Your complete guide to all 736 players at the 2018 World Cup

Fourteen years have passed since Russia’s No1 and captain, arguably the best-known player in the squad, made his international debut. It has been quite a ride and he will hope this summer banishes bad memories of the 2014 World Cup, when he embarrassingly fumbled Lee Keun-ho’s harmless shot into his own net against South Korea. His reputation outside Russia tends to centre on an unwanted record of 43 Champions League games without a clean sheet, which only ended last November when CSKA Moscow beat Benfica 2-0. All of this ignores his enduring quality, though. Akinfeev is stable, confident and frequently saves whole games for CSKA Moscow. If his European record is questionable, he has kept more clean sheets in Russian football than any other goalkeeper. Akinfeev also has a peculiar taste in music – he recorded a couple of songs with the Russian pop group Ruki Vverkh! (“Hands up!”).

Back in March, when Brazil visited Moscow for a friendly, some of the visiting players published a video in which they pronounced simple Russian words. “Spasibo” (Thanks), “Horosho” (Good) and “Privet” (Hi) were about as far as their efforts went. Mário Fernandes, who has now lived in Russia for the past six years, boasts a similarly limited vocabulary. He’s not the first Brazilian-born player to represent Russia – Lokomotiv’s long-serving keeper Guilherme, who was in the squad at Euro 2016 squad, beat him to that accolade – but presented a welcome addition to Stanislav Cherchesov’s options when he made his debut in October 2017. That came almost exactly three years after he won his first and only Brazil cap against Japan; the match was only a friendly so he was able to switch allegiance after receiving his Russian citizenship in July 2016. “I do not think it is a loss for our national team, Brazil has a lot of strong players,” his former Grêmio team-mate Gilberto Silva said. Fernandes would love to prove him wrong.

An important centre-back for Spartak Moscow and, these days, the national team, too. He’s tactically astute, strong in the interception and good in the air despite a fairly slender frame. It could have all been so different: as a child, he considered becoming an MMA fighter like his older brother Oleg. In 2010 Kutepov and another current Russian international, Roman Zobnin, spent ten days training at Chelsea while coming through at the famous Yury Konoplyov academy in Togliatti. Not everybody is convinced of his star quality: after Spartak’s 3-1 home defeat to Athletic Bilbao in February, Andrey Kanchelskis noted: “If in Soviet times a defender had played a match like this, Valery Lobanovsky would have put him on the bench for six months.”

Ignashevich had been planning to watch this World Cup as a spectator, having retired from international football in 2016. But the 39-year-old was asked if he’d replace the injured Ruslan Kambolov, and couldn’t resist one last shot at a World Cup. "Of course Stanislav Cherchesov’s proposal came as a surprise,” he said, “but I thought about it and decided it was the right thing to do, to participate in a World Cup in our own country. Now I’ll do my best to help the team.” He earned his 100th cap against Algeria at the 2014 World Cup, and this summer has a chance to add to what he thought was his final 120-cap tally.

Semyonov is one of the squad’s quiet men off the pitch but a very different character on it. The Spartak academy product is a tenacious centre-back whose vigour is matched by his composure, but despite his grounding he has never played senior football for a top club. He played for a Russian second-tier representative side against a Serie B XI while with SKA-Energia Khabarovsk in 2011, eventually playing full international football when Fabio Capello brought him on against Norway in May 2014. A place in the World Cup squad followed although Semyonov didn’t get on the pitch. But with Russia’s well-documented defensive issues he surely has more of a chance this time around.

Denis is the son of ex-Gijon forward Dmitri Cheryshev, and accordingly has been lived in Spain since he was five. There is little doubting his talent but, as a left-footer whose only position is the left wing, he may find World Cup minutes hard to come by. He received his football education at Real Madrid, coming through the ranks with Castilla. When he did make a recognised impact for Real, he achieved notoriety. He found the net in a Copa del Rey game against Cadiz in December 2015, but was supposed to be serving a suspension and Real – then managed by Rafa Benitez – were disqualified from the competition. Later Cheryshev moved to Villarreal, where his playing time has been limited by injuries.

