8 Teams who have qualified for FIFA Confederations Cup 2017

The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup will be the 10th FIFA Confederations Cup, a quadrennial international men's football tournament organised by FIFA. It will be held in Russia, from 17 June to 2 July 2017, as a prelude to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.The final tournament will be played in two stages: a group stage and a latter knockout stage. In the group stage, each team will play three games in a group of four, with the winners and runners-up from each group advancing to the knockout stage. In the knockout stage, the four teams will compete in single-elimination matches, beginning with the semi-finals and ending with the final match of the tournament. A third-place match will also be played between the two losing semi-finalist teams.

Here comes the 8 teams who qualified for FIFA Confederation Cup:

1. Russia  [2018 FIFA World Cup hosts]

Though they have never previously taken part in the Confederations Cup, Russia are regular participants at the World Cup and UEFA EURO. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian national team have taken part in three World Cups – in 1994, 2002 and 2014 – though they failed to make it past the group stage on each occasion. Qualifying automatically as competition hosts, Russia were the first confirmed participants for the Confederations Cup 2017. The tournament will be seen as the national side’s last major test prior to hosting the 2018 World Cup, as the team will have no other competitive outings after EURO 2016.


2. Germany  [2014 FIFA World Cup winners]

Germany will be heading to their third Festival of Champions as reigning World Cup holders, having secured a long-awaited fourth title at Brazil 2014. Tactically astute, technically gifted and well drilled, Joachim Low’s formidable side went unbeaten throughout the whole competition and stunned the watching world with their 7-1 semi-final demolition of A Seleção. Low’s men impressed once more against Argentina in the Final at in the Maracana, making the Trophy theirs again with Mario Gotze’s extra-time goal.

3. Australia  [2015 AFC Asian Cup winners]

Australia qualified for their fourth tournament by winning their maiden AFC Asian Cup, having previously won four OFC Nations Cups. Competing for just the third time since joining the Asian Football Confederation in 2006, Australia turned around a group-stage defeat against Korea Republic to defeat the Taeguk Warriors 2-1 in extra time of an epic final. Australia defeated Kuwait, Oman, China PR and United Arab Emirates in their run to the final. Veteran star Tim Cahill shone earlier in the tournament but it was the Socceroos’ new wave that stood out, none more so than midfielder Massimo Luongo who scored the opener in the decider. Australia conceded an eleventh hour equaliser to force extra time, only for another young star in James Troisi to net the tournament winner in front of nearly 80,000 in Sydney.


4. Chile  [2015 Copa América winners]

Chile qualified for the Festival of Champions by winning a long-awaited and maiden Copa America title in July 2015. This historic feat, achieved on home soil, was secured with a tactically astute and ultra-attacking side that were able to handle the pressure and expectation of being hosts. After topping Group A ahead of Ecuador, Mexico and Bolivia, La Roja saw off Uruguay in the quarter-finals (1-0) then Peru in the semis (2-1). They followed that with a penalty shoot-out victory in the decider against an Argentina side with Lionel Messi in their ranks – the sweetest possible way to wrap up the country’s first major title at senior level.


5. Mexico  [2015 CONCACAF Cup winners]

Knocked out in the semi-finals of the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, a tournament won by their arch rivals USA, Mexico went into the 2015 continental finals determined to regain the title and with it a place in the Russia 2017 play-off against the Stars and Stripes. After defeating Cuba 6-0 in their opening group game, El Tri moved into in quarter-finals with respective 0-0 and 4-4 draws with Guatemala and Trinidad and Tobago. A 1-0 victory over Costa Rica ensued, followed by a 2-1 semi-final win against Panama. The regional title was then secured with a 3-1 final triumph versus Jamaica, which took the Mexicans forward to the play-off against their old foes, staged in California on 10 October, when Paul Aguilar’s extra-time goal gave the men in green a 3-2 win and the right to represent the CONCACAF Zone in Russia.


6. New Zealand  [2016 OFC Nations Cup winners]

New Zealand won their way to Russia 2017 by claiming the OFC Nations Cup for the fifth time. The All Whites secured the eight-nation tournament, held in Papua New Guinea for the first time, during May-June 2016. The New Zealanders impressed in the group stage winning all three matches. However, a side weakened by injuries, suspensions and absentees, struggled in the knockout stage. They saw off New Caledonia 1-0 in the semi-final – earning a dose of revenge for defeat at the same stage four years earlier – and eventually prevailed in the decider against the host nation 4-2 on penalties following 120 scoreless minutes.


7.Portugal  [UEFA Euro 2016 winners]

A qualified electrical and telecommunications engineer, Fernando Santos began his coaching career in 1987, going on to become the first Portuguese coach to take charge of the country’s big three clubs: Porto, Benfica and Sporting. It was in Greece that he made his name, however, in spells with AEK Athens, Panathinaikos and PAOK Salonika. In 2010 he took charge of the Greek national team, steering them to the quarter-finals of EURO 2012 and the last 16 of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. He took on the Portugal job in September 2014, applying his philosophy of strength and teamwork and guiding his charges to EURO 2016, where they made the most of their defensive attributes in playing a direct and highly effective counter-attacking game.


8. Cameroon  [2017 Africa Cup of Nations winners]

Despite a glorious past and its four continental titles, Cameroon went into the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Gabon 2017 as outsiders, with a young and largely inexperienced squad and with confidence low after a string of disappointing results at recent international competitions. But just as Côte d’Ivoire did in 2015, winning the title shortly after the retirement of Didier Drogba, the Indomitable Lions made light of the fact the legendary Eto’o is no longer around, upsetting the odds to secure the continental crown once more.