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It is less than a month to the global sporting fiesta, that is the FIFA World Cup and already, the anticipation and expectations are beginning to overtake every other consideration.
With most of the major leagues winding down this weekend and some of the leagues going on a break in December-January, like the Swedish Allsvenskan, all eyes have switched to the 32 qualified countries and what they are looking to do at the Mundial.
This week, a number of the nations going to Russia released their preliminary lists and in some cases like Brazil and Sweden, the final 23-man squad.
In this article, an in-depth look will be taken at the team sheets and reasons behind the selections made by 5 countries:
#5 Nigeria
The Super Eagles had a near-flawless qualification for the World Cup and alongside Croatia and World cup debutants, Iceland, the Nigerian team will fancy its chances of progressing to the next round in Group D behind or even ahead of favorites, the Albiceleste of Argentina.
The team's manager, Gernot Rohr has named a preliminary 30-man squad with little major changes as the 64-year-old German tactician has kept faith with a majority of the squad that qualified the team for the finals.
Top scorer in the Nigerian Premier League, Junior Lokosa of Kano Pillars who has hit an incredible 18 goals in just 20 games has been called up for the preliminary squad while there has been a surprising call-up for Simeon Nwankwo who has hit 7 goals for relegation-threatened Serie A side Crotone is also in the frame.
The final 23-man list is not expected to contain many surprises as the team pretty much picks itself, the only area of the team that is still open for debate is the goalkeeping position as four rather uninspiring candidates (Dele Ajiboye, Francis Uzoho, Daniel Akpeyi and Ikechukwu Ezenwa) compete for the number one spot.
With a team less talented than the previously heralded generations which featured at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, the present Nigerian side is more of a solid, workman-like squad which will look to be defensively strong while utilizing the pace of Premier League wingers; Alex Iwobi (Arsenal) and Victor Moses (Chelsea) to hit on the counter.
#4 Colombia
Los Cafeteros (The Coffee Growers) as the Colombian team are known, may not be as well regarded as their more illustrious South American rivals like Brazil and Argentina.
But, the preliminary 35-team named by the veteran Argentine manager, José Pékerman has the look of a serious squad which could swim under the radar and cause a few upsets at Russia 2018.
There is no place in the team for on-loan Valencia center-back Jeison Murillo, while Russia 2018 is a tournament that came too early for exciting Deportivo Cali playmaker Nicolás Benedetti.
The manager has gone with a majority of the players who successfully scaled through the difficult CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers where the team finished in 4th place behind log leaders Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina.
Bayern Munich star James Rodriguez (on-loan from Real Madrid) will be the focal point of the team and, is expected to do better than he did at Brazil 2014, where he was one of the stars of the tournament.
Old warhorse Radamel Falcao; the team's captain (who missed out of the last World Cup due to a serious injury) will look to plunder the goals needed while at the back, Tottenham Hotspur's Davinson Sanchez and FC Barcelona's Yerry Mina are expected to hold the line.
La Tricolor will fancy their chances of making the next round in Group H where they will come up against Poland, Japan, and Senegal.
#3 Uruguay
La Celeste (The Sky Blue) will be looking to do better than the miserable showing in Brazil 2014, where Luis Suarez's biting incident with Italy's Giorgio Chiellini overshadowed the team's performances, where they went out to 2-0 loss in the second round to a James Rodriguez-inspired Colombia.
Little has been changed in terms of personnel and there are no surprises in the list named by the manager, Oscar Tabarez.
Quite a few of the 27-man team preliminary list were with the team at the World Cup; South Africa 2010 where the team finished 4th.
The team exceeded expectations by coming second behind Brazil in South America's World Cup qualification series as the team unity, strong work ethic, and the presence of two of the world's best sharpshooters, Suarez and Edinson Cavani, goals were scored and points won.
The lack of width and pace in the team may be an issue but with youngsters Lucas Torreira (Sampdoria), Federico Valverde (on-loan at Deportivo La Coruna from Real Madrid), Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus) and Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Cruzeiro), the team should have energy, invention, and passion in the central areas of the field.
In Group A alongside hosts Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the Uruguayans will fancy their chances of making it to the second round.
#2 Argentina
It is all or nothing for a generation of super talented Argentine players as a hat-trick of missed opportunities in cup finals (Brazil 2014 World Cup, Copa America 2015 and Copa America Centenario in 2016), means that Russia 2018 is the last chance for a host of players to grab a medal at senior national team level.
Led by Lionel Messi, a "golden generation" that boasts of such players like Javier Mascherano, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Ever Banega among others, will be in their late 30s once the next World Cup, Qatar 2022 rolls in and may no longer be part of the national team set-up by then.
The team was underwhelming in the South American qualifiers and needed a hat-trick by Messi in the last game of the qualifiers against Ecuador before they could join the Russian party.
Coach Jorge Sampaoli who masterminded Chile's 2015 Copa America title win has found the going tough and has not totally convinced since he took the job in 2017.
Valencia CF center-back Ezequiel Garay is the major omission in the 35-man preliminary squad while forwards Paulo Dybala (Juventus) and Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan) are not expected to make the final 23.
With a leaky defense, a midfield that is still some way short of consistent class, and an average set of goalkeepers to choose from, the team's hope for glory rests solely in the forward line.
The Albiceleste should get out of Group D which features Croatia, Iceland, and Nigeria but the chances of a third World Cup win are slim at best.
#1 Brazil
One of the teams that have already named their 23-man squad for the Mundial, Brazil's form since manager Tite took over from Dunga in 2016, has been scintillating and they will go into the World Cup with a great degree of optimism and confidence.
A football-mad nation that is still traumatized by the 7-1 demolition by Germany at the World Cup it hosted in 2014, making amends has been the battle cry and the manager has picked a squad that he feels can deliver redemption.
A disgraceful display at the Copa America Centenario where the Canarinho (Little Canary) went out in the first round necessitated the need for a new manager.
The dropping of Juventus' left-back Alex Sandro was the only real surprise of the 23-man squad as Atletico Madrid's Filipe Luis was preferred.
Since taken over, Tite has made the team even stronger defensively with his choice of three hard-working midfield grafters (usually Casemiro, Paulinho and Renato Augusto).
This allows the front three of Neymar, Philippe Coutinho, and Gabriel Jesus to focus on causing havoc while the fullbacks are also given the room to bomb forward.
The Brazilians should have few issues getting out of Group E where they are grouped with Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia and then on, it promises to become more interesting for the Seleção
