In an era where more penalties than ever are awarded at the World Cup because of video review, Switzerland can rely on Yann Sommer.

The list of players who had spot kicks saved by the Switzerland goalkeeper in the past two years in competitive games is impressive: Kylian Mbappé; Sergio Ramos, twice; Jorginho; Rodri Hernández; Tomas Soucek.

For the last two decades or so, Portugal arrived at every major tournament with all eyes on Cristiano Ronaldo.

The team's hopes of doing well at World Cups and European Championships were mostly dependent on whether Ronaldo could successfully lead his team to victory.

Cristiano Ronaldo is back in contention for Manchester United after talks with manager Erik ten Hag.

The Portugal striker could play against FC Sheriff in the Europa League on Thursday after being cut from the 1-1 draw with Chelsea last weekend and being made to train away from the first-team squad.

One of soccer's most meticulous and deep-thinking coaches, Pep Guardiola seemingly cannot come up with an answer to a big flaw hurting his Manchester City team.

The relatively simple task of converting a penalty.

Three of Costa Rica's greatest players will get one last shot at the World Cup playing together.

Goalkeeper Keylor Navas, forward Bryan Ruíz and midfielder Celso Borges were all part of the team that reached the quarterfinals at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and then qualified again for the tournament in 2018.

After a disastrous World Cup four years ago as defending champion, Germany is going to Qatar with a new coach at a major tournament for the first time since 2008.

Few know what to expect from the four-time champions, and Hansi Flick's record since taking over as coach from Joachim Löw in 2021 offers little optimism.

Aging but still one of the best players on the planet, Lionel Messi will lead Argentina in his fifth — and possibly — last World Cup.

And with him, Argentina certainly has a chance to win its third title.

Poland's World Cup prospects are not solely hinged on Robert Lewandowski.

Few other players, however, will carry as much weight of expectation.

Kylian Mbappé helped France win the World Cup four years ago, becoming a superstar in the process. This time, the tournament could serve as a welcome escape from the pressures of Paris Saint-Germain, and also a chance to play in his favorite position.

For Karim Benzema, it's an opportunity to showcase the talent that led him to winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or at nearly 35 years old.

Tunisia coach Jalel Kadri calls it his "personal ambition" to get his team into the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time.

He won the Kirin Cup in June, but hinted he could quit if Tunisia fails to get out of the group stage in Qatar.