I am a big football fan and have been playing since I was 12 years old. I prefer playing than watching football games and have been playing twice a week in Puerto Rico (as of May 2018). I have been following the World Cup since 1986 and here are my ranking of the teams for WC 2018, including side notes of my visit status.

32. Saudi Arabia

One of the powerhouses of Asia and has made the World Cup a few times, but they have never gone pass the group stage. They have a new manager Juan Antonio Pizzi, but I don’t think he will make any difference. They will most likely be at the bottom of their group, but I hope they will tie or win a game.

Visit status: I have not visited yet and would love to soon. I hope the visa situation has relaxed, instead of the hefty $1000 or so. I have friends that have lived in the Kingdom and have spoken highly of the country. She is one of 10 countries that I have left to visit in Asia.

31. Australia

Another powerhouse of Asia and have made the World Cup four straight times now. Cricket, Rugby, and Aussie Rules are probably the biggest sport there and I rarely saw anyone playing soccer Down Under. They had some star players playing in the Premier League (eg. Tim Cahill) and can compete in Asia, but the group stage in the WC will be too difficult. Their manager during the qualification (Ange Postecoglu) resigned, despite making the WC and new manager Bert van Marwijk has taken charge. Bert led the Dutch to the finals against Spain in 2010, but that won’t be happening to the Socceroos. I don’t think they have a chance of reaching the next stage in Group C (France, Peru, and Denmark).

Visit status: I have visited Australia several times and absolutely loved it. It is a big country and there are so many places to visit, but I have to say I loved the east coast and have pretty much gone up and down the coast from Cairns all the way to Melbourne. The not so visited west coast was very beautiful as well. I based myself in Perth and went south for a week. The standards in Australia is high and everything is well organized. The people are happy and friendly and will do anything to help out. I do want to visit again, since there is so much to offer, but the next time to the Ayers Rock.

30. Tunisia

Tunisia was unbeaten in African qualification, but that does not say much, since they had an easy group with Guinea, Libya and a DR Congo. The big soccer nations are in West Africa and I can assure you there was a lot of kids playing soccer everywhere during my visits. Tunisia has a few players playing overseas, but grouped with Belgium and England, they will not have a chance, unless England messes up somehow.

Visit status: I visited Tunis for a few days during Christmas time and absolutely loved it. It was a Muslim country, but a bit relaxed and the people were very friendly and welcome. I absolutely loved the food there. I still dream about eating Lablabi, Merguez, Harissa, perfectly made bread and all the delicious sweets. They have nice beaches by the Mediterranean coast and definitely worth a visit.

29. Panama

Their first trip to the World Cup, thanks to the expense of the United States. What a pity that the US did not make it, since it would have been great having a beer or two with my Puerto Rican comrades. Of course, drinking Puerto Rican Gold (Medalla Light).
They head to the finals with a qualification record of six wins, five draws and five defeats. They have some experienced players with over 100 caps and I’m sure they will try their best, but with England and Belgium in their group, they really have no chance. Well, they could draw with England, assuming England messes up.

Visit status: I visited Panama with four other friends and it was a blast. We only visited Panama City and the Bocas del Toro area, hence, I would like to visit again and see some other parts. The Panama Canal was rad and impressive. We all bought Panama hats while down there and wore it for about two weeks and it was a prized possession of mine until 2015, when it had to be thrown out (I donated it to the church) during a move from Paris to Las Vegas. The islands and beaches around Bocas del Toro were one of the most beautiful beaches I have been too.

28. Iran

Iran is the usual suspect that reaches the World Cup from Asia but have only won one match at the World Cup. I remember watching the game in college with my Persian friends (my roommate from college Kamran was from Persian origin) in 1998, when Iran upsetted the USA 2 to 1. Kamran was so happy, so were all the Persian Invasians that we were with. This team does not have Ali Daei, the highest scoring international player in history (well, he did play against a lot of weak Asian teams during qualification), but I’m sure a disciplined team with teamwork will somehow shine at the finals.
Iran usually has good defense and if they can keep Portugal, Spain and Morocco from scoring, they may have a chance to qualification, but that probability is really low. Let’s hope they can win the match against Morocco, but not an easy game either.

Visit status: I have been to Iran twice, the first time in 2004 and the second time in 2016. Iran by far is my favorite country that I have visited. Why? I have never met people that were so hospitable, sincere and went out of the way to ensure that tourists had a great stay. Despite the economic sanctions, Iran is a self sufficient country with oil, producing their own cars, food, etc. When I visited in 2004, I only saw 15 tourists (mainly Austrian and Germans) during my 2 weeks, but in 2016, there were a lot of tourists at the main big cities. If you have not been to Iran, go there ASAP and you will love this beautiful and amazing country. FYI, the people of Iran love Americans and it is the government that has problems with the West. A big shout out to my boy Orod Ghazvini for making every stay in Iran enjoyable.