A versatile player with a lot of stamina, Kuzyaev showed both facets in abundance during three and a half years at Terek (now Akhmat) Grozny in which he played almost everywhere. In 2015 he featured regularly at right-back and that experience came in useful for him at his current club, Zenit – although Roberto Mancini has used him in attack, midfield and defence. Kuzyaev is a quiet and modest character with a more studious side than most footballers. His is a graduate of St Petersburg’s University of Economics, and is now undertaking a postgraduate course. This spring he revealed, at the age of 25, that he has never been on a date. His older brother, Ruslan, is also a footballer and his father and grandfather also amassed considerable experience in the professional game.

Another defensive midfield option, Gazinskiy was called up for the first time in 2015 for the Euro 2016 qualifiers, and made his debut in the summer of 2016 in a friendly against Turkey. His place in the final 23 was a surprise to some, but he’s a solid option to have in reserve. When he made the long-list in May he told the media: “I’m not going to lie, I was waiting for the call, waiting to see the list, and when it came out I was so delighted. The national squad is well organised, the atmosphere is good, so we’re just focused on the job of preparing. I only hope I make the cut.” It turned out well for him.

Dzagoev has been Russia’s most exciting creative force of the past decade. A versatile midfielder who can play in several positions, his main strengths lie in attack, as was evident back in 2008 when – at 18 years and 116 days – he became the national team’s youngest-ever outfield player. Like Cherchesov, Dzagoev is of Caucasian descent; he was born in Beslan, North Ossetia, and his early football years were spent in Vladikavkaz. He finished Euro 2012 as the tournament’s joint-top scorer with three goals despite Russia’s group stage exit; four years later he fractured a metatarsal and had to miss Euro 2016, which was a gigantic loss for a team that was built to maximise his strengths. He is an emotional character: in 2013, when celebrating the Russian Premier League title win with CSKA fans, he started a chant of “1-2-3, Zenit-ushka suck it”, aimed at their St Petersburg rivals. An apology was quickly forthcoming.

A few years ago Smolov was a target for jokes, an erratic scorer who made more headlines for his relationship with model Victoria Lopyreva than for his football. But when the pair separated Smolov’s form improved considerably, to the extent that he will be relied upon to fire Russia to a respectable showing this summer. He has reached double figures in each of the last three campaigns, representing sharp progress from his career up to April 2014, by which time he had managed just six goals. In January Smolov, a quick and technical striker, was a transfer target for West Ham but decided to stay in Russia with FC Krasnodar. Fedor is a big fan of shooter video games such as Counter-Strike and also enjoys Russian rap, especially battle rap. He once sang a song with the popular Russian rapper Pharaoh and likes to say “Yeah boy” – a catchphrase of the battle-rapper Obe 1 Kanobe.

Zobnin was one of the driving forces of Spartak’s league title in 2016-17. He is a multifunctional player known for his ferocious workrate wherever he operates – be it on the flank, as a holding midfielder or in No10 role. He was earmarked to be a key man for Russia at the Confederations Cup but, right before the tournament, he tore his collateral and cruciate ligaments. At a local derby against his former club Dinamo in July, early in the new season, a couple of Dinamo supporters attempted to attack the injured Zobnin in the stands. Fortunately, they were not allowed to enter the box where he was watching the game. Similar to Ilya Kutepov, the Irkutsk-born player came through the Yury Konopolyov academy in Togliatti, near the World Cup host city Samara.

Lunyov didn’t play in Russia’s top flight until September 2016, when he immediately turned heads with stunning performances for FC Ufa. Little more than two months later he moved to Zenit St Petersburg, ending their then-manager Mircea Lucescu’s search for a new No1, and international recognition followed last August with a first call-up to Stanislav Cherchesov’s squad. His debut followed in October against Iran and he is seen as a competent, unflappable backup to Akinfeev. Things have not always looked so bright, though: when he moved to Ufa in 2015, Lunyov was forced to live on 10,000 rubles (£150) a month in order to repay hefty debts. His first salary payment at Zenit went towards solving his financial problems.

