World Cup fever, Group E: It's clear who the favorite is and who the total underdog is

One of the favorites for the title, two teams that have the potential to upset his calculations and one World Cup debutant - that's what Group E is like at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

It consists of the 2014 champion, the German team, Ivory Coast, Ecuador and Curacao, and it doesn't take much brains to conclude that the "elf" is the absolute best team in the group, but it must also prove it on the field, especially in clashes with teams from Africa and South America, which, above all, can physically and motorically compete with everyone at the championship.

GERMANY

This is far from being the golden period of German national football, as the "team" is looking to advance from the group stage for the first time since 2014, when they reached the "goddess" at this World Cup.

Since then, in 12 years, the Germans have only achieved two victories at the World Cup - against Sweden in Russia 2018 and four years ago in Qatar in a duel with Costa Rica.

It's unlikely that something like that could happen to a great man this time, but to the chosen one... Julian Nagelsman There is a certain pressure from the public and fans to do something big - do the Germans have the capacity for that at the moment?

Nagelsmann's belief in better days comes from his performance at Euro 2024, when Germany was eliminated early - by Spain in the round of 16, undeservedly according to many, so he has created a certain blend of youth and experience for this World Cup.

The legendary player returned to goal Manuel Neuer, the defense should be held by the stoppers Niko Sloterbek i Jonathan Ta, while it is expected that Jozua Kimih take a position next to the right touchline and play to the left david ram.

In midfield, Nagelsman knows who he has unlimited confidence in, but behind Florian Virac i Jamal Musiale It's not a good season for Liverpool or Bayern, and there are also Stuttgart's Angel Stiler, young ace of the Bavarians Lenart Karl, including Aleksandar Pavlovic...

And in attack - just like Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, the German coach sees strength in Kaija Haverca, the list also includes great goal scorers Deniz Undav from Stuttgart, former striker of the "Krauv" Niko Voltemade i Maximilian Bayer from Borussia Dortmund.

The Germans open the World Cup on June 14th against Curacao in Houston.

CURAÇAO

Curaçao is a debutant from whom absolutely nothing is expected at the World Cup. This is the national team of one of the four constituent states of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and a team that is 82nd in the FIFA rankings heading into the World Cup.

Curaçao reached the greatest achievement of this island nation in the Caribbean Sea through the CONCACAF qualification zone - in the first round, they were the best in the competition against Haiti, Saint Lucia, Aruba and Barbados, and then made history through duels against Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda, where they recorded three triumphs and a draw.

Without a doubt, Curaçao's biggest name is not on the pitch but off it - it's the legendary Dutch coach. Dick Lawyer who was the selector from January 2024 to February this year.

He then retired for personal reasons, but was benched again in May because the players disagreed with his successor, a fellow countryman. Fredom RutenomAs the media reported, the return of Advokat was also requested by the main sponsor of the Curaçao Football Association - the airline "Corendon Dutch Airlines".

In the Curacao game, everything revolves around captain Leandro Bakuna, a 34-year-old midfielder from the Turkish second division, and the team for the World Cup is made up mostly of players from Dutch teams, either from the elite or the Second League...

IVORY COAST

There is only one goal for the Ivory Coast team - to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time in history. And that is absolutely not unrealistic.

The "Elephants" have not been to the World Cup since Brazil 2014 and believe that they have matured tactically in the meantime, although the players are now far from the level when the national team leaders were. Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Michael Essien, Didier Zokora...

Ivory Coast has received reinforcements for the World Cup in the form of an Inter striker Ange-Joan Bonny, who played for the youth categories of France, and probably the biggest star is John Diomande, a 19-year-old Leipzig forward. He is being speculated to continue his career at Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

There are also Amad Diallo from Manchester United, Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest), former Milan midfielder Frank Casey, and the Roma stopper Evan Endika.

ECUADOR

Ecuador is Ivory Coast's first rival at the World Cup, which will be played on June 15 in Philadelphia. This is the team's fifth appearance at the World Cup, having made their debut in 2002. Since then, they have not been to South Africa in 2010 and Russia eight years later.

Exactly 20 years ago, Ecuador reached the round of 16, where they were eliminated by England. Now, the "tricolors" would sign a similar scenario, if only they could get through the group.

There are several serious names in the Ecuador squad, and it all revolves around the Chelsea midfielder. Moisesa Kaiseda, who was paid over 100 million to Brighton, and the defense is also "elite" - there is Vilijan Paćo from Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal Piero Hincapie, To Pervis Estupinjan from Milan.

Attack is not the strongest part of the Ecuador team, but the name of the veteran Valencia Energy, who is 36 years old, calls for caution from opposing defenses...