AUSTRALIA
Manager: Bert van Marwijk
MVP: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)
Best WC Result: Second Round, 2006
After the departure of coach Ange Postecoglou, Australia were left in a tailspin, and a lot will be resting on former Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk to not let this kangaroo leap off the cliff. Diminutive icon Tim Cahill—the Aussie’s leading World Cup scorer and the man who sent them into the tournament with his winner against Syria—can no longer be relied on to supply the goods but stranger things have happened, and classy Huddersfield midfielder Aaron Mooy’s stock has never been higher after a season of impressive performances in the Premier League. Who he’ll be passing to could a bit of a problem, mind, with goals (or lack thereof) a serious concern.
FRANCE
Manager: Didier Deschamps
MVP: Paul Pogba (Man United)
Best WC Result: Winners, 1998
This French team might just be their best since the side that won the whole lot twenty years ago. The parallels are there for all to see: fast, strong, skillful, packed with just the right blend of experience and raw talent. But Didier Deschamps will have his work cut out for him making this selection of players tick like a Cartier. France’s chances have been marred by infighting and a lack of consistency, but if they can get even half their players firing on all cylinders, they’ll be one helluva team to beat: in Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappé, and Ousmane Dembélé, they have three of the most expensive players of all time.
La Poubelle
5907 Franklin Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90028
A local bar with modern French vibes, La Poubelle often opens its doors very early to satiate the desires of those who fancy watching World Cup games within its stylish confines.
DENMARK
Manager: Åge Hareide
Captain: Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur)
Best WC Result: Quarter-Final, 1998
Through to the World Cup through the playoffs versus Ireland (sorry, Ireland—we miss you) thanks to the ever-excellent Christian Eriksen, the Group’s second strongest team have had a barren few generations since the heady days of the late eighties and early nineties. Like many teams, goals don’t seem to be very forthcoming, but Hareide has young side full of solid players who will be looking to upset the teams around them with their solid defense.
PERU
Manager: Ricardo Gareca
MVP:Jefferson Farfán
Best WC Result: Quarter-Final, 1970
Qualifying for their first World Cup since 1982 was a feat in and of itself but Peru—currently rated as just outside of the top 10 best national teams in the world on FIFA’s ever-tenuous national team table—are not to be taken lightly. A young, athletic side with an oddly satisfying kit design (Home—white with red stripe; Away—red with white stripe) bursting with energy, even with captain Paolo Guerrero suspended (ed. note: Guerrero will play in the tournament after a successful appeal), they enter the World Cup as a largely unknown quantity who’ll be looking to get in the faces of complacent tournament mainstays and are unbeaten since November 2016.