Kudryashov is established as a centre-back for Russia, despite being first-choice left-back for his club. He lacks discipline and has a habit of running into trouble, receiving more than his fair share of red cards for crude fouls - and his abrasive approach extends outside the pitch. Last spring, after playing for his previous club FC Rostov against CSKA, Kudryashov broke down the door to the locker room while yelling the words: “They broke my nose and that wasn’t even a foul! Dumb lizards!” Like Granat, he’s from Siberia and was born in the Irkutsk region, beginning his professional career at lowly Sibiryak Bratsk.

A taciturn defender whose name translates into English as “Pomegranate”. He was part of the Russia squad at Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup but didn’t play. Now his time has come - a combination of injuries and retirements have propelled him into the team, despite the attention of detractors. At just shy of 6ft 1in Granat isn’t the tallest and lacks the kind of jump required in a centre-back, but he is sharp and definitely tenacious. He’s perhaps best remembered for an incident in May 2014, during his time at Dinamo Moscow, when he was attacked by a pitch invader at an away match with Zenit. He was concussed and sustained a fractured jaw. He comes from the eastern Siberian city of Ulan Ude, in the Republic of Buryatia, and played locally before joining Dinamo in 2005.

One of the famous twin brothers from Lokomotiv, Aleksei rose to prominence in Russia much more quickly than the relatively late-developing Anton. He made his national team debut in 2015 at the age of just 19, scoring in a 4-2 win against Belarus 12 minutes after entering the pitch as a substitute. Miranchuk is primarily an attacking midfielder but last year Lokomotiv started asking him to lead the line, and nowadays he is considered a striker for the national team too. In 2015 he joined “Team Messi” – a selection of 10 young players from all over the world, chosen by the Argentinian superstar, who wore exclusive personalised boots. He says he and his brother have little interest in spending any footballing riches on extravagances, proclaiming: “There is no desire to burn money on cars.”

Anton is 10 minutes younger than his brother but, during their childhood, was considered the more promising prospect of the pair. In the end, though, he had to take the long way to the top – only reaching Aleksei’s level this season after spending the previous couple of years in Lokomotiv’s second team and on loan with Estonian club Levadia. He tends to play in the middle but, like Aleksei, has been deployed further forward too. The primary distinctive feature between the twins, who were born in the Krasnodar region, is their weight: Anton considerably heavier than Aleksei. Recently he spoke of the importance his tight-knit family has had on his career. “I always listen to the opinions of my relatives, because I know they are sincere and true,” he said. “Somewhere their words give me strength and confidence.”

This Siberian diamond, born in the small town of Kaltan, was the squad’s youngest player at Euro 2016 and is perhaps their most exciting talent two years later. He is one of the three players whose place in the starting XI at the World Cup appears indisputable and his stock has risen rapidly. Back in 2015, Golovin was playing for CSKA’s reserves and representing Russia in age-group football at the Uefa Under-19 Championship, in which an impressive side finished runners-up. Now he occupies a significant role in both club and national teams, setting the tone for the latter in June 2015 when he scored on his senior Russia debut against Belarus just minutes after entering the pitch as a substitute. Golovin is a flexible player with a broad range of abilities: he is relentless, assertive and has a high level of passing ability. He has been on Arsenal’s radar since last year and a strong performance at the World Cup would probably trigger a transfer – whether to the Gunners or another leading European club.

One of the squad’s most familiar names and its oldest, too, Zhirkov turns 35 in August but remains in good shape. Time has changed the former Chelsea man’s position: previously the veteran of the Euro 2008 side operated primarily in midfield but now he tends to feature at left-back for Zenit and Russia. He still has a good turn of pace and, of course, the experience gleaned from a long career whose achievements include a Premier League and FA Cup double in 2009-10, as well as a Uefa Cup with CSKA Moscow. Whenever Russia are knocked out, he will have more time to indulge in what, for a footballer, is a decidedly unusual hobby. Zhirkov enjoys collecting Second World War memorabilia and even has a Soviet limousine in his collection. In 2015 he announced plans to open a museum in an old German bunker in Kaliningrad, although it is yet to materialise. “There’s not enough room for everything I have accumulated in the bunker, anyway,” he admitted.