27. Japan

Japan has made the World Cup 6 times in a row and will rely mainly on their veterans, who will be playing their third consecutive World Cup. Players like Honda, Kawashima, Nagatomo, Okazaki and Hasebe will be leading the team. They came first in Asian qualification and play decent football, but with the recent sacking of their head coach two months before the campaign and a tough group with Senegal, Poland and Colombia, don’t expect much from the Samurai Blue.
My only hope is that they play well and somehow beat Senegal and tie with either Poland or Colombia to go through. This will depend on the shoulders of Kagawa and Honda and hopefully a miracle does happen.

Born there: I was born in Tokyo and lived there until 18. Thus, Tokyo is my first home and my memories growing up as a child. Japan is a wonderful country and now, so many tourists are flocking there. I was back at home in 2016 and could not believe the vast amount of tourists. Everywhere I went, there were foreigners and it seems like the numbers keep on coming until the build up of the Olympics in 2020. Every single person that has been to Japan spoke positively about the country and how can you not? Japan is efficient, super clean, safe, amazing food, lots of culture/history, various places to visit and probably one of the most technologically advanced countries. I can assure you that Japan has something for everyone. Japan seems expensive and even sounds expensive, but prices are the same as living in Western Europe or in the USA. A visitor’s biggest costs will be housing and transportation, but once you get over that, there are cheap options for food/attractions.

26. South Korea

South Korea has made the World Cup 10 times and is the dominant powerhouse of Asia. Unfortunately, this year’s team does not have the gel to make it through to qualification, along with Mexico, Germany, and Sweden in its group. Four years ago, they ended last in the group and my hope is that they might just win or draw against Mexico and Sweden, then playing the final match against Germany, who have already qualified by then.
Tottenham’s Son has been outstanding in the Premier League and is clearly the star player, along with National team captain/Swansea City’s Ki. If the midfield can control the ball, the defense making very little mistake and if they can play like they played against Colombia in 2018, they might just have a chance to make it to qualification. Although, do not keep your hopes up. I can guarantee you that South Korea will try their best until the last whistle of the game.

Lived there: My parents were born in Korea and I lived there for a total of 6 years. I lived in Seoul during my time there and is my second home after Tokyo. South Korea is usually not in the backpacker travel plans, since it is an expensive country, but she has so much to offer. She is one of the safest places on earth, if you drop your wallet, I will guarantee you that someone will pick it up and give it back to you. There are four seasons of the year and spring/fall is the best time to visit. It is a peninsula with water all around (not the greatest beaches), but mountains in the middle of the country. You will absolutely love the food there (very healthy) and the kindness of the people. Besides, how can you go wrong with cheap alcohol with Korean barbeque? Did you know that Korean drinks the most amount of hard spririt in the world? There is a spirit called “soju” which is more than 20% alcohol and everyone from university students to grandpa/grandma drink it.

25. Iceland

The small nation of roughly 300,000 have made the World Cup for their first time. They astonished everyone during Euro 2016 when they made it to the quarterfinals, since this team has a mix of professionals and semi-pros (some are bankers, lawyers, doctors). Unbelievably, they came first in their Euro group and automatically qualified for the World Cup.
Those are all good news, but they face two main problems. One, their key players like Sigurdsson and Sigthorsson are either still injured or will be coming back from injury and two, they are grouped with Argentina, Croatia and Nigeria as their opponents. All hopes of reaching the knock-out stage will be out of sight and I give them a 10 to 1 probability of reaching the next. That probability will depend on Sigurdsson making a break.

Visit status: I visited for a few days back in 2010, right after the economic crisis. It was probably the best time to visit, since prices were much lower. I stayed at a hostel owned by ex-Barcelona player Eidur Gudjohnsen and I actually met him personally. It was during the summer, but temperatures were hovering around 15-20 degrees celsius during the day and much colder at night. I was astonished when I saw sunlight for about 22 hours of the day and it was just so rad being out at midnight, which seemed like 5pm in the afternoon in Spain.
I would love to go back again, but my visit highlights were the Blue Lagoon (tip: go there as soon as you arrive or on your way back to the airport), various day trips (geyser trip, end of the world trip) and strolling around Reykjavik. If you plan on staying there for more than 10 days, rent a car and go around the island. You will take some amazing photos for Instagram.

24. Morocco

Morocco must have a good team, since I do not see the usual suspects from Africa like Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, and South Africa. Indeed, they do have talent and some play in the European leagues. The most noteworthy being Hakim Ziyech for Ajax and the Real Madrid right back Achraf Hakimi.
They made it past the group stage in 1986, but it will be a difficult feat with the Iberian sides Spain and Portugal. If they can beat Iran and salvage a point or a win against Portugal, they may just go through. For the world wide fans, that won’t be a good result seeing Portugal out the door, but hey, this is football and we all remember Spain not qualifying for the group stage in WC2014. I don’t think any Spaniard would want to remember that WC (yes, being humiliated in the opener against Netherlands…).

