The tournament gets underway in Moscow on Thursday when the hosts take on Saudi Arabia at the Luzhniki Stadium, but big stars are hoping to lead their countries to glory in Russia and this is how they are shaping for the main event?
Neymar’s World Cup participation was thrown into doubt when he was stretchered off with a foot injury during Paris Saint-Germain’s meeting with Marseille in February, but he marked his return to action with a superb goal in Brazil’s 2-0 win over Croatia on Sunday.
It’s a timely boost for Brazil, whose World Cup hopes collapsed in 2014 when he was injured midway through the tournament.