World Cup 2018: 5 Russia-bound teams and their squad lists

#1 Brazil

Brazil is

favoured

to win the World Cup

One of the teams that have already named their 23-man squad for the Mundial, Brazil's form since manager Tite took over from Dunga in 2016, has been scintillating and they will go into the World Cup with a great degree of optimism and confidence.

A football-mad nation that is still traumatized by the 7-1 demolition by Germany at the World Cup it hosted in 2014, making amends has been the battle cry and the manager has picked a squad that he feels can deliver redemption.

A disgraceful display at the Copa America Centenario where the Canarinho (Little Canary) went out in the first round necessitated the need for a new manager.

The dropping of Juventus' left-back Alex Sandro was the only real surprise of the 23-man squad as Atletico Madrid's Filipe Luis was preferred.

Since taken over, Tite has made the team even stronger defensively with his choice of three hard-working midfield grafters (usually Casemiro, Paulinho and Renato Augusto).

This allows the front three of Neymar, Philippe Coutinho, and Gabriel Jesus to focus on causing havoc while the fullbacks are also given the room to bomb forward.

The Brazilians should have few issues getting out of Group E where they are grouped with Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia and then on, it promises to become more interesting for the Seleção