Visit status: I visited there during the Christmas holidays in 2001. I was studying at IE Business School in Madrid and went on vacation with two other classmates. We started off in Tangier, where we were bombarded by Morrocans upon disembarking the boat. The Moroccans there spoke Spanish and never saw so many men in one place (the exception of Turkey), but best to skip this city and head immediately south to Fez. Fez was interesting and we got lost a lot. The bazaar was a maze and indeed it was fun negotiating with the locals. Marrakesh was our highlight, lively, outdoor restaurants, shows, and sip tea for a few days. The food in Morocco was excellent and tasty. Head over to Agadir if you have time, a resort town right on the Atlantic coast and can be busy during the spring months where the Scandinavians die to get some color. I have not visited Casablanca or Rabat, which are places that are on my list. You may be offered all kinds of things, including hashish, but make sure you know that it is technically illegal.

23. Russia

Russia playing at home can be a super advantage, just like South Korea during WC2002. The national team was at its high during Euro 2008, when they reached the semi-finals, but since then, it has been all downhill. Do you know of any famous Russian football players? The last one was Arshavin from Arsenal and he did not play much for club.
Most recently at the Confederations Cup group stage, they beat New Zealand, but lost to both Portugal and Mexico. In 2018, they have not won a single match yet. Their defense is very weak with injuries and just not a lot of go to players to score goals. Yet, they have the easiest group with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uruguay. They can surely beat Saudi Arabia and possibly beat one of the two countries, but even if they do make it, they will lose in the 16s to either Portugal or Spain.

Visit status: I visited during the summer of 2015 and I personally loved it. It was a pity that I only saw Moscow and St. Petersburg, but that was a good start. A friend of mine Steve Mele was based in Moscow, so I hung out with him and his family during my stay. Moscow must be incredibly expensive, but I got lucky since the Euro was trading at 80 Rubles so things were relatively priced. If priced at 40 Rubles por Euro, Moscow would have been the most expensive city, more expensive than Oslo or Geneva. There were lots of things to see in both cities and I was busy touring all day and spent the weekends going to some fashionable bars. They do like to drink their vodka there. I would love to check out the Trans Siberian Express from Vladivostock to Moscow, while making a stop off at Lake Baikal. Although, I did hear that the trip was very long and could end up being a nightmare.

22. Nigeria

The Super Eagles have a good team and they have talented players in every position except for goalkeeper. Their captain John Obi Mikel (ex-Chelsea star) will control the midfield along with Victor Moses and a group of young strikers like Alex Iwobi (Arsenal), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City), and Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City). Their defense is relatively weak, just like most African nations.
They reached the 16 in WC2014, but the draw this time was not so kind to them. They are placed in the same group with Argentina, Iceland and Croatia. They may be able to beat Iceland and get a point or two from the others to make it to qualification.

Visit status: I have yet to visit Nigeria and was planned in 2017, but had to cancel my West Africa trip due to a car accident in Guinea-Bissau. I have heard that Nairobi is the real Africa and more developed than Capetown or Johannesburg. I have to see it for my own eyes soon.

21. Egypt

Egypt has always been dominant in the Africa Cup of Nations, having won four times between 1998 and 2010. They are returning to the World cup, 28 years after. This time, The Pharoahs are hoping to make a big noise this summer with Mo Salah as their backbone.
Egypt will be relying on their superstar, the “Egyptian Messi” to score goals and they don’t really have another plan other than that. They have been lucky and drawn into a group with Russia, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay and have a good chance to proceed to the knock off stage, but will most likely be beaten by either Spain or Portugal. If they can make it to the Elite Eight, they have done a remarkable job.

Visit Status: I have visited twice and stayed for a total of 8 weeks during a training program in 2009. I was in Cairo the entire time, but got to see the markets, the great Pyramids (a must!) and enjoyed the lovely food. I was staying at the Hyatt the entire time, so I was fed and slept like a royal, but would love to check out the other parts of the country. I do want to hit the Sinai Peninsula and cruise down the Nile to either Alexandria or the more infamous Valley of the Kings.

20. Peru

Peru is back after a 36-year absence. They were fifth place in South American qualifications and beat New Zealand to win their ticket to the tournament. They were actually playing very poorly until Manager Ricardo Gareca took over and they have not lost a match since mid-2016.
If Paolo Guerrero, the experienced striker, is eligible as he fights a case against a drug ban, this will give them a chance to score goals in the preliminary phases. If they can beat Denmark and Australia, they will be the 2nd seed behind France. Assuming all goes well, they will end up 2nd, but will have to play Argentina in the 16, which will be a tough match.

