MANAGER: Luis Enrique

Enrique is one of very few current international managers who have huge pedigree at club level and could have the pick of any job he wants if he were to step down as Spain boss after the World Cup.

The treble he won with Barcelona in 2014-15 as Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar tore through defences across Europe was a joy to watch and now he’s trying to get Spain back on top of the world.

A semifinal loss to Italy at Euro 2020 was not a disaster but expectations are high going into Qatar.

Spain’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 promise to be very different to their chaotic build-up to Russia 2018.

La Roja have high hopes of their exciting new breed. A side built for the future but with the ability to make an impact in the present, Luis Enrique’s Spain have what it takes to go deep at Qatar 2022.

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Unai Simon | Position: Goalkeeper | Age: 25

• Enrique had no hesitation in making the Athletic Club keeper his No. 1 ahead of David de Gea with Simon establishing himself as a mainstay of the new-look Spain.

• A star of EURO 2020, he has character and mental strength to go with his adventurous style. Unafraid to play the ball out with his feet.

Aymeric Laporte | Position: Defender | Age: 28

• Born in Agen, France, Laporte took out Spanish nationality in May 2021 and was immediately called up by Enrique to solve La Roja’s problems at the back.

• The left-footed centrehalf is a first choice in a rearguard where Pau Torres, Eric Garcia and Inigo Martinez are still vying to become his regular central-defensive partner and where Cesar Azpilicueta.

• After Simon, Laporte is the next cog in the Spanish creative machine, a player who specialises in bringing the ball out of defence.

Pedri | Position: Midfielder | Age: 19

• A No. 10 for his country and a No. 8 for his club, Pedri has a big future ahead of him. As for the present, he is already generating plenty of excitement.

• One of the biggest talents in world football, he combines exquisite technique with the intelligence to sniff out, occupy and make the most of any space available to him.

• His understanding of the game is such that he can slot in wherever he is needed: wide midfield, in the hole and on the wing.

• Pedri is the figurehead of a new breed that also features the impressive Gavi, another 18-year-old La Masia product to have gained the trust of Enrique.

Sergio Busquets | Position: Midfielder | Age: 34

• Busquets will be the sole surviving South Africa 2010 winner in the squad at Qatar 2022.

• He stands for experience and remains every bit as important to Enrique’s system as he does to Xavi’s at Barcelona.

• A schemer who makes up for his perceived lack of physical presence with an intimate knowledge of the game, Busquets keeps it simple in midfield, performing his conductor’s role to perfection.

Ferran Torres | Position: Forward | Age: 22

• La Roja’s leading scorer of the Enrique era and the side’s top marksman in the Qatar 2022 qualifying competition with four goals, Torres is a key part of the Spain attack.

• A versatile performer who can occupy a number of different positions, Torres has no problem switching roles during the course of a game.

• His ability to create space and find the back of the net are crucial for a Spain side yet to decide on its No. 9 at Qatar 2022. Torres is at his best wide on the right, thanks to his knack for slipping past defenders and getting to the byline and for cutting in and finding the target.

COSTA RICA

MANAGER: Luis Fernando Suarez

Appointed only a year ago, Suarez was parachuted in to resurrect Costa Rica’s World Cup qualifying campaign.

The Colombian took the reins from Ronald González, who was sacked after an awful run of 11 matches without a win.

Suarez has plenty of international pedigree, having led Ecuador to the last-16 of the 2006 World Cup where they were beaten by David Beckham and England.

The 62-year-old has had a plethora of jobs in South America but is an experienced hand who has shown he has what it takes at major tournaments before.

Los Ticos are set to grace the biggest stage for the third finals in a row. Suarez’s charges face a tough test who will come up against Spain, Germany and Japan and their followers will be hoping for a repeat of the team’s 2014 showing.

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Keylor Navas | Position: Goalkeeper | Age: 35

• The undisputed hero of Costa Rican football, Navas’s heroics between the sticks at the 2014 FIFA World Cup earned him a dream move to one of the most illustrious clubs on the planet.

• ‘San Keylor’ played his part in a historic era at Real Madrid and was instrumental as Los Blancos captured three UEFA Champions League crowns and four FIFA Club World Cups.

• Panama coach, Thomas Christiansen, whose team came up against the legendary keeper during qualifying said: “Without Keylor, Costa Rica simply wouldn’t be in the playoffs. He earned them many points and was a key player for them.”

• Navas is still one of the best goalkeepers in the game. An icon in his homeland, fans of the national team revel in his gravity-defying saves and are happy to place their dreams in one of the safest pair of hands in world football.

