job with his team - balancing young and experienced players. Spain under J. Lopetegui not only demonstrates beautiful football but also gets results - they have not lost in the last 19 matches. Spain's squad: Goalkeepers: David de Gea (Manchester United), Pepe Reina (Napoli), Kepa Arrizabalaga (Athletic Bilbao); Defenders: Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Nacho Monreal (Arsenal), Alvaro Odriozola (Real Sociedad), Nacho Fernandez, Dani Carvajal (both Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea); Midfielders: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Isco (Real Madrid), Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich), David Silva (Manchester City), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Saul Niguez (Atletico Madrid), Koke (Atletico Madrid); Forwards: Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo), Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid), Rodrigo Moreno (Valencia), Lucas Vazquez (Real Madrid). Morocco Visiting card: Confederation: CAF (Africa) Coach: Herve Renard (French) Captain: Medhi Benatia (Juventus) Top scorer: Ahmed Faras (42) Most matches played: Abdelmajid Dolmy (142) FIFA ranking: 42 Highest achievements in World Cup: quarterfinals (1986) The team's path to the World Cup: Morocco managed their group in the qualifying stage quite confidently - they won three games and drew as many times. Morocco was four points ahead of the closest rivals and securely held the first place. Team star: The current star of Moroccan football is 25-year-old Ajax defender Hakim Ziyech. The Moroccan, known for his exceptional ball control, is one of the most creative attacking midfielders - his passing abilities are at a very high level. H. Ziyech has played 17 matches for the national team and has been one of the top scorers with eight goals. In the recently concluded Dutch football season, the attacking midfielder played 34 matches, scored nine goals, and provided 17 assists. Team experience: The center-back Medhi Benatia has accumulated the most experience in the current team - the Moroccan player playing for Juventus has already played 56 matches for the national team. He was one of the central figures in the defense of the "Old Lady" this season, so Moroccan football fans at the World Cup expect to see the captain leading the team to achieve the highest results. Team coach: Morocco is guided by the less-known in Europe 49-year-old Frenchman Herve Renard. The country's federation coach's work did not disappoint - after 20 years, Morocco returns to the World Cup. He has worked in various French clubs in the past, taking over the Morocco national team in 2016. The strategist has created a well-organized team with a smooth transition from defense to attack, which will try to challenge Spain and Portugal in the group stages. Morocco's squad: Goalkeepers: Mounir El Kajoui (Numancia), Yassine Bounou (Girona), Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (Ittihad Tanger); Defenders: Medhi Benatia (Juventus), Romain Saiss (Wolves), Manuel Da Costa (Basaksehir), Nabil Dirar (Fenerbahce), Achraf Hakimi (Real Madrid), Hamza Mendyl (Lille); Midfielders: Mbark Boussoufa (Al Jazira), Karim El Ahmadi (Feyenoord), Youssef Ait Bennasser (Caen), Sofyan Amrabat (Feyenoord), Younes Belhanda (Galatasaray), Faycal Fajr (Getafe), Amine Harit (Schalke), Hakim Ziyech (Ajax); Forwards: Khalid Boutaib (Malatyaspor), Aziz Bouhaddouz (St. Pauli), Ayoub El Kaabi (Renaissance Berkane), Nordin Amrabat (Leganes), Mehdi Carcela (Standard de Liege), Youssef En Nesyri (Malaga). Iran Visiting card: Confederation: AFC (Asia) Coach: Carlos Queiroz (Portuguese) Captain: Masoud Shojaei (AEK Athens) Top scorer: Ali Daei (109) Most matches played: Javad Nekounam (151) FIFA ranking: 36 Highest achievements in World Cup: 14th place (1978) The team's path to the World Cup: In the first stage of the qualifiers, Iran managed their group quite confidently - they won six matches and avoided the taste of defeat. In the third stage, where 12 Asian teams are divided into two groups of six, Iran was also superior to everyone in Group A - six wins, no losses, and the first place securing a ticket to Russia. Team star: Iran's hope is placed on 23-year-old Rubin Kazan forward Sardar Azmoun. The forward, who has experience playing in various stadiums in Russia, demonstrates impressive results in the national team - scoring a total of 23 goals in 32 matches. He was one of the factors that led Iran to qualify for the World Cup. The season in Russia was not as successful for this player as his performance in the national team - he scored only five goals in 28 matches. Nevertheless, he will undoubtedly be the main attacking figure in the Iranian national team. Team experience: Iran's captain, Masoud Shojaei, will undoubtedly be the leader of the Iranian team beyond the field. With 73 matches played in the national team, the midfielder is one of the generals of the team and his importance, both on and off the field, is immeasurable. Team coach: Iran has a very experienced strategist in its ranks - 65-year-old Portuguese Carlos Queiroz, who led the Portuguese national team in the 2010 World Cup. The football specialist is known for his defensive style, but his teams are also good at quick counterattacks. Iran is expected to follow the same game plan at the World Cup, where they are considered underdogs in their group. Iran's squad: Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis), Rashid Mazaheri (Zob Ahan), Amir Abedzadeh (Maritimo); Defenders: Majid Hosseini (Esteghlal), Ramin Rezaian (Ostende), Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh (Padideh), Morteza Pouraliganji (Alsaad), Pejman Montazeri (Esteghlal), Milad Mohammadi (Akhmat Grozny), Roozbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal), Ehsan Hajsafi (Olympiacos); Midfielders: Saeid Ezatollahi (Amkar Perm), Masoud Shojaei (AEK Athens), Mehdi Torabi (Saipa), Omid Ebrahimi (Esteghlal), Karim Ansarifard (Olympiacos); Forwards: Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Alkmaar), Mehdi Taremi (Al Gharafa), Sardar Azmoun (Rubin Kazan), Reza Ghoochannejhad (Heerenveen), Saman Ghoddos (Ostersunds), Ashkan Dejagah (Nottingham Forest), Vahid Amiri (Persepolis). Group B schedule: Morocco - Iran (2018-06-15) 18:00 GMT Portugal - Spain (2018-06-15) 21:00 GMT Portugal - Morocco (2018-06-20) 15:00 GMT Iran - Spain (2018-06-20) 21:00 GMT Iran - Portugal (2018-06-25) 21:00 GMT Spain - Morocco (2018-06-25) 21:00 GMT