Visit status: I visited Peru back in early 2003 when I was traveling around South America upon finishing my MBA. Machu Picchu is one of the most memorable places that I have been in South America and if you have not been there, go there ASAP. Lake Titicaca gives you the first insight to Inca culture, then head over to Cuzco, the gateway city to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu). From there, take the train or hike for a few days to get to breathtaking Machu Picchu. Aguas Calientes was a relaxed city with lots of foreigners and spas. If you want to relax, a few days there would be a good idea. I have not been to Lima yet, but my friend Cecilia, who introduced me to my wife Maria del Mar, has been talking about a visit to her home town and maybe, I might just go there while living in Puerto Rico.

19. Costa Rica

La Sele are back again after a surprise finish in 2014. They were in a group with Italy, England and Uruguay, but somehow, they managed to place first in that group. This time around, there are in a similar situation with Brazil, Serbia and Switzerland. As always, anything can happen in the World Cup and Costa Rica has good defense with one of the best goalkeepers in the world in Real Madrid’s Keylor Navas. Personally, I believe Serbia and Switzerland are very good teams and Costa Rica just might not be able to do the same magic from four years ago.

Visit status: With the same gang that I visited Panama, we headed to Costa Rica afterwards. We went from Bocas del Toro to Manzanilla, just over the border and then headed inland towards San Jose. San Jose was a big city, not impressive, and not much to see, but it was the gateway to get to Nicaragua. Lots of people have told me that they were impressed with Costa Rica and Pura Vida will probably not fail. I do want to visit some other places within the country, but when compared to Nicaragua and Guatemala, it is way costlier so I may just have to skip it until there is a big reason to set foot. No offense to the Ticans…

18. Senegal

The one and last time that Senegal was present was in 2002, when they reached the quarter-final. Manager Aliou Cisse was at the heart of the midfield, but can he coach his team to do the same again? Their star player is Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, but with him alone, they won’t be able to win games. They have a strong midfield with Everton’s Idrissa Gueye stopping opposition attacks and they do have other strong players like Kouyate, Kalidou Koulibaly, Alfred N’Diaye, Keita Balde, and Cheikh N’Doye.
They are in a group with Poland, Colombia, and Japan and if they win their first game, they might just make it 1st or 2nd in the group.

Visit status: I recently visited Senegal in 2017 and enjoyed traveling around the country. Dakar was very developed and lots of places to visit. I enjoyed my trip out to Goree Island and bought two paintings from a local artist. I still cherish the artwork at home. I have also been to the old capital, St. Louis and couchsurfed with a local family. It was a great experience living with them for 2 days and how greatful I am being born in a 1st world country. They had nothing, but they shared everything with a smile. The Cassmance region to the south of The Gambia was on my way to Guinea-Bissau and I stopped in Ziguinchor for a few nights. There was not much to do, but I enjoyed the relaxing environment by the water.

17. Serbia

So, I am a bit biased on Serbia, since I love this country and have visited over 10 times. They have a fantastic midfield with Nemanja Matic (Man U), Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace), and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio). If they all play well, they can match any team in the World Cup. On top of that, they have a solid but aged defense in Kolarov (ex-Man City), Branislav Ivanovic (ex-Chelsea) and if their scoring talent Aleksandar Mitrovic produces, they might just make it farther than the quarterfinals (I hope!).
They have a tough group with Brazil, Switzerland, and Costa Rica, but if they can win the first match against Costa Rica, they might just make it to the second round. They should finish second after Brazil in this group.

Visit status: As written above, I have visited many times, the first time in the summer of 2001. My university buddy Bojan Mitrovic invited me to stay with him for a few days in Belgrade. These were the times where there were no foreigners in Belgrade and I was probably the only Asian person that existed. Since then, I visited Bojan another four more times and have worked with the oil company NIS headquartered in Novi Sad. Hence, I have been to Serbia more than 10 times. The food is really delicious and the local alcohol rakia is magnificent. The best rakia are the home made ones and I tried one that was made by Bojan’s grandfather (aged 40 years). I had a sip of it and it was sooo smooth. Believe it or not, the best hamburger I tried was the “Serbian burger,” which was this burger cart back in 2001, but nowadays, the guy has his own store and it was still there. Serbia is cheap, right by the Danube, friendly people and still up and coming. Go now before the secrets out.

16. Switzerland

The Swiss won nine out of nine qualifiers and then fell apart in Portugal to miss out on automatic qualification, but they beat Northern Ireland in the playoffs to get to the World Cup. They have a decent team with some well known names like the Captain Stephan Lichtsteiner who plays for Juventus and Xherdan Shaqiri for Stokes. They are known to have good defense, but they probably will struggle scoring goals. Shaqiri can be a hit and miss and he never works hard on the field. I don’t see them scoring many goals, maybe 1 or 2 during the qualification phase. They are grouped with Costa Rica, Brazil and Serbia and I don’t think they have the team to make it pass the group stages.

