The Footie Hub - 2018 FIFA World Cup Group A

2018 FIFA World Cup is here and it’s a known fact, we’ll find so many heads glued to the television sets throughout the season. A sport adorned by all, a sport bringing people together, a sport inculcating the ‘spirit of the game’ within the hearts of millions – Football is truly a delight. With the world cup groups involving some of the top countries, weighing heavy and having brilliant chances of taking back home the glorious golden cup, we here at Pickyourtrail have come up with a series of blogs called ‘The Footie Hub’ for this 2018 FIFA World Cup season. Take a read and know more about these countries. Let’s start with Group A right now!

Group A: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uruguay

1. Russia

Russia, the host nation have had a rough patch in the last two years. But their performance against Spain grabbed the attention from an ample lot. Alan Dzagoev is the player to be watched out for as he’s renowned for his creativity. Goalie Igor Akinfeev is good with the gloves and to put a goal past him will be no easy feat.

Famous Russian hubs:

Iconic site of Winter Palace at St. Petersburg
The Academy of Fine Arts Museum
Bunker-42 tunnel system
Museum of Soviet and Arcade games
The Amber Room

Interesting Read: The 2018 Bucket List – 50 best destinations you shouldn’t miss out on

2. Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has marched its way into the Worldcup after 12 long years. Edging out Australia with a goal difference and sacking their managers Bert van Marwijk and Edgardo Bauza – The Saudi Arabian team and surprises are synonymous to each other. All eyes will be on Mohammad al-Sahlawi, with his tremendous record of scoring 16 goals in the qualifiers. The opponents are sure to mark him to avoid trouble for their respective nations.

Famous Saudi Arabian hubs:

Refurbished Tabuk Castle
Souq Al Alawi market stalls
Fakieh Aquarium
The central region of Najd Village
Hejazur railway Station

Quick Read: Coming soon: Saudi Arabia tourist visa

3. Egypt

Not having qualified for world cup since 1990, Egypt has only one soul to thank for in this Russia World Cup 2018 – Mohamed Salah. The injury time penalty from Salah against Congo, captured the hearts of many football fans, not to forget the locals! The Egyptian coach- Héctor Cúper, also has his best bets on his other prime forward Ahmed Mahgoub, who’s believed to have top dribbling and accuracy skills.

Famous Egyptian hubs:

The Lost City of Heracleion
The Temple of Abu Simbel
Modern art of Desert Breath
Pyramid of Djoser
Monastery of Saint Simon

Must Read: Fun things to do in Egypt for non-history buffs

4. Uruguay

Two time world cup champions ( 1930, 1950) Uruguay have a good chance of striking for the third time in this 2018 Russia World Cup. The Uruguay line-up has its power points in defence and midfield. Not to forget their striking stars Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani’s presence as well. An entry into the top 16 is guaranteed given their solid line-up- however, the challenge lies beyond the round of 16.