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The FIFA World Cup kicks off in a few days. That means that there are 32 teams from all over the world raring to duke it out for the biggest trophy in sport. If you’re a self-respecting Bayern Munich fan and want to follow the action, who should you watch? Well, Germany, obviously. But who else? What if you want to follow all twelve Bayern Munich players participating in this year’s world cup?
Well, worry not! We here at BFW have concocted a handy (and brief) guide to Russia 2018. Without further ado, let’s begin.
Group A
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- Uruguay
- Egypt
Bayern Munich players: Uhhh ... nope.
Hmm, not much to see here. As far as spectacle goes, Group A of the World Cup comes up short. Maybe if Salah is playing, you can tune in to Egypt’s games to watch one of the best wingers in world football practice his craft — and perhaps maybe tearfully recall memories of a young Franck Ribery. Otherwise, unless you’re a big fan of one of these teams in particular, there’s no real need to watch the games being played in Group A.
Group B
Bayern Munich players: Thiago Alcantara (Spain)
Group B delivers in a way Group A can’t. First, you have both Portugal and Spain in the group, guaranteeing at least one marquee fixture. Second, our boy Thiago will be playing for Spain in his first-ever World Cup, now that he’s become an established fixture in the Spanish national team. It’s a testament to Thiago’s growth as a footballer over the last two years that he has gone from a seldom used substitute in Euro 2016 to one of the main men for a World Cup heavyweight.
As a plus, former Bayern defender Medhi Benatia will be playing for Morocco. If you want to catch him in action, tune into their games sometime.
Group C
Bayern Munich players: Corentin Tolisso (France)
Bayern Munich’s most expensive transfer to date finds himself in one of the most talent-laden teams in the tournament. Corentin Tolisso isn’t a surefire starter for his national team as of yet, but if he was good enough to get into the squad, there’s a decent chance that he may find himself on the starting XI sometime. If he does, be sure to tune in, but otherwise I don’t think there’s much point. France should top this group quite easily and won’t face a really juicy opponent until the start of the knockout stages.
Group D
Bayern Munich players: None whatsoever.
This group is probably one of the most balanced groups in the tournament, with pretty much every team having a decent shot at going through. Leo Messi’s Argentia brings star power to the group, and Iceland have the allure of being another fairy tale story in the making. Also, before I forget, our former Bayern striker Mario Mandzukic will be playing for Croatia. If you want to relive some nostalgia moments from 2013, then tune in to watch him terrorize defenses in Russsia.
Group E
Bayern Munich players: Nope, keep looking.
Not much going on here for the discerning Bayern Munich fan. Brazil should qualify with ease, and the other teams don’t have much in the way of star power. If you’re a fan of any of these teams specifically, then knock yourself out! No one’s judging you.
Group F
- Germany
- Mexico
- Sweden
- South Korea
Bayern Munich players: Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Niklas Sule, Joshua Kimmich, Sebastian Rudy, Leon Goretzka (Germany, the lot of them)
WATCH. EVERY. GAME. Well, for Germany at least. Pretty much all our players are here.
Group G
Bayern Munich players: Nah.
Watch England and hope they embarrass themselves? Meh, there’s no other reason to really tune into this group.
Group H
Bayern Munich players: Robert Lewandowski (Poland), James Rodriguez (Colombia)
After Group F, Group H is probably the most important group for Bayern Munich fans. With both Robert Lewandowski and James Rodriguez playing in a wide-open group where anyone can qualify, every game is sure to be a treat.
TL;DR Watch Germany + Group H. That’s pretty much it. Have fun!