Visit status: One of the most expensive countries and my first visit was in 2003 for work to Geneva for a forum. Luckily, I did not have to pay much from my pocket, so I ate lots of cheese and chocolate during my stay. Switzerland is absolutely beautiful and have visited several different cities, since my college buddy Richard and Roland both lived there for a few years. I do not like cold weather, so definitely recommend visiting in the summer time. The waterfront areas are amazing, the mountains (hiking included) are amazing, it is a beautiful country. Things are expensive in Switzerland so try to befriend someone or make sure to utilize the train packages when traveling around. The supermarket will be your best friend during your stay.

15. Mexico

Every time I have watched the World Cup, Mexico makes it through the qualification phase. Therefore, they have a good chance of making it through again. They have players that play in the European leagues and fine players in the domestic league as well. Their current star player is Hirving Lozano (PSV), who has been playing well in Holland. The world famous Chicharito is still around, not playing much in the premier league, but somehow always scores for Mexico. If Mexico beats South Korea and then Sweden in the decisive 3rd match, they should be going through as 2nd in the group. Even if they do, they will be playing Brazil next, so we should start drinking some fine anejo tequila (personal favorite is Tres Generaciones) with a Corona in one hand as we sing along Christan Castro’s Azul as they go back to Narcoland.

Visit status: I went to Cancun for the first time in 1998 for spring break and went back there again in 1999 for what else.. spring break. After a long drought for a while, I went back there to celebrate two MBA classmate’s wedding, the first one for Fernando Agraz in Cuernavaca (they call this place eternal spring) and to Ernesto Lunaparra’s in San Miguel de Allende.
Mexico has something to offer for everyone. The food is really amazing. I love the pastor that they sell on the streets and at the fancy places. Mexican food in Mexico is so different from the food we see outside. Different states have different flavors and presentation of the meals. Don’t expect Mexican food to be like Taco Bell or Taco Maker (I ate here the other day for the first time and absolutely terrible – garbage of all garbage). There are so many places to visit, beautiful beaches, mountains, coastline, indigenous cities, you name it. My personal favorites are Cozumel, Guanajuato, Queretaro, and San Miguel de Allende.

14. Denmark

Denmark will be looking to Christian Eriksen (Tottenham) to playmake, score goals, and lead the team. Denmark beat Ireland in Dublin by 5-1 to make it to the World Cup and Eriksen scored a hat trick. They have a solid defensive base with a few other players to complement their star. Pione Sisto (Celta Vigo) is a fine talent and Yussuf Poulsen (Leipzig) with his pace and movement will add punch to the team.
Unfortunately, a likely second round clash with Argentina will send them packing for Christiansen for a few dubbies.

Visit status: I have only visited once and have been to Copenhagen for about 5 days. Denmark was relatively clean and well organized. Alcohol was much cheaper than Norway and Sweden and the people were quite welcome. I visited during the summer so the waterfront in the city center turned into a mini-beach zone. There is an area called Christiansen for those that like 420 and Copenhagen is a great city to walk around in general.

13. Sweden

Sweden without Ibrahimovic will be nowhere exciting to watch. Sweden did finish second in group qualifying behind France, but ahead of Holland and beat Italy in the play-off to make it to the World Cup. They did that without Ibrahimovic and they can win big games. Probably Sweden is a better team without the star? The team spirit is Sweden’s biggest strength and good players like Andreas Granqvist (captain and plays for Krasnodar) and Viktor Claesson (Krasnodor) will support their current star Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig).
Their last match against Mexico will be the decider if they will go through or not. The Swedes will definitely fall in the round of 16, if they make it.

Visit status: My first visit to Stockholm was in 2001 with my college buddy Swimmy. Stockholm was a beautiful city and by far my favorite capital in Europe during the summer (note: during the summer). All the water and islands around the capital makes this place vibrant with colorful flowers and blond-headed Swedes. The fish was very tasty at the restaurants and the best looking people hang out at Stureplan. When we visited, all the Swedes dressed the same (the summer style) and the style was a long sleeve shirt with blue jeans and white Adidas shoes. Obviously, Swimmy and I did not sport that and we definitely felt left out (really???). Albeit, we could not get into a club in Stureplan… the bouncer did not let us in. The second time was to Gothenburg and I went on a summer boat trip for a few days sailing north. That was a fun trip and we slept in the sailing boat.

