After the debacle in Russia in 2018, Germany starts their road to World Cup redemption on Wednesday. Spain and Croatia also begin their tournaments in Qatar.
Germany will be on high alert in their opening match against Japan after Saudi Arabia surprised Lionel Messi’s Argentina, snapping their 36-match winning streak.
In the opening match, Croatia, the unexpected runner-up from four years ago, faces Morocco. Prior to Belgium’s late match against Canada, Spain plays Costa Rica in the evening.
Germany, the defending World Cup champions, was eliminated in the group stage in Russia, marking their earliest elimination since 1938.
Joshua Kimmich, a midfielder for Bayern Munich, said, “We know that what happened four and a half years ago was terrible, so we had quite a wait.”
“The opening contest is crucial. I’m hoping we win tomorrow because we didn’t win the tournament at the last Euros because we dropped our opening game.”
After longtime coach Joachim Loew stepped down last year. Hansi Flick took over and the four-time world champions have been consistent (but not exceptional).
Spain hopes to arrive in Russia much more smoothly than they did. Where Julen Lopetegui was fired just before the tournament for accepting the Real Madrid position.
They have the third-youngest team at the World Cup, with Luis Enrique favoring young players. While leaving out veteran players like Sergio Ramos.
Luis Enrique said, “It’s very good because young players give the team energy, and we try to manage that with the experience we have as a staff.”