Neymar's tears worry Brazil

As Russia prepares for the 2018 World Cup, new ice sculptures are erected in Moscow to represent countries that qualified for the biggest event in football.

More than 40 ice sculptures have been erected in Moscow according to a report by Moscow Times and the sculptures will feature symbols from the participating countries, including ice replicas of their architectural gems, football stars and literary characters.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s ice sculpture is amongst the ones that have already been built and the latest tribute to the Real Madrid and Portugal striker drew comparisons to an earlier tribute. The newly made sculpture bore striking similarities to Ronaldo’s infamous statue at Madeira International Airport, which is now known as the Cristiano Ronaldo Airport.

Bust of Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo: AFP File

Fans went into a frenzy last year after the unveiling of the airport statue and the artist was even asked to build a new statue.

Cristiano Ronaldo's new ice sculpture. Photo: AFP

The sculptures are to be created using 2000 tons of ice from Lake Baikal and lakes near Yekaterinburg and Arkhangelsk.

Toni Kroos rescued holders Germany from the brink of an unthinkable early World Cup exit here Saturday, curling home a sensational winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time to seal a 2-1 win over Sweden.

10-man reigning champions Germany were in deep trouble when Kroos stepped up to steer in his dramatic winner in the final minute of time added on at Sochi's Fisht Stadium.

Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku celebrates his second goal during his side's 5-2 thrashing of Tunisia at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow yesterday. The two goals took Lukaku's overall tally to five goals in two editions, making him the joint highest scorer for Belgium in World Cups with Marc Wilmots. PHOTO: REUTERS

In the day's earlier matches Belgium and Mexico powered towards the last 16 of the World Cup with convincing victories. Belgium produced an imperious display to overwhelm Tunisia, with stars RomeluLukaku and Eden Hazard scoring two apiece in a 5-2 rout. Mexico meanwhile showed that their shock win over Germany last weekend was no fluke with a 2-1 defeat of South Korea in Rostov-on-Don.

Before Kroos's stunner, his error had led to Ola Toivonen giving Sweden a 32nd-minute lead and even a Marco Reus equaliser early in the second half appeared to be only a temporary stay of execution for Joachim Loew's men.

But the rescue act from Kroos, who had endured another difficult night in the German midfield, is a huge lift to a side who saw Jerome Boateng sent off late in the game.

They now have qualification for the last 16 back in their own hands ahead of their final Group F game against South Korea on Wednesday.

Not since 1938 have Germany been eliminated from the World Cup in the first round. However, this result, and the manner of it, will provide an almighty boost to the Germans and is a hammer blow to Sweden, who will face off with Mexico in their last match with all still to play for.

Germany coach Joachim Loew wielded the axe following the shambolic 1-0 loss at the hands of Mexico with which they began their defence of the trophy, with the much-criticised Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira dropped while Mats Hummels missed out due to injury.

Marco Reus, Sebastian Rudy and Antonio Ruediger were among those who came into the team. But just like against Mexico, Germany's usual composure was not there.

IlkayGundogan replaced Sebastian Rudy, who suffered a bloodied nose from a stray boot to the face, andslotted in alongside Kroos, but it was the Real Madrid man who was at fault as Sweden went in front just a minute later.

His pass was pounced upon by the Swedes, who sprung forward, Viktor Claesson picking out Toivonen to control on his chest and lift the ball over Neuer with the aid of a slight deflection.

Loew sent on Mario Gomez in place of Julian Draxler at half-time, and it took just three minutes of the second half for the equaliser to arrive. Timo Werner's low centre from the left was behind Gomez, who got a touch but not enough to put off Reus from bundling it in.

They then set off in search of the winner, with Gomez twice coming close and fellow substitute Julian Brandt smacking a post late on.

Boateng had already walked by then, seeing a second yellow in the 82nd minute for a foul on Berg.

Hope looked to be gone, but then Kroos exchanged passes with Reus at a free-kick on the left edge of the box and sent a sweet strike into the far corner. 

Brazil coach Fernando Diniz is looking forward to seeing Neymar and Vinicius Jr playing together in Thursday's 2026 World Cup qualifier against Venezuela and said he is working to build a sense of unity in the side.

Diniz took temporary charge of Brazil when Tite left the role following their quarter-final exit at the World Cup in Qatar and will be replaced by Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti next year.

However the 49-year-old coach, who splits his time with club side Fluminense, still hopes to make his mark with the national team and keep them top of the South American qualifying competition.

"(Neymar and Vinicius) are extremely good players, very intelligent, skilful and they like each other, there is also Rodrygo, a player of a very high level," he said.

"We hope they get on well in tomorrow's game, as they have done in training, and that they can have a great game."

Vinicius, who usually plays in the same position as Neymar, returns to the squad after missing the first two qualifiers through injury.

"My first interaction with Vinicius was excellent, today he is one of the greatest players in world football. Let's hope he is comfortable to play," he added.

Finding balance and building unity is Diniz's main objective in order to have a "competitive team".

"I feel a positive camaraderie from the players, who like each other very much, forming that feeling of family, the older ones know how to welcome very well those who arrive, both my committee and the players called up," he said.

Brazil host Venezuela in Cuiaba before facing Uruguay in Montevideo five days later. The match will start at 6.30 am Friday, Bangladesh Time.

