ESPN is previewing each of the World Cup's 32 teams ahead of the tournament. Here's what you need to know about the four sides set to do battle in Group E.
Jump to: Spain | Germany | Costa Rica | Japan
Also read: Group A | B | C | D | F | G | H
Spain
Manager: Luis Enrique
Nickname: La Roja (The Red One)
FIFA Rank: 7
How they qualified
La Roja attack their opponents, that's a given. They want the ball, they want to dominate the match and set the tempo. It's a daring style that left them more vulnerable to blips in form and confidence, and they drew their first World Cup qualifying match, at home, to an ultra-defensive Greece. In the next match, Dani Olmo's added-time goal won an important three points in Georgia, and a defeat in Sweden was avenged in the final group match, thanks to Olmo's late shot hitting the bar for Alvaro Morata to tap in. A bit nervy, a bit unconvincing as to their chances of winning the World Cup, but eventually a merited group win with six wins from eight.
Style of play
I've interviewed coach Luis Enrique on this umpteen times and he's crystal clear on the subject. Attacking, ambition and pressing: These are the three key elements of a playing style which is non-negotiable. Playing out from the goalkeeper, a 4-3-3 formation unless there's a good reason to adapt, width, possession with passing that accepts the risks, and dribbling.
Biggest strength
Their biggest strength is a mutual one; Luis Enrique is at the heart of it. An immensely demanding, vigorous and visionary coach, he sets standards of intensity and demands a style of play that all of his players -- the elite stars, the workers, the emerging youngsters -- seem delighted to pursue. Harmony.
Biggest weakness
Spain don't have the absolute quality and depth of character to match the era of three consecutive tournament wins from 2008 to 2012. So that leaves areas where there are minor weaknesses. However, the key flaw is the lack of either one absolute stone-cold finisher, or a cluster of players guaranteed to yield goals against banked defences. They have candidates (Borja Iglesias, Ferran Torres, Alvaro Morata, Ansu Fati) but it's getting the right man in the right form, and fully fit, then supplying them with the kind of key passes which once flowed from Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
Star player: Pedri.
Yes, he's only a dozen matches into his third full senior season and, yes, he'll start the tournament aged only 19. But Pedri is a special, potentially epoch-marking footballer. Vision, technique, timing, temperament, tempo -- all these things flow from the midfielder, and Euro 2020 proved that he loves the pressure and demands of a major international tournament. The Barcelona star is wrapping up the domestic part of this year looking a little jaded, but with different types of athletes and different tactical demands in the national team Pedri has the skills to be La Roja's most influential player.
Projected starting XI
(4-3-3): Simon; Carvajal, Laporte, Torres, Balde; Busquets, Gavi, Pedri; Ferran Torres, Ansu, Morata.
What the stats say
- Best World Cup finish: Champions (2010).
- Spain have not lost a game by multiple goals since 2016 (to Italy).
FiveThirtyEight SPI: 56% chance to make quarterfinals, 11% to win title.
Betting odds: +800 (via Caesars Sportsbook.)
Prediction
Not a group where Spain can have a bad day at the office. The order of the matches is the worst it could be: ultra-defensive Costa Rica; unpredictable but talented and physical Germany; then finally super-energetic, often thrilling Japan. If Spain escape the group their momentum can take them to the semifinals. -- Graham Hunter
Germany
Manager: Hansi Flick
Nickname: Die Mannschaft (The Team)
FIFA Rank: 11
How they qualified
Germany won Group J in decisive fashion, with nine wins in 10 games, and slipped up in only a home game against North Macedonia which they lost 2-1. But, as Italy can attest, North Macedonia can be tricky opponents. In the other nine games, Germany conceded only twice, as they usually overpowered teams such as Armenia and Iceland with an average of 3.6 goals per game. They may have failed to get out of the group stage at Russia 2018 and had a disappointing Euro 2020 tournament, losing to England in the round of 16, but the four-time winners were never in danger of missing this World Cup.
Style of play
Germany are all about possession and counter-pressing. Head coach Hansi Flick wants his team to control the ball, move forward methodically and put pressure on opponents to force turnovers. The defenders are normally positioned high up the field, while the full-backs use their nous to hold the offside line.
