FIFA Confederation Cup 2017: Squads, Fixtures and things to lookout for

Moscow: FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 is all set up to begin and Football lovers from across the world are getting restless to know everything about one of the biggest sporting events across the world. So, here we are with all the details about the razzmatazz tournament including the squads, fixtures and most interesting things to lookout for at the event.

It must be mentioned that FIFA Confederation Cup 2017 will be played in Russia from June 17 to July 2.

In Slides: Checkout the detailed report of the eight participants of the FIFA Confederation Cup 2017

Australia

Goalkeepers: Mathew Ryan (Genk), Mitchell Langerak (Stuttgart), Daniel Vukovic (Sydney FC)

Defenders: Milos Degenek (Yokohama F Marinos), Alex Gersbach (Rosenborg), Dylan McGowan (Pacos de Ferreira), Bailey Wright (Bristol City), Aziz Behich (Bursaspor), Ryan McGowan (Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng), Trent Sainsbury (Inter Milan)

Midfielders: Mark Milligan (Baniyas), Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield), Ajdin Hrustic (Groningen), Massimo Luongo (QPR), Jackson Irvine (Burton Albion), James Jeggo (Sturm Graz)

Forwards: Tim Cahill (Melbourne City), Mathew Leckie (FC Ingolstadt), Tomi Juric (Luzern), Robbie Kruse (Liaoning Whowin), Jamie McLaren (Brisbane Roar), James Troisi (Melbourne Victory), Tom Rogic (Celtic)

Cameroon

Goalkeepers: Joseph Ondoa (Sevilla), Georges Bokwe (Mjondalen), Andre Onana (Ajax)

Defenders: Ernest Mabouka (MSK Zilina), Adolphe Teikeu (Sochaux), Michael Ngadeu (Slavia Prague), Jerome Guihoata (Panionios), Collins Fai (Standard Liege), Lucien Owona (Alcorcon), Jonathan Ngwem (Sambizanga)

Midfielders: Andre Zambo Anguissa (Marseille), Georges Mandjeck (FC Metz), Sebastien Siani (Oostende), Arnaud Djoum (Hearts)

Forwards: Nicolas Ngamaleu (Rheindof), Benjamin Moukandjo (Lorient), Jacques Zoua (Kaiserslautern), Vincent Aboubakar (Besiktas), Olivier Boumal (Panathinaikos), Christian Bassogog (Henan Jianye), Robert Tambe Ndip (Spartak Trnava), Karl Toko (Angers)

Chile

Goalkeepers: Claudio Bravo (Manchester City), Christopher Toselli (Universidad Catolica), Johnny Herrera (Universidad de Chile)

Defenders: Eugenio Mena (Sport Recife), Enzo Roco (Cruz Azul), Mauricio Isla (Cagliari), Paulo Diaz (San Lorenzo), Jean Beausejour (Universidad de Chile), Gary Medel (Inter), Gonzalo Jara (Universidad de Chile)

Midfielders: Francisco Silva (Cruz Azul), Jose Fuenzalida (Universidad Catolica), Arturo Vidal (Bayern Munich), Pablo Hernandez (Celta Vigo), Felipe Gutierrez (Internacional), Charles Aranguiz (Bayer Leverkusen), Marcelo Diaz (Celta Vigo)

Forwards: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal), Angelo Sagal (Huachipato), Eduardo Vargas (Tigres UANL), Martin Rodriguez (Cruz Azul), Leonardo Valencia (Palestino), Edson Punch (Necaxa)

Germany

Goalkeepers: Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen), Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (PSG)

Defenders: Matthias Ginter (Borussia Dortmund), Jonas Hector (Cologne), Benjamin Henrichs (Bayer Leverkusen), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal), Marvin Plattenhardt (Hertha Berlin), Antonio Rudiger (Roma), Niklas Sule (Hoffenheim)

Midfielders: Julian Draxler (PSG), Leon Goretzka (Schalke), Kerem Demirbay (Hoffenheim), Lars Stindl (Borussia Monchengladbach), Emre Can (Liverpool), Amin Younes (Ajax), Leroy Sane (Manchester City), Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Sebastian Rudy (Hoffenheim)

Forwards: Sandro Wagner (Hoffenheim), Timo Werner (Leipzig)

Mexico

Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa (Granada), Alfredo Talavera (Deportivo Toluca), Rodolfo Cota (Chivas Guadalajara)

