On November 16, 2017, Peru became the final nation to qualify for next year’s FIFA World Cup with a 2-1 win over New Zealand. The South American nation’s victory marked the clinching of the final qualifying spot and also an end to a remarkable qualification process, which saw 210 nations compete across the globe.

The Road to Russia was a long but thrilling campaign, with an incredible 872 matches played across six confederations and an average of 2.81 goals scored per match. While the excitement is certainly brewing for next year’s tournament, the triumph and heartbreak felt throughout the 2018 qualifying process will forever exist in tournament lore.

As mentioned in The Uproar’s parallel article focusing on the biggest winners and losers of the qualification process, several nations have gained the world’s attention with their success. Iceland, Panama, and Saudi Arabia all exceeded expectations in very tough groups to advance, while soccer power-houses Italy and the Netherlands failed to reach the sport’s biggest stage.

One of the most remarkable stories from the qualifying campaign was the emergence of Syria’s national football team. The war-torn nation carried their country despite having to play all “home” matches in locales as far as Kuala Lumpur before falling to Australia 2-1 in the final match of Asian qualifying. Although the heartbreak for Syria and other nations is certainly a sad way to end such promising runs, the prospect of more competitive qualifying in the future is exciting.

The format of the tournament is to be finalized with the grouping on nations on December 1st. Although the likelihood of a nation’s success is very much dependent on the competition found in the group stage, The Uproar is predicting the most notable favorites and underdogs in the tournament at this time:

The Favorites

Brazil – After an very strong qualifying campaign that saw them clinch the first available spot, Seleção look poised for a very strong tournament performance. Led by rotating captains Neymar, Thiago Silva and Dani Alves, Brazil looks to continue its success after losing only one of eighteen intense qualifiers. Brazil also looks to avenge their prior collapse at the 2014 tournament, which saw the host nation fall 7-1 to eventual champions Germany. While it will be seen whether Brazil’s starts will deliver, be prepared for a deep run by the South Americans.

Germany – The defending world champions are certainly among the most favored to have a shot at the title. Yet several lineup changes from last tournament’s success and uncertainty surrounding Manuel Neuer have created doubts as to the potential for a deep tournament run. Germany did perform well at the quadrennial showcase of confederation champions at the 2017 Confederations Cup, but Joachim Löw’s young squad must continue to prove itself despite the return of 2014 hero Mario Götze and an undefeated qualifying campaign.

Belgium – Belgium’s golden generation is primed for a championship come next year’s cup. After being eliminated in the quarter finals by Argentina in 2014, the Die Roten Teufel are relying on their most talented squad ever to make a deep tournament run. Led by Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Manchester United’s Romelu Lukaku and Marouane Fellaini, the Belgians look to follow up an undefeated qualifying run tainted by only one draw to Greece. Questions surrounding the team dynamic are still prominent, though, especially if the nation’s stars are used to individual efforts.

Spain – Fans of Spanish football are looking for redemption. After a 2014 World Cup appearance that saw the then-defending champions fail to reach the knockout round, Spain is relying stars Diego Costa, Álvaro Morata, and Isco to continue a recent run of success. Yet while Spain’s undefeated run in qualifying has looked good on paper, failures to progress in last summer’s European championship still raise questions surrounding Spain’s group dynamic.

The Underdogs

Iceland – With a population just over 300,000, Iceland is the smallest nation to ever qualify for the FIFA World Cup. Yet after strong performances against stiff European competition, nothing seems to stand in this small island’s way of transforming itself into a soccer giant. Iceland was the Euro 2016’s Cinderella story when it emerged from a group containing Austria, Hungary, and eventual tournament champions Portugal. After eliminating England 2-1 in the knockout round, Iceland was defeated 5-2 in the quarterfinals by a strong French side. The Scandinavians then carried their physical style of play over to World Cup qualification, where they emerged as winners over a strong group containing Croatia, Turkey, Ukraine, Finland, and Kosovo. Keep an eye-out for another string of upsets by this dangerous underdog.

Iran – Despite having a relatively quiet qualifying campaign, Iran was the second nation to qualify for the tournament after Brazil. Led by forward Sardar Azmoun, Iran emerged the victor of a tough group containing South Korea, Syria, Uzbekistan, China, and Qatar. The middle-eastern nation is looking for a strong performance in next year’s cup reminiscent of their 2014 draw and near-losses against Nigeria, and Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina, respectively.

Sweden – The viking blood runs deep in the second Scandinavian country qualified for next year’s cup. Sweden was Europe’s giant killer during the qualification process, as physical play and a remarkable team dynamic eliminated the Netherlands and Italy. After earning second in a tough group that included France, the Dutch, and Bulgaria, Sweden went on to shock Italy and send itself to its first World Cup Finals since 2006. The Blågult look to continue its success in next year’s tournament and prove that Scandinavian football is among the best in the world.

Senegal – The Lions of Teranga look to charge into Russia as Africa’s highest ranked squad. After an undefeated qualifying campaign that included four wins and two draws against Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, and South Africa, the West-African nation is seeking to make a name for itself among global competition. Senegalese forwards Cheikh N’Doye and Diafra Sakho look to propel carry their country after being goal-scoring leaders in qualifying. Senegal is one of five African nations to qualify, of which only Nigeria is returning from the 2014 World Cup. Although this may signal inexperience, be on the lookout for a type of soccer that is both passionate and fun to watch.