12. Colombia

Colombia was exciting in 2014 and they had James Rodriguez winning the Golden Boot. Since then, he has moved to Real Madrid, then to Bayern, but he has not impressed me. Colombia has some very good players, but personally, Falcao has his hit and misses, Juventus’ Juan Cuadrado did not play much for club. The back line seems relatively solid with Tottenham’s Davinson Sanchez playing very well, tied with Yerry Mina of Barcelona, who is good but lacked playing time at Barcelona (well, what do you expect right?).
They might be a hot commodity, dancing to the rhythem of Shakira and Carlos Vives, but I have a feeling that they might just not make it out of the group stage. Group H is a tight group and relatively easy for Colombia, but they will face serious competition against Senegal and Poland.

Visit status: My first visit was in 2011 with Ali and Paul to Cartagena. We were there for a full week and absolutely loved the place. Most recently, I was in Colombia again with three other friends, visiting Bogota, Santa Marta, Cartagena, and Medellin. My favorite city was Medellin by far and would love to go back again soon. I have promised Maria del Mar that we will be going there very soon. I have to keep the promise.
Colombia has so much to offer to any visitor from beaches, mountains, the coffee route, great food, open people, relatively cheap, and more. It has a similar vibe to Brazil, but I have to say the people are way more sincere in Colombia. In Brazil, they may be your best friend for a few days, but when you actually need them, they won’t be there. Colombians will at least stick with you until the end.

11. Croatia

With a talented midfield and some good strikers, they look fantastic on paper. Real Madrid’s Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic, Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic and Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic, they can rely on true world-class performers in the offensive area and are the heart of the team. Up front, they have big man Juventus’ Mario Mandzukic, Milan’s Nikola Kalinic and Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric, and pretty much they can compete with any team. Their weakness will be at the back, but as long as the front keeps scoring, they will do well. Expect them to finish 1st or 2nd in their group, but they won’t go very far when they meet France in the round of 16. Poor Croatia…

Visit status: My first visit was in 2002 with my MBA classmates Jason and David aka Bisbal. We made our way from Slovenia and headed down to Pula for a few days to soak sun (lots of sun in Croatia during the summer months) and see the gigantic colliseum there. Then, we drove from Pula all the way to Zadar and then to Split. On our way, we were on this one highway that went through some small villages and they were ghost towns with houses all torn apart (the aftermath of the war), full of bullet holes. Sometimes, farmers left mines on the roadside for the police to collect, so it was not the safest route heading south. The emperor’s summer home in Split was massive and spectacular and then we went to Brac and Hvar islands for a few days. That was the first time we faced electronic music and Italians with their jean jacket. I’m not lying, but the in style that summer was jean jacket (every single Italian had one) and we were able to tell the difference from the jelled-hair neighbors (at least 50% with no hair by then) apart from the Slavs.
Dubrovnik was another highlight, just magnificent and beautiful. We spent about 3 days there, until we headed towards Sarajevo. Note: Best to avoid Croatia in August, since the Italians take over and inflate the prices drastically.
Most recently, I visited Zagreb for work often to close deals with INA oil company. Zagreb was just a big city and not so much to offer. Maximize time on the coast.

10. Poland

Poland are hoping to make a good showing at the tournament. They have their greatest goal scorer, Robert Lewandowski and if he continues to break records, they are going to harass some elite teams. Most people will not be familiar with any other Polish player other than Lewandowski, but they do have talent. Most of the times, they have these long Polish names or if not, they end in y or k.
They have a solid backbone of experienced leaders, including defenders Kamil Glik and Lukasz Piszczek and midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak. They have some upcoming youngsters like Piotr Zielinski and Karol Linetty. They might play well as a team and do not be surprised if they make it to the elite eight.

Visit status: My first time was with Swimmy in the summer of 2001. We got off at the train station in Warsaw, after an overnight train ride from Kaunas, Lithuania. The train station was sketchy at 9am in the morning. We wowed at the Stalin statue right across the train station, went to the casino (ended up winning $100 each), to the war museum (awesome and loved it), and a long stroll along old town, which was completely refurbished after the second war. We stopped in front of Nobel Peace Prize Winner (first woman to win it) – Marie Curie’s childhood home and took a picture with a cucumber in both hands. Curie literally means cucumber in Japanese. Yeah, the good times with our bad jokes.
I have been to Krakov twice and some other small towns in Poland. Krakov is beautiful and a must visit destination. While there, spend some time at the Holocaust camps and the underground mine that has a church inside. Poland is inexpensive and tourist friendly. Just be careful with some scams.

9. England

The Three Lions have a lot of talent upfront with top scorers in Harry Kane and talents like Dele Ali, Raheem Sterling, and Marcus Rashford to complement. Their midfield is decent with star players in the premier league, but the defense is not as solid as before. On paper, they look very good, but I think they are quite vulnerable and they don’t play well at big tournaments, except for the one that they won in England. Expect to see them out in the 16. The Premier League might be the best club league in the world, but the selection will always come short. I hope I am wrong.

