World Cup 2018: Quirky Facts about the players in the competition

#3 The smallest player

Don't let his size deceive you

This was a no-brainer for the well-versed football fans out there. Xerdan Shaqiri has been one of the World Cups' all-time smaller players, and as Switzerland qualified for this year's World Cup, Shaqiri is definitely featuring this time too. Edgar Sally of Cameroon and Lorenzo Insigne of Italy, both at 1.63m in height, were the shortest players in 2014's World Cup. However, with both Cameroon and Italy not playing this time, the "award" has come to Shaqiri.

At 5 ft and 4 inches or 1.62m, Shaqiri was 1.6 inches taller in 2014. Which means he was 1.66m tall at that time, during which also he had played for the Swiss, scoring a hat-trick as well.

But don't let his height deceive you as Shaqiri is a prolific attacker for his team. Despite his current club Stoke City being relegated from the Premier League, he had a decent season as he managed to score eight goals and assist seven more in the league. The former Bayern Munich player hasn't exactly lived up to the initial expectations but remains as Switzerland's ray of hope in the World Cup.

Shaqiri scored three goals last time and is just four away from breaking the record for the most goals in the tournament by a Swiss player. His team needs him to be on the top of his game to be able to progress to the later rounds.

Shaqiri is followed by Javier Aquino (5 ft 4.5 in) and N'Golo Kante (5ft 5in) at a close second and third position, respectively.