With the 2018 World Cup in Russia starting in a month, we take a look at how the biggest names -- who between them have won 13 of the last 20 tournaments -- are shaping up:

- Germany -

Germany's build-up has been marred by uncertainty as to the fitness of first-choice goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. The 32-year-old Bayern Munich man has been on the sidelines since suffering a fractured foot in September.

"I do not think it's imaginable that I go into such a tournament without match practice," Neuer admitted last week. His natural replacement is the excellent Marc-Andre ter Stegen of Barcelona.

Low has a core of the team that won the 2014 title, and can also call on the likes of Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka and Timo Werner. Marco Reus will hope to be fit this time too.

After winning all their qualifiers, Germany have failed to win recent friendlies against England, France, Spain and Brazil. Nevertheless, they are the world's top-ranked side and almost always deliver at the World Cup.

- Brazil -

In 2014, Brazil's hopes rested on the shoulders of Neymar, and the back injury he suffered in the quarter-final win over Colombia sparked the meltdown which led to the 7-1 humiliation against Germany in the semis.

Fast forward four years and the nation is again sweating on his fitness. The world's most expensive player is recovering from a foot injury suffered playing for Paris Saint-Germain in February.

The absence of his PSG colleague Dani Alves with a knee injury is a huge blow too, but Brazil still look far better now under Tite than they did in 2014.

They comfortably topped South American qualifying and there is greater strength in depth. Add to that a kind-looking draw, and Brazil have a genuine chance of a sixth title.

- Spain -

After poor showings in their last two major tournaments under Vicente del Bosque, Spain are on the up again under his successor Julen Lopetegui.

The former goalkeeper has yet to lose a game in charge, with Spain dropping just two points in qualifying and recently destroying Argentina 6-1 in a friendly.

With Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique still there in front of David de Gea, they have one of the best defences in the business. Further forward, it will be difficult to stop the likes of David Silva and Isco in full flow, and then there is Andres Iniesta.

"We are delighted that he keeps playing this well and are excited about him keeping it up at the World Cup," Lopetegui recently told FIFA.com.

- France -

France fell short on home soil at Euro 2016, losing in extra time to Portugal in the final. That increases the pressure on coach Didier Deschamps to deliver this time with a gifted squad.

Deschamps' team won their qualifying group despite some unconvincing performances, including a goalless home draw with Luxembourg, and the coach has his critics.

To silence them he needs to find the right system to bring the best out of his squad, especially in attack, where Antoine Griezmann is the main man but teen sensation Kylian Mbappe will be one to watch too. This is also surely the stage for Paul Pogba to really step up.

- Argentina -

After their defeat in the 2014 final, this is Lionel Messi's big chance to finally get his hands on the trophy.

However, Messi only rescued a shambolic qualifying campaign by scoring a vital hat-trick in Ecuador in the last game to take the team to Russia. There are huge doubts about the rest of Jorge Sampaoli's squad, and the coach recently said Messi "can carry the team on his shoulders."

But Sampaoli must also get the best out of the many undoubted talents at his disposal, including Sergio Aguero and Paulo Dybala, to help his side's chances of reaching the latter stages.

Over the next month, Russia will serve up a football stroganoff spiced with enthralling matches, a dash of the world's finest players and the biggest prize in the sporting world -- the FIFA World Cup.

The biggest show in the world will kick off today and fans will dig into a buffet of perfectly-timed tackles, exquisite passes, nerve-wracking penalty shootouts and goals that will give birth to legends.

Unfortunately, only one nation will lift the prize while players from 31 other countries will be left to swallow the bitter pill of defeat.

The world is ready for the football feast to begin with state-of-the-art stadia and the World Cup will provide a window into the planet's largest country -- from the chilly climate at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow and the Fisht Stadium on the Russian Riviera in Sochi to the Saint Petersburg Stadium in the 'Window on the West'. Fans must traverse a continent to reach the Ekaterinburg Stadium in Asia and they must cross borders to reach the Kaliningrad Stadium in a Russian enclave separate from the rest of the country and squeezed snugly between Lithuania and Poland.

The event will also provide a welcome boost to the economic situation in the land of Tsars by reinvigorating stagnating sectors of the economy with an influx of foreign visitors and their spending. Although the analysts at Moody's believe the impact will be minimal, others opine that the improvements to infrastructure and investment in tourism could increase the economy's growth potential.

However, although Russia is eager to welcome some of the world's biggest names, there are burning questions in the back of every fan's mind.

Will football pay its dues to Lionel Messi and reward him with the trophy or will Cristiano Ronaldo pull off the miracle of all miracles and lift the cup with his unfavoured Portuguese side? Will it be Neymar who leads his Brazil to glory after their embarrassing exit in 2014 or will it be the star-studded French? Will the Germans retain? Will Spain, with a new head coach a day before the World Cup, be the big team to bite the dust early? Which unfancied underdog will make a deep run?

These issues and many more will be playing on the minds of supporters, but unfortunately there is no Paul the Octopus to provide us with spoilers. The answers will come with time and the ultimate question will be answered at the Luzhniki Stadium on July 15. All we can do till then is sit back and enjoy the ride.