Biggest strength
Germany possess an impressive assembly of technically gifted players who are skilled and creative with the ball, such as Ilkay Gundogan, Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Leroy Sane, Marco Reus and Serge Gnabry. The squad's playmaking abilities are arguably higher than in any Germany side before. These abilities fit well with Flick's possession-based approach and the overall football culture in Germany. Gone are the days of hard-nosed defending and ugly victories. If Germany win, they do it in style.
Biggest weakness
The downside of Germany's move towards creative and aesthetically pleasing football is their vulnerability on the other end of the field. The back line leaves much to be desired. Flick has struggled to find full-backs who can defend and attack equally well. The centre-backs lack mobility, or struggle to time it right when going for tackles. Errors by the likes of Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck could prove costly in close games. Antonio Rudiger, who moved from Chelsea to Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer, is the only defender who seems to be able to regularly make successful defensive plays and stop strikers. But he alone can't hold Germany's entire defence together.
Star player: Jamal Musiala
Musiala, 19, is a rising star who has not only secured a spot in Germany's and Bayern Munich's starting XIs but has also encouraged his coaches to build the attacks of these teams around him. Usually shy off the pitch, he has incredible confidence in his abilities once he is on the pitch. Musiala is arguably one of the best attacking midfielders in the world right now and often moves into double or even triple coverage on purpose to open space for his teammates.
Projected starting XI
(4-2-3-1) Neuer; Kehrer, Sule, Rudiger, Raum; Kimmich, Gundogan; Muller, Musiala, Sane; Havertz.
What the stats say
- Best World Cup finish: Four-time champions (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014).
- Germany have played 109 matches at the World Cup, tied for most all-time with Brazil.
FiveThirtyEight SPI: 46% chance to make the quarterfinals, 6% to win title.
Betting odds: +1000 (via Caesars Sportsbook.)
Prediction
Germany should get through the group stage if they can get results against Japan and Costa Rica, with Spain the toughest test on paper, which would be an improvement on 2018. However, it is unlikely that they manage to overcome their defensive weaknesses entirely to contend for the trophy. The team are still in the middle of a rebuild, with the 2024 European Championship at home in sight, so a quarterfinal exit seems likely. -- Constantin Eckner
Costa Rica
Manager: Luis Fernando Suarez
Nickname: Los Ticos (The Ticos)
FIFA Rank: 31
How they qualified
A dismal one win, three draws and three defeats in the first half of CONCACAF's Hexagonal round of qualifying eventually closed out with a brilliant six wins, one draw and no defeats to finish. Guided by the extraordinary efforts of Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas, Costa Rica claimed fourth in the table to earn a spot in the intercontinental playoff against AFC side New Zealand. Eager to make an early impact, Los Ticos struck first with a goal from Joel Campbell in the third minute and then did well to absorb pressure. Thanks to some crucial saves from Navas, Costa Rica held on to win 1-0 and secured the 32nd and final spot at the World Cup.
Style of play
Considering some of the talent-heavy teams they will be up against in the group stage, Costa Rica will be more than happy to put numbers behind the ball and protect their goal. Expect a defensive strategy with long passes and counterattacks from manager Luis Fernando Suarez, who prefers a 4-4-2 or 5-4-1 formation.
Biggest strength
The defensive focus and Navas are the two major reasons Costa Rica are in the World Cup. Los Ticos can be incredibly tough to break down, often making opponents take their chances with low-quality shots that can miss the target. Having a star like Navas as the last line of defence doesn't hurt either. The 35-year-old veteran was arguably the most impressive player from CONCACAF in the final round of World Cup qualifying.
Biggest weakness
Costa Rica's attacking efforts leave much to be desired. Their defensive priority comes at a cost that pressures the front line to capitalize on the few chances that are created. Los Ticos scored the fewest goals (13 in 14 games) in qualifying from the four CONCACAF teams that earned spots in the World Cup, and from those four nations, they are the only side to not have a single player with three or more goals in the Hexagonal.
Star player: Keylor Navas
Without their goalkeeper and living legend, Costa Rica wouldn't be in this World Cup. The veteran continues to shine for his country, yet will his lack of minutes for PSG hurt his form? Navas has spent more time on the bench in recent months due to injury problems and the fact he is now playing a backup role to Gianluigi Donnarumma. Can he be just as effective in Qatar this month without regular playing time?
