Part 2:

World Cup Qualification was filled with surprises. The long, drawn-out process that interrupts domestic leagues every few weeks is a rollercoaster ride for most teams trying to keep their heads above water and reach the final tournament. The process starts not long after the previous tournament ends and continues for the next four years until the last 32 seal their spots in the Finals. The qualification process paves the way for some teams who may not be in the top 32 rankings but find a way to qualify through their region. Here are a few teams that seemed to sneak into the World Cup or surprise a lot of people by qualifying.

1) Iceland

No one expected Iceland to become relevant in soccer. The small island nation’s coming out party during the 2016 UEFA European Championship was thought to be a fluke. Iceland advanced from the group stage and found a way past England before losing to hosts France in the semi-finals. Iceland have solidified their place in the World Cup by finishing at the top of European group I over Croatia, Ukraine, Turkey, Finland and newcomers Kosovo. Iceland have amassed an impressive squad for the tournament packed with young but now experienced talent. Their work ethic and amazing fan base that travels far and wide to support their country should lead to further success this summer.

2) Peru

The Peruvians were the last team to qualify for the World Cup and their victory was met with exuberant celebrations in the streets. The speedy Peruvian side beat New Zealand 2-0 on aggregate for the final place in Russia. Goals by Farfan and Ramos in the second leg assured the Peruvian faithful that their growing, talented squad would reach the pinnacle of football. Peru managed to steal the final spot from South America, edging out Chile who were the champions of CONMEBOL just two years prior. South America is one of the most difficult continents to qualify and Peru managed to stay with top nations like Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Expectations for Peru are low but they have the opportunity to inflict damage in any group they are placed in.

3) Egypt

The Egyptians had a majestic rise through qualification led by former Roma and current Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah. Their emotional final game was marked by near defeat and heart-warming qualification after 27 years without World Cup exposure. Egypt’s qualification came down to Salah’s second strike of their fateful night. Destiny was in their favor and emotions ran high throughout the troubled nation that has gone through so much in recent years from a coup d’etat to stadium issues that led to the cancellation of two seasons domestically. Resilient Egypt look to certain to leave a mark in any group.

4) Morocco

The winners of Africa Group C rose to the top beating out Cote d’Ivoire for their place in the final 32. They had not qualified for the World Cup since 1998 in France where they failed to advance past the group stage. The Lions of Atlas will look to put out some strong performances in June in order to work their way past the group stage. Juventus central-defender and Moroccan Captain, Medhi Benatia, will look to lead his team even further with his talented squad of players from clubs all around Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Morocco have a number of players to choose from with plenty of ability

5) Sweden

Sweden are no strangers to the World Cup and are a well established footballing nation but they have made this list by toppling Italy in the European qualification playoff to reach the finals. In a strong showing in both legs from the Swedes, they won with a 1-0 scoreline on aggregate. The Nordic side won with resolute defending and the strong work ethics of forwards, Marcus Berg and Ola Toivonen who wreaked havoc on the sturdy Italian defense. The Scandinavians will be a tough opponent to handle this summer.

6) Denmark

Across the Baltic Sea from Sweden, the Danes led by Christian Eriksen regained their form that had been lacking in recent years and surged past Ireland in the European Qualification playoff. After a 0-0 draw in Denmark, the Danes headed to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and gave the Irish a 5-1 drubbing. Eriksen scored a hattrick and solidified his leadership of the Danish side. The Danes will be a handful with a number of talented players such as Simon Klaer, Lasse Schone, (Lord) Nicklas Bendtner, and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. The Danes are exciting to watch and play well as a team. They are backed by responsible defending and overwhelming attacking prowess.

7) Serbia

Formerly paired with Montenegro, Serbia have made their first World Cup on their own. Blessed with the talent of Torino FC’s Adem Ljajic, AS Roma’s Aleksandar Kolarov, Napoli’s Nikola Maksimovic, Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic, Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic and the speed of Lazio’s Segej Milinkovic-Savic, the Serbs have not really registered on many people’s radar as of yet. The unheralded Balkans have the potential to break out with some hard nosed quick football. Often overlooked, the Serbs boast a number of experienced players with well-known players in all of Europe’s top leagues. After finishing at the top of European Group D, Serbia have shown that they can hang with the big boys of Europe which has produced the last three World Cup Champions (Italy 2006, Spain 2010, and Germany 2014).

8) Panama

While Panama may be a familiar foe for United States soccer fans, the Panamanians will be making their first trip to the World Cup in 2018. Panama Qualified at the expense of the United States and Honduras by finishing third place in CONCACAF behind Mexico and Costa Rica. Panama have grown to become a respectable footballing nation. Without many well-known players, Panama’s qualification came as a surprise to many. Most of Panama’s players play for teams in Panama while a few play in the MLS or the Belgian Pro League. Panama will have naturally low expectations for this World Cup and their lack of experienced players in top leagues will hinder their performance. Panama stumbled into the tournament with the United States epic failure during qualification and more than likely they will stumble out of the tournament in the same fashion.