Group A is just one of two groups in which there is no team that is an odds-on favorite to win the group. Many observers believe that Uruguay and Russia are the most likely teams to get out, but Egypt is sitting back as an intriguing dark horse thanks to the play of Mo Salah. Saudi Arabia is seen as the only team without much of a shot, but this side has a good amount of experience and could surprise.
Once every four years, the world's most popular game has its biggest tournament. The World Cup is as big as it gets all over the world, especially for the 32 countries who have earned the right to partake in this tournament. We think of the World Cup as a four-week tournament in June and July every few years, but this is actually a tournament where every FIFA team in the world has a chance to make it to the big stage.
The 2018 World Cup in Russia will begin on Thursday, June 14 and run through the final on Sunday, July 15. All of the action can be seen on FOX, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2.
FIFA 2018 World Cup Group A Betting Odds
Uruguay +108
Russia +151
Egypt +558
Saudi Arabia +3188
Uruguay
There aren’t many teams that have the offensive potential as Uruguay. Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are ready to make a devastating duo once again. Cavani recently set Pari Saint-Germain’s club record for career goals, while Suarez is looking fantastic for Barcelona.
These are the two most talented strikers in the world, and with Suarez on his best behavior, they could make a deep run. It would not be a surprise to see Uruguay win every game, and they match up very well against the other teams in this group.
This might be the last time Uruguay is a formidable opponent for quite some time. Diego Forlan has recently retired from international competition, while Suarez and Cavani are in their early 30s.
Russia
Plenty of questions surround Russia coming into this World Cup. Russia did not have to qualify for the event as the host nation, so it hasn’t played a meaningful game since the Confederations Cup. That means this team is pretty untested, and they have a lot of unknowns surrounding their lineup.
Virtually every player on Russia’s World Cup roster plays in the Russian domestic league. Many of those players have not played against the most elite competition, and it will be interesting to see how they perform.
Manager Stanislav Cherchesov is going to have his side play an exciting brand of football. He will have Russia playing a 3-5-2.
Egypt
Mo Salah is going to receive the bulk of the attention for Egypt, and rightfully so. Salah has been unbelievable thus far at Liverpool, and he has sparked an offensive renaissance.
There is no denying that he is the most talented person on this team. Salah has shown his brilliance in both the Premier League and the Champions League, and he is beginning to show off for the national team too. He played a large part in the team’s qualification run.
Interestingly enough, even with Salah, this team is going to hang back and rely on its defense. Manager Hector Cuper wants his team to counterattack, and that’s dangerous with a player of Salah’s caliber.
Saudi Arabia
It’s going to be tough for Saudi Arabia to get out of this group. Saudi Arabia has not gotten out of the Group Stage since the 1994 World Cup, and they have not won a game in their last three World Cup appearances.
Manager Juan Antonio Pizzi has only led the country for two years, but that makes him one of the longer tenured coaches for this astoundingly fickle federation. He is likely to have this team sit back and park the bus in front of the net.
Keep an eye on Taisir Al-Jassim for Saudi Arabia. The long-time midfielder has been a mainstay of one of the top club teams and is one of the captains of the national team.
