So, you’re not a die-hard football fan?
That’s fine! But if you don’t want to feel left out of the endless World Cup chat over the next few weeks, we’ve got just the thing for you.
BBC Sport have created a bluffer’s guide to each team at Russia 2018 to help you get through the next month and a bit.
There are even three levels of bluffery:
Mini bluff: This will help you learn a little about each team and their chances – perfect if you’ve drawn a team in the office sweepstake but know nothing about them.
Big bluff : Shock people into thinking you have the footballing brain of a statistician.
Mega bluff: Really go all out with these quirky facts. You will impress even the biggest football fan in your friendship circle.
You. Are. Welcome.
Argentina
Mini bluff: “They aren’t the side they used to be – Lionel Messi dragged them through qualifying almost single-handedly.”
Big bluff: “They’ve dropped from first to fifth in the Fifa world rankings in the last year or so.”
Mega bluff: “Did you know midfielder Ever Banega was run over by his own car in 2012? He left the handbrake off at a petrol station, and the vehicle rolled back, breaking his ankle and leg.
Australia
Mini bluff: “They aren’t known for their possession football so there will be a huge emphasis on their counter-attack.”
Big bluff: “Tim Cahill has scored 45% of Australia’s World Cup goals and is aiming to join the likes of Pele and Miroslav Klose as the only men to score in four finals.”
Mega bluff: “Centre-back Trent Sainsbury plays for Chinese side Jiangsu Suning. He said he wanted to play in China to help pay for his parent’s mortgage.”
Belgium
Mini bluff: “Before every major tournament, the press like to declare one team ‘the dark horses’. This year, Belgium are the chosen ones.”
Big bluff: “Did you know they scored 43 goals in qualifying – a new joint European high.”
Mega bluff: “Eden Hazard’s mother Carine was a professional footballer in the Belgian First Division. She only stopped playing when she found out she was pregnant with Eden.”
Brazil
Mini bluff: “It’s not as much of a one-man-team as it was in 2014 – they’ve still got Neymar but they’ve also got Philippe Coutinho and Gabriel Jesus.”
Big bluff: “They could shock us all. The five-time winners conceded 14 goals in 2014 – their worst ever total at a World Cup.”
Mega bluff: “Interesting fact about Gabriel Jesus: he has a tattoo on his bicep of his mother Vera. She supervises his finances to ensure he stays grounded, and even vets his girlfriends. Don’t mess with Vera.”
Colombia
Mini bluff: “Their games could be goal-fests – none of their 18 World Cup matches has ended goalless.”
Big bluff: “James Rodriguez scored six goals in Brazil in 2014 and has been playing well for Bayern Munich.”
Mega bluff: “This could be awkward. Goalkeeper David Ospina’s sister Daniela married team-mate James Rodriguez in 2011, but the couple have since split up.”
Costa Rica
Mini bluff: “Some may call it an ‘experienced’ squad – others could call it ‘ageing’. Seven of the 11 that played most often in Brazil four years ago are likely to start again this year.”
Big bluff: “Don’t forget Costa Rica have one of the best goalkeepers in the world in Keylor Navas. He has just won his third successive Champions League title with Real Madrid.”
Mega bluff: “Head coach Oscar Ramirez promised to shave off his hair if Costa Rica qualified for Russia. Navas took great pleasure in taking the clippers to his boss’ head.”
Croatia
Mini bluff: “They have lost their opening game at their past three World Cups and haven’t made it past the group stage at any of them.”
Big bluff: “Playmakers Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric were in fine form this season for Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively.”
Mega bluff: “Did you know that when Rakitic moved to Seville, he married the first woman to serve him coffee? He met Raquel in the club hotel the night before his medical but it took three months before she agreed to go out with him.”
Denmark
Mini bluff: “The Danes were unbeaten in their final nine qualifiers. They could do all right…”
Big bluff: “Head coach Age Hareide is friends with Ireland boss Martin O’Neill and rented a house from him whilst playing for Norwich.”
Mega bluff: “More than 11,000 people have signed an online petition to Fifa asking them to delay the World Cup until Nicklas Bendtner is fit.”