Defenders: Diego Reyes (Espanyol), Nestor Araujo (Santos Laguna), Carlos Salcedo (Fiorentina), Rafael Marquez (Atlas), Hector Moreno (PSV Eindhoven), Luis Reyes (Atlas)

Midfielders: Andres Guardado (PSV Eindhoven), Jonathan dos Santos (Villarreal), Hector Herrera (Porto), Oswaldo Alanis (Chivas Guadalajara), Miguel Layun (Porto), Giovani dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad), Javier Aquino (Tigres)

Forwards: Marco Fabian (Eintracht Frankfurt), Javier Hernandez (Bayer Leverkusen), Raul Jimenez (Benfica), Hirving Lozano (Pachuca), Oribe Peralta (Club America)

New Zealand

Goalkeepers: Stefan Marinovic (Unterhaching), Tamati Williams (Waalwijk), Glen Moss (Newcastle Jets)

Defenders: Andrew Durante (Wellington Phoenix), Thomas Doyle (Wellington Phoenix), Storm Roux (Central Coast Mariners), Michael Boxall (SuperSport United), Kip Colvey (San Jose Earthquakes), Themi Tzimopoulos (Giannina), Deklan Wynne (Vancouver Whitecaps), Sam Brotherton (Sunderland), Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town), Dane Ingham (Brisbane Roar)

Midfielders: Bill Tuiloma (Marseille), Clayton Lewis (Auckland City), Michael McGlinchey (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle)

Forwards: Chris Wood (Leeds United), Monty Patterson (Ipswich Town), Shane Smeltz (Borneo), Kosta Barbarouses (Wellington Phoenix), Marco Rojas (Melbourne Victory), Alex Rufer (Wellington Phoenix)

Portugal

Goalkeepers: Rui Patricio (Sporting), Beto (Sporting), Jose Sa (Porto)

Defenders: Nelson Semedo (Benfica), Cedric Soares (Southampton), Pepe (Real Madrid), Bruno Alves (Cagliari), Luis Neto (Zenit), Jose Fonte (Southampton), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), Eliseu (Benfica)

Midfielders: William Carvalho (Sporting), Danilo (Porto), Joao Moutinho (Monaco), Pizzi (Benfica), Andre Gomes (Barcelona), Adrien Silva (Sporting), Bernardo Silva (Monaco)

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas), Gelson Martins (Sporting), Andre Silva (Porto), Nani (Valencia)

Russia

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Gabulov (Arsenal Tula), Guilherme (Lokomotiv Moscow)

Defenders: Georgy Dzhikiya (Spartak Moscow), Fyodor Kudryashov (FC Rostov), Ilya Kutepov (Spartak Moscow), Roman Shishkin (FC Krasnodar), Igor Smolnikov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Viktor Vasin (CSKA Moscow), Dmitry Kombarov (Spartak Moscow)

Midfielders: Yuri Gazinsky (FC Krasnodar), Denis Glushakov (Spartak Moscow), Alexander Golovin (CSKA Moscow), Alexei Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Alexander Samedov (Spartak Moscow), Dmitry Tarasov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Alexander Yerokhin (FC Rostov), Yuri Zhirkov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Ruslan Kambolov (Rubin Kazan)

Forwards: Alexander Bukharov (FC Rostov), Maxim Kannunikov (Rubin Kazan), Dmitry Poloz (FC Rostov), Fyodor Smolov (FC Krasnodar).

In next slide: Here is the complete fixture of the FIFA Confederation Cup 2017

Saturday, June 17

Group A: Russia vs New Zealand, Saint Petersburg, 1500 hrs

Sunday, June 18

Group B: Portugal vs Mexico, Kazan, 1500 hrs

Cameroon vs Chile, Moscow, 1800 hrs

Monday, June 19

Group B: Germany vs Australia, Sochi, 1500 hrs

Wednesday, June 21

Group A: Russia vs Portugal, Moscow, 1500 hrs

Mexico vs New Zealand, Sochi, 1800 hrs

Thursday, June 22

Group B: Cameroon vs Australia, Saint Petersburg, 1500 hrs

Germany vs Chile, Kazan, 1800 hrs

Saturday, June 24

Group A: Mexico vs Russia, Kazan, 1500 hrs

New Zealand vs Portugal, Saint Petersburg, 1500 hrs

Sunday, June 25

Group B: Germany vs Cameroon, Sochi, 1500 hrs

Chile vs Australia, Moscow, 1500 hrs

Tuesday, June 28

Semi-final, Kazan, 1800 hrs

Wednesday, June 29

Semi-final, Sochi, 1800 hrs

Sunday, July 2

Third-place play-off, Moscow, 1200 hrs

Final, Saint Petersburg, 1800 hrs

In Next Slide: Some of the most interesting things to lookout for at the FIFA Confederation Cup 2017

There is still a year to go until a ball is kicked at the 2018 football World Cup in Russia, but the competition's official warm-up event is already upon us.

