'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Players will travel to Qatar in November to participate in the biggest football extravaganza on earth - the FIFA World Cup. The competition begins on 20 November and the final will be played on 18 December.
This will be the first time the competition takes place during a domestic season, and it will be interesting to see its repercussions on league football.
Group D consists of France, Australia, Denmark, and Tunisia. On paper, it is one of the most straightforward groups in the tournament. Many will expect France and Denmark to progress from the group while Australia and Tunisia might fight it out for third.
We look at the most capped player for each team in the group that is likely to travel to Qatar this month.
#1 Hugo Lloris - France - 139 caps
Hugo Lloris is France's World Cup-winning captain and has been a stalwart for the national team for more than a decade. Now 35 years old, this is likely to be Lloris' last World Cup but his crowning achievement came in 2018 when France won the trophy.
The Frenchman has spent the last 10 years at Tottenham Hotspur, which has been a trophyless period in his career as he previously won a few trophies with Olympique Lyon.
Lloris might not be as agile as he used to be earlier in his career but he is still an experienced figurehead. Steve Mandanda's retirement and Mike Maignan's unavailability means Lloris is the clear favorite to start as goalkeeper in a few weeks.
France have struggled for form in recent games but have a talented squad and should at the very least qualify from the group.
#2 Mathew Ryan - Australia - 75 caps
Mathew Ryan is 30 years old and is also one of Australia's most experienced players. He was part of the AFC Asian Cup-winning team in 2015 and spent four years at Brighton and Hove Albion before signing for FC Copenhagen earlier this year.
Ryan is Australia's captain and leads a team that will be looking to impress the neutrals in Qatar.
Australia had stars like Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka, and Tim Cahill in the squad in the past but this team has no such player. The current squad is more grounded and hard-working and works as a unit to accomplish its goals.
Many won't expect much from Australia, which takes the pressure off the team. They have nothing to lose, so they can play without fear in each game.
#3 Simon Kjær - Denmark - 121 caps
Simon Kjær has had a lengthy career playing for some of the top teams in Europe and was the captain of the Danish team that won plaudits at the recent Euros.
Kjær won Serie A last season with AC Milan, which also happened to be his first title ever. A robust and intelligent centre-back at 33, he will be expected to captain Denmark out of the group stage and take them as far as possible in Qatar.
Denmark have a talented group of players, with the likes of Christian Eriksen and Kasper Schmeichel bringing plenty of experience to the team. Denmark could be dark horses in the tournament but they should finish within the top two in this group without much difficulty.
Kjær was injured recently but has made his return to the lineup last week and should be fit for the World Cup.
#4 Youssef Msakni - Tunisia - 87 caps
Youssef Msakni is Tunisia's most capped active player at the moment and is likely to be part of the squad for the World Cup. Msakni has spent the last decade in Qatar playing for Al-Duhail but signed for Al Arabi on loan from the club last year.
A winger, Msakni and is a threat from the wide areas for both club and country. Given that he has spent the last decade in Qatar, he should be familiar with the stadiums and the locale environment.
Tunisia doesn't have too many standout players in their squad but Wahbi Khazri is their top scorer and has spent several years playing for teams in Europe. Tunisia, like Australia, won't be expected to make much of an impact and the team can use that to their advantage.
