Russia has appeared in ten World Cups and will host the tournament in 2018. They won the first edition of the respective continental competition in 1960 as Soviet Union (of which Russia is the successor). Since 1992, the national team has achieved prominent success and gained solid reputation in the football world. The greatest result is the 3rd place in Euro 2008 shared with Turkey.

At Euro 2012 the squad made a fantastic start crushing the Czech Republic 4-1, but tied up with Poland and gave away the quarterfinal ticket to Greece.

 

First game: Russia vs Saudi Arabia (14/06)

 

Star: Igor Akinfeev

Igor Akinfeev is a goalkeeper who captains CSKA Moscow.

In 2003 he was officially promoted to the first team. A year later, Akinfeev was selected for the Russian Euro 2004 team. In 2005 he picked up a UEFA Cup winners medal. In 2005 Akinfeev was named the footballer of the year in the Russian Premier League. During his 2003-2012 spell at CSKA Moscow Akinfeev clocked up over 230 appearances.

He was also called up to the Russian Euro 2012 squad. From 2004 to 2012 Akinfeev won over 50 international caps for the Russia national football team.

 

Coach: Stanislav Cherchesov

Stanislav Cherchesov is a Russian professional football coach and a former international goalkeeper. Cherchesov spent most of his playing career at Spartak Moscow and Tirol Innsbruck, featuring also for Lokomotiv Moscow and German side Dynamo Dresden. He was called up to the Russia national team for the 1994 and 2002 World Cups and for the UEFA Euro 1996.

Cherchesov started out his coaching career with FC Kufstein and Wacker Tirol. In the 2007/08, he ruled the roost at Spartak Moscow and in the 2010/11 campaign was at the helm of FC Zhemchuzhina-Sochi.

From September 2011 to June 2013 Stanislav Cherchesov was in charge of Terek Grozny from the Russian Premier League.

Group: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uruguay.