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World Cup 2018 power rankings

By James Dudko

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - JULY 13: Per Mertesacker of Germany holds the trophy a loft during the 2014 World Cup final match between Germany and Argentina at The Maracana Stadium on July 13, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - JULY 13: Per Mertesacker of Germany holds the trophy a loft during the 2014 World Cup final match between Germany and Argentina at The Maracana Stadium on July 13, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) /
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Iceland’s captain Gylfi Por Sigurdsson (R) dribbles the ball as Qatar’s midfielder Ahmed Mohamed elSayed defends during the friendly football match between Iceland and Qatar at the Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha on November 14, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / KARIM JAAFAR (Photo credit should read KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images)
Iceland’s captain Gylfi Por Sigurdsson (R) dribbles the ball as Qatar’s midfielder Ahmed Mohamed elSayed defends during the friendly football match between Iceland and Qatar at the Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha on November 14, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / KARIM JAAFAR (Photo credit should read KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images) /

25. Iceland

Iceland were worthy quarterfinalists at Euro 2016, but will struggle to repeat the trick in Russia. Like Costa Rica, the squad hasn’t changed much since.

There is still dynamism in forward areas thanks to Gylfi Sigurdsson. The 28-year-old’s skills were wasted by both Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce at Everton this season.

Even so, Sigurdsson can spot a pass against anybody. He’s also still deadly from set-pieces, with his deliveries key to the aerial bombardment Iceland used so effectively two years ago.

Burnley midfield man Johann Berg Gudmundsson is another Premier League player who can be useful in possession and from dead-ball situations.

This is a squad well-drilled in a particular way of playing. However, going direct won’t be enough in a daunting Group D featuring Argentina, Nigeria and Croatia.

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