A passionate NBA fan, Samedov proved more apt with his feel and has played for four different Moscow clubs. His first Russian Premier League title arrived only last season, just before he turned 33, after he had returned to his first club Spartak. Samedov’s father is Azerbaijani, which meant he had the choice of two national teams at the start of his career. It appears he made the correct choice: the experienced right-winger is – if we count the Confederations Cup – going to his fourth major tournament in a row and should start against Saudi Arabia in the opening game. He could perhaps be deployed more effectively, though: Cherchesov uses him as a wing-back, but he is an entirely attacking player and the role does not particularly suit him. A keen traveller, he cites Thailand as his favourite country and has also said he is tempted to forge a career in business after his playing days are over.

Like most third-choice goalkeepers this summer, Gabulov is unlikely to see much action. He’s an experienced keeper with good reactions and, while he has never been an extravagant talent, he has always been consistent. His international debut came in September 2007 against Macedonia, and a month later he played in a 2-1 win over England that had a significant impact on both countries’ Euro 2008 qualifying campaigns. He was part of the squad that eventually reached the semi-finals, although he sat on the bench throughout while Akinfeev played. In January the 34-year-old’s career took an unexpected turn when, for the first time, he moved abroad – joining Club Brugge from the unheralded Russian Premier League club Arsenal Tula. A native of North Ossetia, Gabulov has a younger brother, Georgy, who is an attacking midfielder and won Under-21 caps while with Alania Vladikavkaz.

Erokhin is reviled among sections of the Zenit support, who haven’t been impressed since his arrival from Rostov last year. He was deployed as a defensive midfielder by Roberto Mancini but his statistics for tackles, interceptions and even passing were unfavourable. The reason is simple: while he has operated in very deep areas for Zenit, he played further forwards earlier in his career – scoring a goal every four games in his time at Ural, who he represented between 2013 and 2016. He hails from the Siberian city, Barnaul; during his childhood he lived near a militia (police) station and often played football against militiamen for money. He recalled: “If we won, we went to them and required to pay with us right now. If we lost, ran away.”

Undoubtedly the sharpest-tongued player in the Russia team. During Unai Emery’s short-lived spell in charge of Spartak Moscow, the striker called him “Trenerishka” – an insulting diminutive that loosely translates to English as “Coachkin” or “coachlet”. A tall forward who likes to score tap-ins and headers, Dzyuba had double loan spells at both Tom Tomsk and FC Rostov during his spell at Spartak and in 2015 moved to their arch-rivals Zenit – incurring the hatred of Spartak’s fans. He was expected to play at the Confederations Cup but, on the last day of the pre-tournament training, was suddenly sent home. An injury was the official reason but rumours swirled about a row with Stanislav Cherchesov. The day after Russia‘s elimination Dzyuba and team-mate Aleksandr Kokorin posted an Instagram video in which they put their hands under their noses, imitating a moustache not dissimilar to Cherchesov’s. Dzyuba wasn’t called up again for an entire year but, following a prolific loan spell at Arsenal Tula in which he scored an equaliser against his parent club after paying to allow himself to play, he is back in the reckoning.

Things have turned around considerably for Smolnikov, who considered retiring from the game at 22 because his career – which had brought underwhelming loans from Lokomotiv Moscow to Ural Ekaterinburg to Chita – was not progressing well. Now Smolnikov, who eventually joined Krasnodar before moving on to Zenit, is one of Russia’s best full-backs – although recently his place in the starting XIs of both club and country has become less secure, with Mario Fernandes the favourite to play at right-back if fit. He will patrol the right flank capably enough if selected but can be vulnerable to injuries.