Visit status: If you have lived in Europe, you must have visited London at least once. London is a mega city with so much to offer. It can be expensive taking the tube or doing anything, but there are so many things to do. Unfortunately, London is the only place that I have visited in England so I cannot comment on other cities. I have to say that Indian food rivals the ones in India (I say this because the food was presented better and probably cleaner in London) and plan on having an early night, since the pubs close at 12. If you are a lad, make sure to order a beer at the pubs, cause sipping wine or drinking cocktails was a major no no.

8. Uruguay

If Uruguay goes first in their group and Suarez/Cavani duo continues to score goals, they might make it to the semi-final. They have depth at the front and at the back with Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez. They may lack depth in the midfield, but they have a few not so famous players to control it. As long as they can avoid France, they have an outside chance of making it to the semi-finals.

Visit status: I visited Montevideo and Punta del Este with my MBA classmate Jason in November of 2002. There was a long holiday during my semester in Santiago, Chile which gave me a chance to explore Buenos Aires, and then take a boat to Montevideo. Once again, very few tourists in Uruguay in November and was told that the Argentinians come as a group in December. Unfortunately, the Argentinians never came that summer, since the Peso devalued so much that Uruguay was actually more expensive to visit than staying in Argentina. Montevideo seemed like a smaller version of Buenos Aires, minus Bocca and we went to a famous author’s house (Pablo Neruda). To us, Punta del Este was just a beach town and nothing special. We were at the beach all by ourselves and the few days was relaxing. I remember seeing a big hand monument there, not sure if it is still there or has been rebuilt. The food was similar to Argentina and if my memory is correct, people were sipping tea (mate) like in Argentina and the southern part of Brazil.

7. Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo and co. won the Euro 2016 and hope they can win the World Cup. Ronaldo is by far the best player in the world and he is still the same scoring machine as always. Portugal have good players like Bernardo Silva and Andre Silva to support Ronaldo, but their defense is old and a concern. If hot-headed Pepe continues to start the games, I think Portugal will have some trouble. They should be either first or second in the group after Spain.

Visit status: My first visit was in the summer of 2000 to Faro, right at the southern border of Isla Cristina in Spain. We got there at 2am Spain time which gave us one more hour to party, due to the one hour time difference. I went again during Semana Santa of 2002 Lisbon, Albufeira and some other beach towns. Portugal was always cheap and it was still cheap when I visited in 2016. There is so much to offer in Portugal and so many places to see. Speaking of food – excellent. Wine – amazing. You can enjoy a bacalao (cod fish) dish every single day for at least half a year and never get bored.
Porto was a real beauty (of course, the Port wine too) and I finally got there after going to Porto Sango by mistake. Here is a link of my story. If you have the chance, check out Ronaldo’s island Madeira. You will be amazed since Ronaldo is “God” there and he has his own museum, hotel, airport named after him, etc.
I have not been to the Azores Islands, but I heard that the islands are fantastic. I hope to go there at some point.

6. Belgium

Belgium’s Golden Generation has a fine team and may have a chance to win their first world cup. They have great players in every position, starting with Thibaut Courtois in goal. Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Vincent Kompany are all leading defenders playing in England, along with Mousa Dembele (Tottenham) and Kevin De Bruyne. De Bruyne was exceptional playing for Man City and the likes of Eden Hazard and Lukaku scoring goals, they might just go very far. I think their tournament will be based on luck, mental strength and the ability to win big games.

Visit status: I have been there a few times now and still amazed at the architecture, the wonderful beers, waffles, and chocolate. Like most tourists, I have done the scenic route of Brussels, Ghent, and Bruges only (but twice!). My favorite city was Bruges and I could stay there for a few days and just do nothing and look at the amazing architecture. I only wish there will be less tourists. Brussels was beautiful but my personal highlight was visiting the Delirium Cafe http://www.deliriumcafe.be/, where I tried about 6 beers on tap. I’m not a big fan of beer and usually stick with Guiness or dark beer when I have to, but I was so delighted to try the various white beers on tap. The place had over 50 beers (maybe more than a 100) on tap and I was stuck there for a good 3 hours. Another fun part of Brussels was to visit the different chocolate stores. During a 3-day stay in Brussels, I ate close to 1kg. I basically bought 50 grams from each chocolate store and just ate them as my main meal.

5. Spain

Spain has another fine team, a mix of veterans and new blood. They were embarassed in 2014, despite having a great team and hope the same thing does not happen this time around. Everyone knows that Spain will control the ball and will easily win their group, but they will have to face group winners France in the 16 and unfortunately, they will be packing their bags early. I really hope Spain does not have to play France, since I have them winning the whole thing.

