'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Finally, the day we've all been waiting for has come. Russia and Saudi-Arabia will be kicking off the 2018 World Cup in Moscow and the anticipation for the tournament is at its climax.
With several big name players and great nations of football facing off against each other in the next weeks, the Asian teams have been flying under the radar.
World Cup 2018 | Russia vs Saudi Arabia | Live Commentary
Except for Japan, and maybe South Korea, albeit in a tough group including current title holders Germany, the Asian teams are underdogs in their groups, looking to surprise not just their opponents but the entire world.
Trending
While the individual strengths of the Asian teams may limit their chances of success at the World Cup, there are several highly talented players among their ranks, as we take a look at Asia's best combined starting-XI.
GK: Mathew Ryan (Australia)
Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan is by far the most talented Asian goalkeeper to take part in the tournament this year. Plying his trade for the Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, the shot-stopper has really come into his own in the last season.
Brighton conceded just 54 goals in 38 matches with Ryan between the sticks, the least of all Premier League sides that finished in the bottom half of the table, and the Socceroos will need their goalkeeper to be at his absolute best in Russia.
Australia may have struggled to qualify for the tournament, needing a play-off match against Honduras to secure their World Cup ticket, but they are traveling to the competition with a fantastic last line of defense.
Centre-backs:
Maya Yoshida (Japan)
Maya Yoshida doesn't only have the highest market value of all Asian central defenders at the World Cup, with a respectable price tag of £6.30m, but is also the most valuable defender to his side.
In a difficult season at Southampton, Yoshida may have failed to replicate the impressive form he showed next to his former teammate Virgil van Dijk last season, but he's still one of the first names on the team sheet for his national team.
Yoshida's stellar defending, as well as his leadership abilities, will provide Japan with some much-needed calmness, a key ingredient to making a deep tournament run.
Morteza Pouraliganji (Iran)
Morteza Pouraliganji may not be the most recognizable name on this list, but his place alongside Yoshida at the heart of our Asian back four is thoroughly deserved.
Iran boasted the best defense in the Asian World Cup Qualifiers, and Pouraliganji's contribution is not to be under-estimated. Besides not losing a single game throughout qualifying, Iran conceded just two goals on their 'Road to Russia', both coming in their final game against Syria.
Pouraliganji, who currently plays for Qatari side Al-Sadd, will be the rock at the heart of Iran's defense and will be looking forward to the prospect of facing off against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo in a stacked Group B.
Full-backs:
LB Aziz Behich
Aziz Behich is coming off the back of a fantastic campaign, in which he appears to finally have cemented his place in the Socceroos' starting-XI.
Struggling for game-time under former Australian manager Ange Postecoglou, the left-back has played every minute for new manager Bert van Marwijk, a logical consequence of his impressive league outings for Turkish side Bursaspor.
Behich scored five goals in 31 matches in the past Süper Lig season and will be looking further increase his value in Russia.
RB: Hiroki Sakai
Another Japanese defender, Hiroki Sakai's energy and athleticism would find a place in any of the Asian teams' line-ups. The full-back currently plays for French outfit Olympique Marseille and could best be described as the ultimate team player.
Japanese players are admired in Europe for their fantastic work-rate and attitude towards the game, and Sakai is no exception. While he may not be the best full-back in the world, the Marseille-man plays with a lot of heart and thereby makes up for some technical shortcomings.
Japan will be hoping that Sakai doesn't only provide defensive stability on his favoured right-hand side, but also poses an attacking threat that can pin opposing wingers back in their own half.
Midfielders:
Sung-Yong Ki (South Korea)
South Korea's hopes will mainly be resting on the shoulders of their superstar Heung-Min Son, but the Tottenham-man will not be able to carry his team to glory by himself.
One of his main supporters in the team will undoubtedly be Sung-yong Ki. The Swansea player's contract will expire during the World Cup and he will be eager to use the tournament as a platform to impress possible employers.
Ki will be at the core of the Koreans' build-up play and will, therefore, carry a lot of responsibility if his team are to make a deeper run into the tournament. His Premier League experience, along with his fantastic passing ability, will certainly require his opponents to be at the top of their game.
Aaron Mooy (Australia)
Aaron Mooy is largely under-rated, considering his huge contribution to Huddersfield's recent survival bid in the Premier League. The Australian will bring some much-needed quality in the middle of the park for his side at the World Cup.
Whether Mooy will be able to guide his team to the knock-out stage, is questionable, but if Australia are to cause an upset in Group C, he will have to be at the top of his game.
With France likely to win the group, a tough battle between Peru, Denmark and the Socceroos for second place is to be expected. It remains to be seen whether the Australian will grow with the challenges he faces, but he could certainly be a difference-maker in Russia.
Shinji Kagawa (Japan)
Japan's national team has provided Shinji Kagawa with some much-needed relief from five difficult years at club level. Leaving Dortmund after his initial stint as a hero, his move to Manchester United and subsequent return to the BVB have been less successful.
Developing into a bit part player throughout the years, his status in Japan national team has never been in doubt. The World Cup will provide Kagawa with the opportunity to show the world what he's still capable of, a welcome challenge for the attacking midfielder.
Kagawa's work-rate and ability to unlock opposing defences will be the 'X-factor' for a well-balanced Japanese side, hoping to battle their way through to the knock-out stage in a tough Group H.
Forwards:
LW: Heung-Min Son
Undoubtedly, Heung-Min Son is the first name on the team sheet, when putting together Asia's best starting-XI. The Tottenham striker has developed into a formidable player and will give his opponents nightmares.
The 25-year-old scored 12 goals in 37 Premier League appearances for the Spurs this season, while providing six assists in the process. South Korea's hopes are resting on this man's shoulders, and everyone knows it.
Should Son be able to reach peak form in Russia, he's almost impossible to stop and could start scoring for fun. However, the main question will be, whether he is able to deal with the extra attention he will undoubtedly receive from his opponent's defences.
RW Alireza Jahanbakhsh
Alireza Jahanbakhsh is a potential breakout star of this year's World Cup. The current Alkmaar player is the attacking center-piece of Iran and any hopes of winning matches will be placed in his ability to create something out nothing.
Jahanbakhsh and fellow forward Sardar Azmoun work brilliantly together and provide the defensively profound Iranian team with an attacking quality, they have rarely ever had.
While his colleague Azmoun is dubbed as the 'Iranian Messi', the youngster still lacks the efficiency of Jahanbakhsh, who scored an incredible 21 goals in 32 matches for Alkmaar, whilst providing 12 assists and averaging a whoscored.com rating of 8.20.
CF Mohammed Al-Sahlawi
Most definitely the most difficult position to fill. While the Asian teams have a plethora of attacking talent at their disposal, true goalscorers are hard to find and the relatively unknown Mohammed Al-Sahlawi just gets the nod.
The main reasons for his selection into our Asian XI, are his incredible goalscoring record in the qualifying stage, scoring 16 goals in 15 matches, and the dependence of his team on their star performer.
The Saudi-Arabian players are entirely employed in their home domestic league, with Al-Sahlawi currently playing for Al-Nasr Riyadh.
There are only two things that could speak for a Saudi-Arabian 'Cinderella-story'. On the one hand, they were placed in the supposedly weak group A and on the other hand, the fact that Al-Sahlawi was the most successful goalscorer in the Asian World Cup Qualifiers.
