When Russia kick off against New Zealand on Saturday night, it will mark the beginning of the tenth Confederations Cup.
The competition has, over the last 12 years, been used as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup, and as such it is Russia who are staging this edition of the competition. It is designed to give them the opportunity to test their infrastructure and processes ahead of the real thing next year.
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There are eight teams competing this year, with the champions of each of FIFA’s six confederations involved, plus reigning World Cup winners Germany and host side Russia.
Brazil have won the last three editions of the tournament but have failed to qualify for this edition, meaning that for the first time since 2003, when France lifted the trophy, there will be a different name on the cup.
What is the history of the tournament?
The competition initially started life as the King Fahd Cup in 1992, when it was an invitational competition organised by Saudi Arabia involving their national side. After two editions of this were played, FIFA took charge of the competition and renamed it the Confederations Cup, initially to be held once every two years.
This was abandoned after 2003 and the tournament has been held as a dress rehearsal played a year before the World Cup ever since.
In the seven editions that have been run by FIFA, there have only been three different winners. In 1997, Brazil won the inaugural competition by beating Australia 6-0 in the final and have been the dominant force in the competition overall. Indeed, they have won all of the last three editions, most recently defeating Spain 3-0 in 2013.
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France won the tournament in both 2001 and 2003, while Mexico are the only other victors of the competition in its modern guise, having beaten Brazil 4-3 in a thrilling 1999 final.
Schedule
The tournament begins on June 17 when Russia tackle New Zealand in St Petersburg with an 18:00 local time kick off. Thereafter, group games will be played until June 25.
The first semi-final will be played on June 28 and the other a day later. There is a third-place playoff, which is on July 2, six hours before the final in St Petersburg.
Who is taking part?
Eight teams will be on show during the 2017 Confederations Cup. Hosts Russia will, inevitably, be the main draw and are in Group A along with Cristiano Ronaldo’s European Champions, Portugal. Mexico, the only nation competing to have previously won the competition, and Oceania champions New Zealand complete that pool.
In Group B, world champions Germany are the obvious draw, although they have an inexperienced side with them. Chile, who have won the last two CONMEBOL championships, pose their greatest threat, while Asian champions Australia and African champions Cameroon will also be seeking to win the competition.
Who are the star players?
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal will inevitably be the biggest attraction. The Ballon d’Or winner is currently the planet’s greatest footballer and the Real Madrid ace will relish the opportunity to get one over on rival Lionel Messi, who has not won this – or any other international – competition with Argentina.
Chile, meanwhile, will bring with them a number of notable stars, including Arsenal attacker Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal, the Bayern Munich man who has been so integral to their success in recent times.
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Both Chile and Portugal have brought strong squads with them, but that is not the case with world champions Germany, who have elected to name a young and inexperienced squad for the competition. Paris Saint-Germain’s Julian Draxler will be their most experienced player, while Joshua Kimmich and Leroy Sane will have a big role to play in the midfield.
Meanwhile, Mexico’s Rafael Marquez, a former Barcelona star, is the only player in the competition to have won it previously. Javier Hernandez, though, is Mexico’s undoubted star man.
Which team are the favourites?
Germany have been made the favourites by the bookmakers, but this is something of a surprise given the strength of squad Portugal and Chile carry with them.
Ronaldo and Portugal seem to have improved upon the team that won Euro 2016, offering a good deal more offensive strength, and have nine of the starting XI that beat France 1-0 in the final a year ago in their ranks.
Chile, meanwhile, are a battle hardened international side and have good experience throughout.
Russia and Mexico are rated around the same as fourth favourites, while New Zealand are by some distance the outsiders.
Which venues are being used?
Four of the venues that will host World Cup matches next summer are to be used, with Saint Petersburg Stadium taking centre stage. The new Krestovsky Stadium might have run late and dramatically over budget, but hosting close to 70,000, it is an impressive arena that should afford a fantastic atmosphere. It will host the opening match and the final, among others.
The Fisht Stadium in Sochi was built primarily for the 2014 Winter Olympics but with a capacity of 47,659, it is the second biggest in use. Previously it had a roof, but it has been converted into an open-air arena and will stage three matches.
The Kazan Arena will play host to four matches, including one semi-final, and holds 45,000. Its most notable feature is the massive screen on the outside of the building – the biggest in Europe.
Finally, the Otkritie Arena in Moscow, the country’s capital, is actually the smallest ground being used, but only by 19 seats. Spartak Moscow’s home ground will host four matches, including a semi-final.