Lived there: I studied at IE Business School and lived there for exactly 12 months during 2001 and 2002. What can I say about Spain? I feel like she is my 3rd country. I fell in love with Spain during my first visit in 2000 and ended up going there for my MBA. I love everything about the country: food, lifestyle, sun, coast, villages, architecture, museums, football and the list can go on. I have been to almost all the major cities and areas in the country, along with some fine fiestas (fiesta de Fallas in Valencia, fiesta de las cruces en Granada)… Ok, so with so many places to visit, here are my top 5 leaving Madrid out: San Sebastian, Bilbao, Granada, Sevilla, and Barcelona.

4. Brazil

Brazil always has so much talent and this team may have the chance to win it all. The star studded team have very little weakness and if Neymar is healthy for the World Cup, I see them in the finals.

Visit status: I went to Carnival in 2001 to Salvador for a week, traveled around to Rio, Brasilia, Florianapolis, and Morro do Sao Paulo (quick flight from Salvador). The second and last time was in 2003 with Jason and we started off from Rio, all the way to the south in Porto Alegre by bus, stopping at a number of places. We were in Brazil for a good 6 weeks and have to say that Florianopolis was my favorite place of all. The Iguazu Falls is one place that you have to visit. Brazil can be dangerous, expensive, fun, you name it. She has something to offer for everyone. If you like Acai, you will be eating loads of it there and if you like meat, go to a Churrascaria called Porcao and order the Picanha. Wow, that meat was lovely.

3. Argentina

Can Messi and the Albiceleste finally win a trophy since Maradona? In order for Messi to be the greatest player of all time, he needs to lift the WC. He is going to have to do it this summer or within the next 4 years. They have a star studded team with so many fine choices, but they just do not seem to play well as a team. They also do not play well in crucial games, losing at the 2014WC, 2015 Copa America and 2016 Copa America. We all know what Messi can do, but he will be manmarked quite often and it will depend on the rest of the team to step up. Personally, I still do not see them lifting the cup yet.

Visit status: My first visit was to Mendoza in 2002 and then to Buenos Aires a few months later to see a college friend Steve Finder. In 2003, I visited Argentina for about a month, just after the Peso devaluated to 4 to 1 against the US Dollar and it was a cheap backpacking trip around the country. I visited lots of cities and made it all the way down to Patagonia, subsequently to the last city down south, Ushuaia. The country really is breathtaking and you can find kids playing soccer every where. The average kid playing at the beach was far better than me (LOL). The parillas are amazing, the wines are great, the empanadas are equally good and if you want to watch soccer, tickets are cheap. Just route for Racing, since that was the first game that I saw down there and Steve Finder would kill me if I routed for Boca Juniors or River Plate.

2. Germany

The reigning world champions are just too good and expect to see them in the final four. They are just a talented bunch of lads and fine players playing as a team. The one concern that they have is the health of Neuer, but will he even make it to the roster? If he does not play, they still have Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen to the rescue. With so much talent in Timo Werner, Mueller, Leroy Sane upfront and great all round midfield, they will be the team to beat at this World Cup.

Visit status: I have been to Germany so many times that I lost count. I used to go often to Dusseldorf for work and visited there every three months from Japan. I did stack up a lot of miles back then and once had Senator status on Lufthansa. Germany is massive and there are so many places to visit, but with limited time, I recommend the following cities: Berlin, Heidelberg, Cologne, Hamburg and maybe Stuttgart, if you are a car fanatic. Don’t be surprised to see thousands of kebab shops, lots of electronic music, sex shops, and Chinese tourists at the main sites.

1. France

Les Bleus has the team to win the World Cup. If they can keep their head straight, limit stress, politics, and all the other stuff stated in the film Les Bleus on Netflix, they are bound to win. Les Bleus lost to Portugal in the Euro 2016 finals, but they won’t be losing much during this tournament. I see them making it all the way to the finals and eventually beating Germany to the throne. This is my prediction and hope I get it right.

Lived there: I have visited several times and most recently lived in Paris for about 1.5 years. I managed to pick up French, but the Parisians were not so friendly nor did they have the patience to speak to me. Believe it or not, French do speak English and they understand very well. Living and working in France taught me a lot of things about French culture, identity, and what not. French food is regarded as the best in the world, but to my surprise, it was just salty, creamy, rich and so so to my Asian tongue. Perhaps, it fits the Caucasian flavor much more. France is a beautiful country, has amazing wine and is the most visited country in the world. There is obviously a good reason for that. There are so many places to see and so little that I have seen and it will take an entire lifetime to go to every place. Thus, I’m going to highlight the key places that I have been and enjoyed the most: St. Malo/Mont Sant Michel/Normandy (D-day beaches), Paris/Versailles, Lyon, Bordeaux, and Montpellier. A few foods that I miss from France: foie gras, good wine, cheese, and baguette. I cannot go wrong with those.
Other territories of France: These places were really awesome! I have been to New Caledonia, Martinique, French Guyana, St. Martin, and Reunion. I do want to visit Mayotte, Tahiti, and Guadeloupe at some point.