Over the next 17 days, the holders of FIFA's six continental championships, plus the World Cup holders and the host nation, will compete in international football's tournament of champions, reports Xinhua news agency.

Since its inception in 1997, the Confederations Cup has been won four times by Brazil, twice by France and once by Mexico.

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Despite its status as a World Cup dress rehearsal, no previous Confederations Cup holders have gone on to win the World Cup the following year.

The five things to look out for during the June 17-July 2 event, which will be played in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan and Sochi are mentioned below.

Motivated Ronaldo: Few players will be as motivated to perform well in this tournament as Portugal's veteran talisman Cristiano Ronaldo.

A year after guiding Portugal to victory in the UEFA European Championship, the Real Madrid star will know that another title here will put him on course for a second consecutive Best FIFA men's player of the year award.

That would leave him level with his great rival Lionel Messi with five FIFA player of the year accolades (called the FIFA Ballon d'Or from from 2010 to 2015).

The former Manchester United forward has reinvented himself in recent seasons: his once trademark speed and athleticism being replaced by savvy positioning and clinical finishing.

Despite being just seven months shy of his 33rd birthday, Ronaldo is not far off the best form of his career.

Last month he led Real Madrid to their third UEFA Champions League title in four years, capping off a season in which he scored 42 goals in 46 matches across all competitions for the Spanish giants.

Improved Russia: The tournament's host nation looked to be in freefall late last year when they suffered friendly defeats to Costa Rica and Qatar. Just months earlier they were bundled out of Euro 2016 in the group stage without winning a match.

But a silver lining has appeared on the horizon with a 3-0 victory over Hungary and a 1-1 draw with Copa America champions Chile earlier this month.

Stanislav Cherchesov's team will be without striker Artem Dzyuba, playmaker Alan Dzagoev and midfielder Roman Zobnin here due to injury.

But in emerging talents such as midfield pair Aleksandr Golovin and Aleksei Miranchuk, who are both 21, Cherchesov has good reason to believe his team can cover those losses.

Russia will be further boosted by the country's fervent fans, who are likely to make their match venues a cauldron of noise for opposing teams.

Down-under spirit: While the declaration by Australia coach Ange Postecoglou that he is aiming to "win the tournament, mate" might seem overzealous, they should not be taken lightly.

Australia are unbeaten in their past eight World Cup qualifiers and showed by winning the Asian Cup final in 2015 that they can perform on the biggest of stages.

Their squad includes talented Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic, Hertha Berlin forward Mathew Leckie and Manchester City's Aaron Mooy, who helped Huddersfield Town earn promotion to the Premier League during a loan spell last season.

Thirty-seven years old former Everton attacking midfielder Tim Cahill is also a part of the Socceroos squad and will be keen to preserve his fine record in major tournaments.

Likewise, Australia's trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand should not be discounted as easy beats. The Oceania champions drew 1-1 with the United States in Washington last October, and their squad includes players of the ilk of West Ham defender Winston Reid and Leeds United striker Chris Wood.

Draxler on the rise: Having chosen an under-strength squad, Germany coach Joachim Low is using the tournament as a litmus test for several players ahead of the World Cup.

Among those who will be watched closely is Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) winger Julian Draxler, who has been named Germany's captain for the tournament.

A bit-part player for Germany at the 2014 World Cup, Draxler has become a regular in Low's starting line-up and he can confirm his name in the coach's World Cup plans if he lives up to expectations here.

Other players that Low will be observing closely include Timo Werner, Emre Can, Joshua Kimmich and Shkodran Mustafi.

Hot Chile: Chile will be aiming for their third major tournament trophy in as many years, having won the Copa America in 2015 and 2016.

Juan Antonio Pizzi's team boasts what is arguably the tournament's most impressive squad on paper. Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez will again lead his team's attack while Bayern Munich's Arturo Vidal will pull the team's strings in midfield alongside Pablo Hernandez (Celta Vigo) and Charles Aranguiz (Bayer Leverkusen). In goal will be Manchester City's Claudio Bravo.

After a slow start to their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, Chile have climbed to the fourth spot in the South American zone standings, within the automatic qualification places.

With IANS Inputs