Group H: Team previews and breakdowns

Last but not least, we have Group H - where the spotlight will be on Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.

While there are no real World Cup title contenders here - it will certainly be intriguing to watch the matchups in this group as all could be close and intriguing games. Any slip by the favorites could open the door for a surprise.

PORTUGAL

This is expected to be the last World Cup for Cristiano Ronaldo - and he has a lot of help around him this time to make it far into the tournament, but a lot of what this team can achieve will depend on what Ronaldo can do.

At stake is World Cup glory, essentially the only trophy Ronaldo has never won in his career - but let's get more familiar with his teammates.

Team's philosophy: The team plays with a 4-2-3-1 which can easily shift to a 4-3-3.

The team has a solid backline led by Ruben Dias, the full backs will constantly push forward. The midfield will have two central midfielders and a creative like Bruno Fernandes as the No. 10 with two wingers supporting Ronaldo to play as a striker.

This is how their lineup could look like:

In his prime Ronaldo would play on the wings which allowed him to find space in the outside or in behind the midfield, but now he is most often playing as the striker. In Qatar he will be looking to become the first player to score a goal in five different World Cups.

Players to watch: In addition to Ronaldo, the key pieces are Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Neves.

Weakness: Defense, While Dias has given this team a lot of stability, Danilo Pereira can at times be prone to make mistakes and its full backs tend to focus more on the attack which can open space for its rivals.

Expectations: The team has enough talent to reach the quarterfinals, but if they win the group and get in the easier side of the bracket, there is a path for them to get to the semifinals.

GHANA

The Black Stars are making their return to the World Cup after missing out in 2018. They have a mixture of experience and youth and will be interesting how the pieces come together.

In its warm-up games Ghana hasn't show a lot that would make you think they can compete with the best, but they're still a good solid team that will be hard to beat.

Team's Philosophy: Expect Ghana to play with a 4-2-3-1 this setup allows them to have two defensive midfielders provide cover for its back line - and have speedy wingers that can facilitate balls to the striker and a creative midfielder that will be crucial in transitioning from defense to offense.

This is how Ghana could line-up:

While most of their starters are set, Ghana is one of those teams that could make adjustments depending on the team they have in front of them.

Players to watch: In the back Mohamed Salisu is a telented centerback that will be vital for the team's ability to stop the talented attacking players they'll face. In the middle Partey is crucial in the central midfield and Mohammed Kudus is a great playmakers that has a lot of speed and the technical ability to exploit open space.

Weakness: While Salisu is a good defender, the rest of the defensive unit lacks a bit of quality, which could become a serious challenge when you take into account the players their group rivals have in the final third.

Options off the bench: Whichever Ayew brother that doesn't start, in the defense Joseph Aidoo could be another option.

Expectations: While they're not expected to advance to the second round, the goal for Ghana will be to be competitive in every game and steal points from at least one of its rivals.

URUGUAY

Similar to Ghana, Uruguay has a mixture of experienced players and emerging young talent. The difference is that the new guys are already playing at top clubs and in some cases could even start ahead of some of the starters.

The team is loaded with quality across every position and it will prove to be a challenge for everyone.

Team's Philosophy: Expect to see a 4-3-3 from Uruguay - The backline is where the experience makes the difference with Jose Maria Gimenez and Diego Godin leading the backline.

The midfield is led by Real Madrid's Federico Valverde and Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur while Darwin Nuñez will likely play on the wing to allow either Luis Suarez or Edinson Cavani to start up front.

A few things to watch out for is who starts on goal, Fernando Muslera has been the starter for the team in the last 3 World Cups but Sergio Rochet from Nacional has been playing from the start in most of the games in the weeks leading into the World Cup.

The other big question is the health of Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo - he had surgery in his right thigh back in September and was expected to miss the tournament so his inclusion in the roster came as a surprise, but he may be ready to go in the second round.

Players to watch: Valverde is a key player in the midfield that is crucial for the success of the team -and wingers Darwin Nuñez and Facundo Pellistri will have to carry the load up front as Luis Suarez and Cavani are no longer at their best and will need help to create and put away chances.

Weakness: The two main areas that may be considered a weakness is the fullbacks and goalkeeper - If Araujo is healthy at some point he could be a solution at right back.

Options off the bench: Whoever doesn't start of Suarez and Cavani - Facundo Torres in the wing, Nicolas De La Cruz, Lucas Torreira and Giorgian de Arrascaeta are attractive options in midfield.

Expectations: Uruguay is a favorite to advance and possibily win the group. The most important game will be against Portugal - if they manage to win the game and the group they'll be able to avoid Brazil and quarterfinals, maybe a semifial is possible.

Because Portugal has more dynamic players I can see Uruguay finishing second - in which case Round of 16 would be as far they go since they don't have enough to beat Brazil.

KOREA REPUBLIC

One of the most intriguing things to watch that is flying the radar of many fans is Korea Republic.

While they don't have as many stars as Japan for example, they are a very disciplined and solid team across the board.

Team's Philosophy: The team tends to play with a 4-2-3-1, this setup gives them enough cover in the back and three attacking players tasked with creating chances for its No. 9.

This is how the team could potentially line-up:

The big star is Tottenham's Son Heung Min a speedy winger who plays on the left and has the ability to take defenders one-on-one, he can also drop behind the striker to find space in the middle and opportunities to take shots from distance.

Players to watch: Son Heung Min, the team will go as far as he takes them. Other intriguing players include midfielders Hwang In-Beom, Na Sang-ho and Kim Min-jae in the back and Hwang Hee-chan, he plays as a forward with Wolverhampton but he can also play as an attacking midfielder with the national team.

Weakness: While they're a solid team, they really on off the ball movements to create space, other than Son Heung Min, they don't have a lot of dynamic players who can dribble their way through the defense to generate opportunities, which makes it difficult for them to break down teams that sit defensively.

Options off the bench: attacking midfielders Lee Kang-in from Mallorca and Hwang Hee-chan

Expectations: For Korea their best chance to win a game will come against Ghana, and while not expected to advance, if they are able to get something in their first game against Uruguay then they may have more of a chance to advance.