Projected starting XI
(4-4-2): Navas; Oviedo, Calvo, Duarte, Fuller; Bennette, Tejeda, Borges, Torres; Contreras, Campbell.
What the stats say
- Best World Cup finish: Quarterfinals (2014). The only quarterfinal appearance by a CONCACAF team in the past four World Cups.
- Finished WCQ 6-0-1 (W-L-D) in their past seven games to qualify for the World Cup.
FiveThirtyEight SPI: 9% chance to make the round of 16, 2% to make quarterfinals.
Betting odds: +50000 (via Caesars Sportsbook.)
Prediction
It is improbable that Costa Rica will get out of the group; they will possibly finish last behind Japan, Germany and Spain. Although some may point to their 2014 World Cup performance -- where they topped an equally challenging group ahead of Uruguay, Italy and England -- the odds of Los Ticos re-creating that same magic are small and they won't qualify for the knockout stage. -- Cesar Hernandez.
Japan
Manager: Hajime Moriyasu
Nickname: Samurai Blue
FIFA Rank: 24
How they qualified
Entering the AFC qualifiers in the second round, it was business as usual for the continental powerhouses as they racked up eight wins out of eight -- boasting the best attack in the competition with 46 goals scored while conceding just twice. The highlight? Double-digit victories over Mongolia (14-0) and Myanmar (10-0). On to the third round, Japan initially stumbled with an opening loss to Oman and their qualification hopes looked in serious jeopardy after a second defeat in their first three matches. But the Samurai Blue eventually managed to get back on track and, in a keenly contested group, crucial victories over Australia were ultimately enough to see them qualify as runners-up behind Saudi Arabia.
Style of play
Japan's identity has not changed much over the past two decades. With every player expected to boast supreme technical ability, the Samurai Blue enjoy carving apart defences patiently while also being capable of injecting pace down the wings. But given tough tests lie in wait in the form of Germany and Spain, the game plan might well be to soak up the pressure and hit on the counterattack.
Biggest strength
With 2022 being their seventh consecutive World Cup appearance, Japan have the know-how to compete on the big stage. In three of their previous six campaigns, they have made it to the round of 16, including in 2018, when they peculiarly went through the group stage on fair play points. While that was as far as they got, they showed they can compete with the best having taken a 2-0 lead against Belgium before ultimately losing 3-2. Granted, the luck of the draw means they will be underdogs in Group E alongside Costa Rica, but if there is one thing that Japan do not lack, it is belief in their own abilities from a squad brimming with European experience.
Biggest weakness
Japan coach Moriyasu raised a few eyebrows with his squad selection and, at first glance, there does seem to be a distinct lack of quality options up front. Having opted to leave out Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi and Vissel Kobe veteran Yuya Osako, the Samurai Blue's three main attacking options will be Takuma Asano, Ayase Ueda and Daizen Maeda -- who average just 18 caps among them and have combined for a measly eight goals at international level. It is also a problem that the top scorer in the squad, Monaco's Takumi Minamino, has struggled for form. The pressure could be on the midfield to step up and provide the goals.
Star player: Daichi Kamada
Although he is yet to establish himself as a first choice in Moriyasu's starting XI, the World Cup could be Kamada's time to shine. With seven goals in the Bundesliga so far this season, the Eintracht Frankfurt star is currently the joint third-highest scorer in the German league ahead of big names such as Sadio Mane and Timo Werner, and his tally of 12 goals in 20 matches in all competitions is highly impressive considering he is usually deployed in central midfield. There is every chance Kamada could feature up front for Japan and figure as their main scoring avenue.
Projected starting XI
(4-3-3): Gonda; Sakai, Yoshida, Tomiyasu, Nagatomo; Endo, Morita, Tanaka; Ito, Minamino, Kamada.
What the stats say
- Best World Cup finish: Round of 16 (2002, 2010, and 2018).
- Japan enter November with only two losses in their past 16 games.
FiveThirtyEight SPI: 38% chance to make the round of 16, 18% to make quarterfinals.
Betting odds: +25000 (via Caesars Sportsbook).
Prediction
At any other World Cup, Japan would have had an excellent chance of making it out of the group stage, but Germany and Spain could just prove too much of a hurdle. It has not stopped Moriyasu from setting a quarterfinal target, but it looks, for now, out of reach barring at least one major upset. -- Gabriel Tan
WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW
- All World Cup 2022 squads
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