Why you should watch every team at the 2018 World Cup

Germany

The defending champions enter this year’s tournament with another dominant squad. It is difficult to pick a clear favorite from the leading pack of Germany, Spain, Brazil and France, but Die Mannschaft are perhaps the best squad of the bunch, with a good amount of returning talent and players from many of Europe’s top leagues.

Depth is their most impressive quality, shown in their 2017 Confederations Cup triumph with a mostly second-choice squad. That team, which beat Chile 1-0 in the final, featured just two players who had at least 20 caps, and primarily consisted of younger talent. Some of that younger talent, including Leroy Sane, Leon Goretzka and Timo Werner, found their name on Joachim Low’s World Cup preliminary roster.

Veterans such as Thomas Muller (who is still just 28 despite 90 caps and 38 international goals), Mesut Ozil and Toni Kroos return to the squad after leading Germany to a 9-1-0 qualification campaign. Manuel Neuer will likely start in goal despite a year-long club absence, although his longtime understudy, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, presents a worthy challenge after a marvelous club season with Barcelona.

Most likely, Low will put out a 4-2-3-1 with Jonas Hector, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Joshua Kimmich on the backline, Kroos in the midfield with Goretzka or Ozil, and a front four with the likes of Muller, Sane, Werner, Ozil and Julian Draxler. Low’s most profound decision could come down to the wing, where Muller will compete with Sane for a starting spot.

Expect Germany to make big noise against this year. They just might become the first repeat champions since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.