Bryan Ruiz | Position: Midfielder | Age: 37

• Ruiz is the national team’s most-capped player and lies fourth in the nation’s all-time scoring charts with 29 goals to his name. While he was a late arrival to the global football extravaganza, the most talented player ever produced by Costa Rica.

• Ruiz, at age 37, remains a classy performer who boasts excellent vision and an eye for goal. Despite his ability as a formidable attacking force, the talented schemer is certainly not one to shirk his defensive responsibilities.

• The country sets about planning a grand farewell for their midfield maestro, their national coach has revealed that Ruiz is the only man assured of a spot in his squad for Qatar 2022.

Joel Campbell | Position: Forward | Age: 30

• Campbell is a sharpshooter with a handy knack of scoring goals when it matters most.

• Campbell has a special relationship with the national team. The frontman always delivers when he turns out for Los Ticos, regardless of his club form.

• A part of the historic squad that raised eyebrows in Brazil, the pacey front runner notched the team’s first goal in that memorable campaign to level the scores in the curtain-raiser against Uruguay.

• He has developed an improved tactical awareness to become the focal point of the team’s attack. While he previously operated on the wing, he is now equally at home in a central berth.

Celso Borges | Position: Midfielder | Age: 34

• Borges offers real balance.

• The Alajuelense midfield master possesses an impressive array of tools that allow him to contribute in all facets of the game: he works hard to recover possession, initiates many of the team’s attacks and provides a threat in the opposition’s box.

• Having featured 153 times, he is Los Ticos’ most-capped player and his 27-goal haul places him two strikes behind Ruiz and a couple ahead of Campbell.

Jewison Bennette | Position: Forward | Age: 18

• Bennettee heads up a group of youngsters who are tasked with succeeding the members of the golden generation set to call time on their international careers after Qatar 2022.

• Bennette was the team’s star man in the playoff showdown against New Zealand.

• He was untouchable down the left flank, where he showcased all of his talent, tricks and audacity to wreak havoc. The jet-heeled winger makes the most of any spaces afforded by opposition defences to create chances for others.

GERMANY

MANAGER: Hansi Flick

Like Enrique with Spain, Flick would have the pick of any club job he wanted if he decided to turn his career on its head. The German won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and the Champions League with Bayern before stepping down last summer.

He took over from the legendary Joachim Low after Euro 2020 and is yet to taste defeat, winning eight and drawing one of his nine games in charge. Flick has an exciting mix of youth and experience in his squad but can he piece it all together?

Led by what has now become almost a German tradition of having a solid core of Bayern players, the strength of Hansi Flick’s squad’s is in its team spirit and being more than the sum of its parts.

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manuel Neuer | Position: Goalkeeper | Age: 36

• Neuer obviously comes at the top of this list, literally and metaphorically.

• He will have a number of key roles to play in Qatar as captain, on-field leader and first-choice goalkeeper.

• He has revolutionised the keeper position by playing as an 11th outfielder, is still one of the best in the world at his job and will be looking to prove that in Qatar and steer his team to another trophy.

Antonio Rudiger | Position: Centreback | Age: 29

• Rudiger is the new defensive leader of the German defence.

• His physical presence and strength in the one-on-one situations and he brings a real solidity to the German defence.

• Born in Berlin but with family from Sierra Leone, he has already racked up 53 caps. In qualifying for Qatar 2022, he played the full 90 minutes for seven matches and scored his second goal for his country in the 4-0 win away to Iceland.

Joshua Kimmich | Position: Defensive Midfielder | Age: 27

• He is probably one of the most important elements in Flick’s squad.

• Kimmich is a versatile player who stands out for his commitment, passion and unstinting willingness to push through the pain barrier.

• His fiery temperament makes him a regular target for provocation by the opposition, but rarely does Kimmich cross the line.

• Kimmich is one of the first names on the team-sheet for Germany.

• As a No. 6, Kimmich is there to win duels and be the pivot of the build-up. In this central role, he is an absolutely key figure for Germany, and his form at the World Cup in Qatar will be decisive in how the team fares.

Thomas Muller | Position: Attacking Midfielder, Forward | Age: 33

• Muller is again one of the pillars of the German team. Unlike Hummels and Boateng, the affable Bavarian managed to get himself back into the squad after Low wielded the axe.

• He can play in attacking midfield or anywhere across the forward line, has a trophy room that is fit to burst and plenty of international experience – just what is required as far as Flick’s squad is concerned.

• With 116 appearances for his country and 44 goals, Muller is the fifth-most capped German player, with long-time teammate Bastian Schweinsteiger (121) well and truly in his sights.