Egypt
Mini bluff: “The team, at their first World Cup in 28 years, is set up to get Mo Salah on the ball as much as possible – think Gareth Bale and Wales at Euro 2016.”
Big bluff: “Brilliantly, they are nicknamed The Pharaohs. If they manage to progress, they could face Spain in the last 16, setting up a potential rematch between Salah and the man who put his World Cup in jeopardy -Spanish captain Sergio Ramos.”
Mega bluff: “Mo Salah’s boots are on display at the British museum following his record-breaking season for Liverpool. The museum say the boots tell a story of a modern Egyptian icon.”
England
Mini bluff: “It’s a young squad – Gary Cahill is the only player holding more than 40 caps. But they seem excited to get out there and play.”
Big bluff: “Gareth Southgate helped England cruise through qualifying with the joint-best defensive record in Europe.”
Mega bluff: “Midfielder Fabian Delph’s wife Natalie is due to give birth just two days after the final group game against Belgium.”
France
Mini bluff: “20 years after winning it as a player, Didier Deschamps is looking to lift the World Cup trophy as France’s head coach. It’s his best chance with this squad.”
Big bluff: “Kylian Mbappe is still only 19 which makes him the first player born after the 1998 World Cup to represent France. Feel old?”
Mega bluff: “Guess what! Defender Adil Rami is going out with former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson. She has publically thanked him for helping her through the menopause but she says they wish to keep their relationship private.”
Germany
Mini bluff: “Germany registered a 100% record of 10 wins from 10 in qualifying. Only Spain have done that before in European history and they went on to lift the trophy.”
Big bluff: “Seven of their 10 wins in qualifying were by three goals or more and, at the other end, they only conceded four times.”
Mega bluff: “Great fact: defender Mats Hummels’ mother, Ulla Holthoff, is a sports journalist and was the first woman to commentate on a football match on German television.”
Iceland
Mini bluff: “Iceland are the smallest nation to ever grace the World Cup stage.”
Big bluff: “World Cup first timers rarely do well and if Gylfi Sigurdsson isn’t fit to play, then Icelandic hopes could swiftly
melt away – but we all saw what happened at the Euros…”
Mega-bluff: “Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson is also a qualified dentist.”
Iran
Mini bluff: “Iran were the second country behind Brazil to secure their place at the tournament.”
Big bluff: “Iran’s head coach Carlos Queiroz will face his home nation and former side Portugal in the group stage. He was sacked as the national boss in 2010 and has locked horns with Cristiano Ronaldo on a number of occasions.”
Mega-bluff: “Striker Vahid Amiri has a Master’s degree in Physical Education.”
Japan
Mini bluff: “They’ve not had the smoothest qualifying or preparation, having just sacked their manager, and many of their top players are possibly past their best.”
Big bluff: “A survey in May revealed almost 90% of Japan fans don’t expect the side to get out of their group. Ouch.”
Mega bluff: “This is brilliant: Japan’s fans are renowned for cleaning up litter after games – something first seen on their World Cup debut in 1998.”
Mexico
Mini bluff: “It’s an experienced squad. The core of the team has been together since youth level and contains 14 players with more than 50 caps and a total in excess of 1,400.”
Big bluff: “They don’t lose often under coach Juan Carlos Osorio but, when they do, they tend to lose big – their worst was 7-0 to Chile in 2015.”
Mega bluff: “ESPN conducted a poll with 104 MLS players and they voted Mexico midfielder Giovani Dos Santos the most overrated player in the league.”
Morocco
Mini bluff: “In their first World Cup in 20 years, it is just bad luck they’ve ended up in a group with Spain and Portugal, but with their defensive solidity, they may be hard to break down.”
Big bluff: “Fitness could play a part for the majority of their players as Ramadan ends the day before their opening game and many will have been fasting for a month.”
Mega bluff: “Did you know midfielder Faycal Fajr is scared of dogs after breaking his leg when jumping six metres to avoid a pit-bull terrier.”
Source:- BBC
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