Breaking down the groups

Group A

Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uruguay

June 14 - Russia vs Saudi Arabia

June 15 - Egypt vs Uruguay

June 19 - Russia vs Egypt

June 20 - Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia

June 25 - Uruguay vs Russia

June 25 - Saudi Arabia vs Egypt

Russia

Key player - Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow)

Coach - Stanislav Cherche Sou

Best place - fourth in 1966

Saudia Arabia

Key player - Mohammad Ali-Sahlawi (Al-Nassr)

Coach - Juan Antonio Pizz

Best place - 12th in 1994

Egypt

Key player - Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Coach - Hector Cuper

Best position - 13th in 1934

Uruguay

Key player - Edison Cavani (Paris Saint-Germain)

Coach - Oscar Tabarez

Best position - champions in 1930, 1950

Prediction (Group stage) - Uruguay (1st), Egypt (2nd) go through to knockout stage)

Group B

Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Iran

June 15 - Morocco vs Iran

June 15 - Portugal vs Spain

June 20 - Iran vs Spain

June 20 - Portugal vs Morocco

June 25 - Spain vs Morocco

June 25 - Iran vs Portugal

Portugal

Key player - Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

Coach - Fernando Santos

Best position - third place in 1966

Spain

Key player - Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)

Coach - Julen Lopetegui

Best position - champion in 2010

Morocco

Key player - Nabil Dirav (Fenerbache)

Coach - Herve Renard

Best position - 11th in 1986

Iran

Key player Sardar Azmoun (Rubin Kazan)

Coach - Carlos Queiroz

Best position - 14th in 1978

Prediction (Group stage) - Spain (1st), Portugal (2nd) to go through to knockout stage

Group C

France, Australia, Denmark, Peru

June 16 - France vs Australia

June 16 - Peru vs Denmark

June 21 - France vs Peru

June 21 - Denmark vs Australia

June 26 - Denmark vs France

June 26 - Australia vs Peru

France

Key player - Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)

Coach - Didier Deschamps

Best position - champioons in 1998

Australia

Key player Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa)

Coach - Bert Van Marwijk

Best position - 14th in 1974

Peru

Key player - Paolo Guerrero (Flamingo)

Coach - Ricardo Gareca

Best position - 7th in 1970

Denmark

Key player - Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur)

Coach - Age Hareide

Best position - 8th in 1998

Prediction: France (1st) and Denmark (2nd) to go through to knockout stage

Group D

Argentina, Iceland, Croatia, Nigeria

June 16 - Croatia vs Nigeria

June 16 - Argentina vs Iceland

June 21 - Argentina vs Croatia

June 22 - Nigeria vs Iceland

June 26 - Iceland vs Croatia

June 26 - Nigeria vs Argentina

Argentina

Key player - Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Coach - Jorge Sampaoli

Best position - Champion in 1978, 1986

Iceland

Key player - Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City)

Coach - Heimer Hallgrimson

Best position - historic qualification

Croatia

Key player - Luka Modric (Real Madrid)

Coach - Zlatko Dalic

Best position - 3rd in 1998

Nigeria

Key player - John Obi Mikel (Tianjin Teda (China)

Coach - Gernot Rohr

Best position - ninth in 1994

Prediction: Argentina (ist) and Nigeria (2nd) to go throught to the knockout stage

Group E

Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia

June 17 - Brazil vs Switzerald

June 17 - Costa Rica vs Serbioa

June 22 - Serbia vs Switzerland

June 22 - Brazil vs Costa Rica

June 27 - Serbia vs Brazil

June 27 - Switzeraldn vs Costa Rica

Brazil

Key player - Neymar Jnr. (Paris Saint-Germain)

Coach - Adenor Bacchi, known as Tite

Best position - Champion in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002

Switzerland

Key player - Valon Behrami (Udinese)

Coach - Vladmir Petkovic

Best position - sixth position

Costa Rica

Key player - Keylar Navas (Costa Rica)

Coach - Oscar Ramirez

Best position - 8th in 2014

Serbia

Key player - Branisla Ivanovic (Zenith St Petersburg

Coach - Mladen Karsajic

Best position - fifth in 1990

Prediction: Brazil (1st) and Switzerland (2nd) to go through to knockout stage

Group F

Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea

June 17 - Germany vs Mexico

June 18 - Sweden vs Korea Republic

June 23 - Korea Republic vs Mexico

June 23 - Germany vs Sweden

June 27 - Mexico vs Sweden

June 27 - Korea Republic vs Germany

Germany

Key player - Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)

Coach - Joachim Loew

Best position - Cham[pion in 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014

Mexico

Key player - Javier Hernandez (West Ham)

Coach - Juan Carlos Osorto

Best position - sixth in 1970, 1986

Sweden

Key player - Emil Forsberg (Leipzig)

Coach - Janne Andersson

Best position - 2nd in 1958

Korea Republic

Key player - Son Heung-min (Tottenham)

Coach - Shin Tae-yong

Best position - fourth in 2002

Prediction: Germany (1st) and Mexico (2nd) to go tyhrough to knockout stage

Group G

Belgium, Panama, Tunisia, England

June 18 - Belgium vs Panama

June 18 - Tunisia vs England

June 23 - Belgium vs Tunisia

June 24 - England vs Panama

June 28 - England vs Belgium

June 28 - Panama vs Tunisia

Belgium

Key player - Kevin Bruyne

Coach - Roberto Martinez

Best position - 4th in 1986

Panama

Key player - Luis Tejada (Universitario

Coach - Hernan Dario Gomez

Best position - first World Cup appearance

Tunisia

Key player - Youssef Msakni (Al Duhail)

Coach - Nabil Maaloul

Best position - Group stage

England

Key player - Harry Kane (Tottenham)

Coach - Garteth Southgate

Best position - Champion in 1966

Prediction: Belgium (1st), England (2nd) to go through to the knockout stage

Group H

Poland, Senegal, Colombia, Japan

June 19 - Poland vs Senegal

June 19 - Colombia vs Japan

June 24 - Japan vs Seneghal

June 24 - Poland vs Colombia

June 28 - Senegal vs Colombia

June 28 - Ja[pan vs Poland

Poland

Key player - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

Coach - Adam Nawaka

Best position - 3rd place in 1974, 1982

Senegal

Key player - Sadio Mane (Liverpool)

Coach - Aliou Cisse

Best position - seventh place in 2002

Colombia

Key player - James Rodriquez (Bayern Munich)

Coach - Jose Pekerman

Best position - fifth place in 2014

Japan

Key player - Shinji Kagawa

Coach - Vahid Halijhodzic

Best position - ninth position in 2002, 2010

Prediction: Colombia (1st) and Sengegal (2nd) to go through to the knockout stage