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Looking to place a bet on Russia at the 2018 World Cup? You have come to the right place. This page provides a comprehensive wrap of all things Russia for the World Cup of Soccer: result history, statistical analysis, future matches and most importantly, the best odds and lines from a variety of top online sportsbooks. Review tournament performance, plan for upcoming fixtures and place your wager with confidence right here.
Russia’s World Cup 2022 Standings
Russia head Group A, which also includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay. Below you will find their current tournament standings, updated after every matchday.
Russia’s Odds To Win The World Cup
Russia is rated as the tenth-best chance of winning the 2018 World Cup, priced at +3400, although we feel that this is somewhat high considering the teams around them. We rate the chances of Switzerland, Mexico and even Sweden above that of the Russians, who are perhaps seen as a better option because they will be playing at home. Whichever your side, bet on Russia’s games in confidence with the best odds and lines brought to you here.
Russia is quite short to top Group A, priced at +130 compared with favourites Uruguay who are at +105. We are even leaning towards Egypt finishing ahead of Russia in the final group standings and have them finishing third. +240 is on offer for them to exit the competition at the Group Stage, while +160 is available for the Round of 16. It will certainly be one or the other.
We simply do not see enough quality in this Russian side, and their failures at both the 2016 European Championships and the 2017 Confederations Cup aren’t a good sign. While their recent 3-3 draw against Spain in a friendly match is a decent result, we won’t really know what they are capable of until they kick off the tournament in June.
Russia’s Squad & Key Players
All teams must declare a 30 man squad for the World Cup by the middle of May, while the final 23 man squads don’t have to be finalized until the first week of June, prior to the tournament start date. We will update you when the team sheets are announced, but first, let’s take a look at some of the most important players in the Russian team and who we think will play a big part in the competition.
Igor Akinfeev (Goalkeeper)
With a goalkeeper at the helm, it’s unsurprising to see a goalkeeper as captain, and that’s exactly the case in the Russian squad. Akinfeev has already notched 103 caps and is showing no signs of slowing down at just 31 years of age. He has already made nearly 400 appearances for CSKA Moscow, a club that he also captains, and has won six Russian Premier League titles, six Russian Cups and raised the UEFA Cup in 2005.
Alexandr Golovin (Midfielder)
Akinfeev’s CSKA teammate Aleksandr Golovin has made a bright start to his short career and has been part of the Russian national setup since 2013 when he played in the under 17 squad that won the UEFA European Championships. He featured in almost every single match for Moscow during the 2016/17 season, and looks to be a certain starter in Russia should he remain fit.
The Coach – Stanislav Cherchesov
Cherchesov made 433 appearances in his playing career, most notably at Spartak Moscow and Tirol Innsbruck in a career spanning 21 years. He also managed 39 caps for Russia including in the 1994 and 2002 World Cups and Euro 96.
After his retirement in 2002, the former goalkeeper went more or less straight into coaching, and his managerial career has seen him hold the reigns at both Spartak and Dynamo Moscow and Legia Warsaw during the last decade.
He was appointed to the Russian head job on August 11th, 2016 after the nation failed to progress at Euro 2016. The only major tournament that Russia has played in during this time was the 2017 Confederations Cup, in which he achieved only a win against New Zealand and losses against Portugal and Mexico. His current record with the national team is 5W, 5D, 6L, equating to a win percentage of 31.25%.
Russia’s World Cup 2022 Lineup
Russia’s latest international was played against Spain on November 14th, 2017. The full lineup was as follows:
Starting Lineup (5-3-2)
Andrey Lunev (Zenit) – Igor Smolnikov (Zenit), Giorgi Jikia (Spartak), Viktor Vasin (CSKA), Fyodor Kudryashov (Rubin Kazan), Yuri Zhirkov (Zenit) – Denis Glushakov (Spartak), Daler Kuzyaev (Zenit), Alan Dzagoev (CSKA) – Fyodor Smolov (Krasnodar), Aleksey Miranchuk (Lokomotiv).
Reserves: Vladislav Ignatiev, Roman Neustadter, Ilya Kutepov, Anton Miranchuk, Konstantin Rausch, Anton Zabolotny, Alexander Erokhin, Vladimir Gabulov, Aleksandr Kokorin, Dmitri Kombarov, Bmitri Poloz, Anton Shvets.
Russia’s FIFA World Cup History
Russia will make its 11th appearance in the 2018 World Cup and their first as hosts of the tournament. They entered the competition under the banner of the Soviet Union on seven occasions, and their best-ever finish was in the 1966 World Cup in England where they finished in fourth place. Their best result as Russia is 18th place, which they achieved in the 1994 tournament hosted by the United States.
Automatic qualification is a bonus for Russia, who have failed to make it to three of the last five tournaments. The 2014 World Cup in Brazil was the Russian’s worst performance overall, finishing without a win for the first time. They will enter the competition ranked just 65th according to the FIFA world rankings, although this is large because they have not needed to participate in many competitive matches since the 2016 European Championships.