• He is an almost certain starter in the national team at the moment, with six goal involvements (three goals and three assists) in just four World Cup qualifiers.

Timo Werner | Position: Forward | Age: 26

• A player who divides opinion. The 26-year-old Stuttgart-born attacker comes in for regular flak from fans and experts alike, most often if and when he fails to capitalise on a gilt-edged chance.

• The routes that he runs often go underestimated, with his speed often creating gaps in defences for his teammates to benefit from in the attacking third. The former Stuttgart player also knows where the goal is.

• The fact that he is the only ‘genuine’ striker in the German squad also makes him a de facto key player – a fact recognised by Flick, who is always quick to give him the pat on the back that No. 9s tend to need.

JAPAN

MANAGER: Hajime Moriyasu

Moriyasu made the step up from coaching the men’s Olympic side to take over at the helm of the national team in 2018 after Akira Nishino, who led Japan to the last 16 at the World Cup in Russia, stepped down.

The JFA had considered former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger for the position at the time but Moriyasu has done a good job. Of his 49 matches in charge, he has won 35 and took Japan to the final of the 2019 Asian Cup.

Japan will head to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ with aspirations of reaching the quarterfinals for the first time. The Samurai Blue have qualified for their seventh consecutive World Cup and reached the Round of 16 three times, but their fans are hoping Qatar will be the stage where Japanese football breaks new ground.

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Takumi Minamino | Position: Forward | Age: 27

• The Samurai Blue No. 10 shirt holds a special place in Japanese football, with Shunsuke Nakamura and Shinji Kagawa among the former stars that wore it and lit up football grounds around the world.

• He was a key contributor last season as Liverpool went tantalisingly close to winning all four major trophies.

• Minamino scored on average every 101 minutes in all competitions last season. This strike rate made him the most lethal of all Premier League players who played more than 1,000 minutes during the season, ahead of the likes of Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo.

• Minamino has been a mainstay of the Samurai Blue since head coach Hajime Moriyasu took the reins in 2018. He produced a sparkling performance in Japan’s 3-0 victory over Iran in the semifinal of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, contributing an assist and winning a penalty.

Daichi Kamada | Position: Attacking Midfielder | Age: 26

• Kamada tasted football glory last season when his Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt won its first European trophy in 42 years by winning the UEFA Europa League.

• His brilliant performances in the J.League culminated in a move to the Bundesliga, where he continues to perform consistently well.

• Composed on the ball and with excellent vision, Kamada is adept at controlling the game and using the players around him. He has the ability to find the back of the net himself, and was instrumental in Japan’s attacking displays during friendlies against Brazil and Paraguay in June.

Kyogo Furuhashi | Position: Striker | Age: 27

• Around the time he became a professional footballer, Furuhashi officially changed the first kanji character in his first name. Although pronounced the same, he felt the new kanji would bring him better luck in his football career.

• That change seems to be working. His career has continued to grow in leaps and bounds since signing with Celtic in July 2021. He was an immediate hit and has already become a frequent scorer and firm favourite of the club’s fans.

• When Furuhashi receives the ball in the penalty box, spectators and opposition players had better not blink or else they might miss a moment of goal-scoring brilliance.

Takehiro Tomiyasu | Posistion: Defender | Age: 23

• Now in his second year at Arsenal, Tomiyasu has proven he has the ability to nullify the best strikers in the Premier League.

• Mainly deployed as a rightback at Arsenal, Tomiyasu more often plays as a centreback for the Samurai Blue. He modelled his game on that of Argentinian defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano, with whom he shares a superb ability to read the game.

• In addition to his obvious defensive skills, Tomiyasu is reliable when building up from the back and his accurate passes can quickly turn defence into attack.

• Tomiyasu has developed into a key player for Japan and brings stability to both ends of the pitch. His formidable combination with vastly experienced captain Maya Yoshida will be tough for any opponent to crack.

Kaoru Mitoma | Position: Midfielder/Forward | Age: 25

• Mitoma got his first taste of Premier League football when he made his debut for Brighton and Hove Albion in August.

• Mitoma’s silky dribbling skills, especially down the left flank, regularly wowed fans.

• Despite receiving limited opportunities so far at Brighton, his mazy runs have earned him a growing following among the Seagulls’ faithful.

• At university, Mitoma wrote his graduation thesis on dribbling skills. His research involved affixing a small video camera to his head to record his movements while dribbling, and those of defenders, and then examining which ones enabled him to successfully slip past opponents.

• Players such as Mitoma, who possess the skills to individually break open a game, have been few and far between in Japan. He will undoubtedly be a major weapon in the Samurai Blue’s arsenal during the scrap to progress past the “group of death.”