World Cup 2018: 3 underrated teams that can change the course of the tournament

It's less than a week to go for the WC 2018 to kick off.

Highly regarded as one of the biggest sporting events on the planet, it cannot be termed as just a football tournament but an occasion where every fan keeps his or her club affiliation aside for a month to pull on their national team's colours and root for their favourite players.

History reveals only European and Latin American countries have won the tournament so far. This shows the quality of the sport in the region and there's no doubt that the two continents have introduced the finest players in the sport.

Although top footballing nations are always considered as favourites to win the tournament, we cannot deny the fact that the World Cup has never failed to be unpredictable.

Last World Cup finalists, Argentina and Germany will have immense support this time around as well. Brazil, Spain, France and Belgium have balanced plus star-studded squads and will be the strongest contenders in their respective groups, but the possibility of an underdog defying all odds to advance further than expected in the competition cannot be neglected.

Let's take a look at three teams who could take the tournament by storm and turn out to be the dark horses at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

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#3 Columbia

Colombia v Uruguay: Round of 16 - 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil

In the chaos of big names, nobody is batting an eye on how Colombia reached the quarter-final of the previous World Cup after defeating Uruguay in the round of 16. Colombia were eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing to Brazil 2-1 in a competitive game.

Colombian star James Rodriguez gave an outstanding performance winning the golden boot in the 2014 World Cup, but this time, a more experienced James Rodriguez, who is in good form will be a real threat to the opponents of Colombia.

The attacking midfielder proved himself on numerous occasions post his transfer to Real Madrid after the last World Cup and then to Bayern Munich, where his play making skills earned him a spot in the starting lineup. He has made 23 appearances in the Bundesliga for Bayern, scoring 7 goals and providing 11 assists. The Colombian has shown versatility in his playing position throughout the season but attacking midfield has been his favourable position.

Colombia's strength is in their counter attack. Juan Cuadrado's pace and vision while making runs from the flanks are some key points to note. They have a reasonably tight defence with FC Barcelona's young signing Yerry Mina playing as a centre back.

Colombia's highly experienced and treasured captain Radamel Falcao might be playing his last World Cup. A serious knee injury ruled him out of the 2014 tournament in Brazil but his return to the tournament four years later have raised the hopes of millions of Colombians.

Another strong point of the team is its chemistry. As most of the players in the squad have known each other since a long time, it might make them even more lethal if Colombia's coach Jose Pekerman uses the team's potential effectively.

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#2 Uruguay

Lethal in front of the goal - Luis Suarez

Let's not forget that Uruguay faced Italy, England and Costa Rica in the group stages of World Cup 2014 and still managed to qualify to the round of 16 after defeating strong contenders such as England and 2006 World Cup champions Italy.

We certainly should not underestimate a team that has two of the best strikers in the world, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. Both of these forwards are in great form and have won more than one trophy with their respective clubs this season.

Although the Barcelona forward has been into many controversies during his national reign, he has rarely under-performed for his national side. He also had an excellent season for the Blaugrana where he scored 31 goals along with 18 assist in just 51 appearances.

Uruguay not only have a sharp and crisp attack, but also have a rock-solid defence with Atletico Madrid's duo Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez holding them at the back. Godin is highly regarded as one of the best defenders in the world, who turns every battle into a jarring, bruising ordeal. His heroics have been seen in the La Liga against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar and also against national side teammate Luis Suarez.

Uruguay have a young skilful midfield that may provide pace during counter attacks, but their lack of experience may make it difficult for them to handle pressure at such a big stage. With Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt in their group, though, Uruguay have a fair chance of qualifying to the round of 16 and even further in the competition, if the experienced and young players blend well.

#1 Croatia

Croatia's captain and midfield maestro - Luka Modric

Croatia has never really given an extraordinary performance at the World Cup but the past won't stop the current side from defying all odds at the tournament. In the recent years, a fresh crop of players have emerged on the Croatian soil, but particularly the current batch, has the potential of changing the fate of their national team.

We cannot deny the fact that Croatia have a midfield that every other team in the competition would wish for and with Real Madrid's Luka Modric (104 caps) and Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic (90 caps) taking to the centre of the pitch, quality and experience can be found in abundance in the Croatian midfield.

Juventus star Mario Mandzukic has the ability to do wonders at any given point of the game. His bicycle kick in 2016-17 Champions League Final is one such great example. Plus, Modric and Rakitic's expertise in reading games, their vision, pin-point passing accuracy and ability to prompt teammates on the forefront can give a tough time to any opponent.

With a versatile player like Ivan Perisic who can play superbly as a winger but can also be deployed as an attacking midfielder or second striker, Croatia's head coach Zlatko Dalic has some quality players at his disposal but an even more difficult strategy to form.

Liverpool's centre back Dejan Lovren will also make a solid impact in the team's defence. His impressive form throughout the 2017-18 season helped the Reds reach the UEFA Champions League final after 13 long years.

Being spearheaded by Luka Modric at the upcoming World Cup along with quality players and a balanced side, the team surely has the calibre of leaving a mark at the 2018 edition of the highly anticipated FIFA tournament.