With coach Ange Postecoglou then departing, all eyes will be on replacement Bert van Marwijk to see if he can help the Socceroos to new heights. 

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Overview

It’s been a rocky road to Russia for Australia after Postecoglou sensationally quit has head coach in the aftermath of their dramatic playoff win against Honduras, a win that secured their place at their fourth straight FIFA World Cup.

van Marwijk, the man who guided Saudi Arabia to their qualification, was handed the reins to take Australia to the FIFA World Cup in January and he has been busy in the ensuing six months getting to terms with the players at his disposal and devising a game plan that will serve Australia well in Russia.

Of particular note, was a recent 4-0 win over Czech Republic in Austria, with the Socceroos inflicting the Czechs' biggest ever defeat thanks to goals from Mathew Leckie and Andrew Nabbout.

As a 21-year-old who had enjoyed a breakout A-League season with Melbourne Victory, the winger missed out on selection for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Then, in 2014 having broken into the national team set up and establishing himself as a key cog in the attack, a cruciate ligament injury meant he missed the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Now, in 2018, the 29-year-old feels like it’s his time to shine and that the new system implemented by head coach Bert van Marwijk suits his game style perfectly.

“I’ve had to overcome a lot of mental barriers through my rehab with a lot of serious injuries,” said Kruse, who has 63 caps to his name.

“I’m really close now so it’s a little bit surreal but a lot of hard work has been put in and I’m just really excited to get there and hopefully contribute to the team.”

Van Marwijk was appointed to take charge of the Australia team in late January and van Bommel – who is married to the head coach’s daughter – joined the ex-Netherlands coach when he was appointed to replace Ange Postecoglou in late January.

It is a role the former Bayern Munich and PSV Eindhoven midfielder has filled throughout van Marwijk’s coaching career and Verbeek feels the inclusion of the two-time Bundesliga winner will play a major role in shaping the team for their Group C games against France, Peru and Denmark.

For football fans around the globe, a team’s kit often serves as an everlasting visual representation of certain memories. Nowhere is this truer than in the FIFA World Cup, where the four-year gap means kits usually change from one edition of the competition to the next.

Some kits have been immortalised due to their unique designs, while others remain forever associated with the team’s success. 

Here are five unforgettable kits from the Continent’s representatives in this year’s World Cup. View them below and then pick your favourite .

Nevertheless, with Son Heung-min – arguably Asia's finest footballer currently playing – and several other young attacking talents in the ranks, the Taeguk Warriors have the potential to excite.

Overview

Set for their ninth consecutive FIFA World Cup, Korea Republic have had a number of pre-Russia 2018 warm-up matches over the last six months with a wide variety of opponents and a series of mixed results. Wins over Moldova, Latvia and Honduras; a draw with Jamaica; losses to Northern Ireland, Poland and Bosnia and Herezegovina.

At the time of writing, Shin Tae-yong's side are yet to face Bolivia and Senegal in their final ties before they kick off their World Cup campaign against Sweden on June 18, but it seems the side are yet to settle on a line-up with a 3-5-2 formation the latest experiment in the defeat to Bosnia.

Overview

With three of their six planned pre-World Cup friendlies cancelled, IR Iran’s preparations have been less than ideal. But with an abundance of talent across the squad, Queiroz will still be confident of a strong showing in Russia.

Drawn in the so-called “Group of Death” alongside the last two European champions; Spain and Portugal as well as Morocco, many believe Team Melli have their work cut out for them.

However, a defence that conceded just five goals in their 18 qualifiers’ games and an attack line boasting some of the continent’s finest forwards could cause upsets if the Portuguese coach gets his tactics right.

Overview

Japan’s preparation for Russia 2018 has not been the most straightforward of Asia's representatives, with coach Vahid Halilhodzic departing the helm just two months before the competition to be replaced with technical director Akira Nishino.

The former Gamba Osaka boss attempted a new three-man defence in his first match in charge, a 2-0 defeat at home to Ghana on May 30, as well as offering a reprieve to big names Shinji Kagawa, Keisuke Honda, and Shinji Okazaki, whose places were in doubt under Halilhodzic.