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The 21st edition of the football's greatest spectacle is all set to kick-off on June 14 at the Luzhniki Stadium, with the hosts Russia taking on Saudi Arabia in Moscow.
Five-time winners, Brazil who were the first team to qualify for the showpiece event, are the only team to have qualified for all the World Cups since 1930, while several teams will be making their their debut at the biggest stage of all.
With 32 teams in the fray, there will be no dearth of passion and entertainment for fans across the globe.
Let us now look at three captains who will be making their first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance in Russia.
#1 Harry Kane (England)
England qualified for the quadrennial event after topping Group F (won 8 out of 10 games) that comprised of Slovakia, Scotland, Slovenia, Lithuania and Malta in the UEFA qualifiers.
It will be the first ever FIFA World Cup appearance for Harry Kane, who made his England debut back in March, 2015.
The striker finished the 2017-18 EPL season with 30 league goals in 35 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur and led them to a third-place finish with 77 points, which ensured them a direct UEFA Champions League spot.
As the new captain of the English football team for the World Cup, Kane needs to replicate his success at international level. The striker who has scored 13 goals in 24 appearances for the Three Lions needs to deliver once he enters the field wearing the captain's armband.
The recipient of 2017 England Player of the Year award, had a forgettable stint in the 2016 Euros at France, where failed to find the back of the net even once. England exit the tournament after suffering a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Iceland in the Round of 16.
A lot will be expected from captain Kane, who needs to take the responsibility of delivering good results for England in Russia. Kane has got a young and talented squad at his disposal. All he needs to do is to replicate his club success in the biggest stage of all.
#2 Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
The Bayern Munich striker is undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the world at present. The striker, who is excellent in finishing and long shots, scored 43 goals in all competitions for the Bavarian club this season.
The former Borussia Dortmund star, who will be playing in his first ever World Cup tournament, made his Poland debut almost a decade ago and has represented them in 94 matches, scoring 53 goals.
He scored the first ever goal in Euro 2012, when Poland co-hosted the tournament with Ukraine, but they were knocked out in the group stages after failing to win a single game out of their three matches (two draws, one loss). Poland, who also failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, made the quarterfinals at Euro 2016 in France.
After winning two out of three group games, they made the round of 16, where they defeated Switzerland via penalties, but they lost 3-5 in the quarter finals to Portugal through penalties.
After a decent show in that tournament, Poland qualified for the 2018 World Cup by topping Group E (winning eight out of ten games) in a group comprising of Denmark, Montenegro, Romania, Armenia and Kazakhstan in the UEFA qualifiers. This will be the eighth appearance for Poland at the World Cup - their last was in 2006 - and captain Lewandowski's first.
Watch out for the deadly striker at Russia.
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#3 Aron Gunnarsson (Iceland)
The central midfielder is currently plying his trade for Cardiff City, who recently got promoted to the 2018-19 English Premier League. The former Coventry City player made his debut for Iceland a decade ago in 2008 and has since won 77 caps for his nation, finding the back of the net twice.
In 2012, Gunnarsson was handed the captain's armband when he was just 23 years of age. Gunnarsson captained Iceland to their first ever major international tournament - Euro 2016 in France. Iceland put up a strong show at France, with a 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal and a surprise 2-1 win over England in the round of 16.
Under Gunnarsson, Iceland made the quarter-finals in their first-ever major international tournament, where they lost 5-2 to hosts France. In the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Iceland won seven out of ten games in the UEFA qualifiers and topped Group I.
This will be the first-ever appearance for Iceland in the greatest footballing spectacle on earth and captain Gunnarsson will be hoping to replicate the 2016's success.
