Fyodor Smolov
Club: Krasnodar
Age: 28
Position: forward
Smolov scored 14 goals in the Russian championship this year: only Dutch striker Quincy Promes scored more.
Smolov has made no secret of wanting to play for a major European club, and sports pundits have predicted a transfer to the English Premier League. But so far Smolov has remained in Russia.
The World Cup will be a chance for him to show off his skills at an international level.
Alexander Golovin
Club: CSKA, Moscow
Age: 22
Position: attacking midfielder
It’s no exaggeration to say that Golovin is the best young footballer playing in Russia today.
He is incredibly fast, he’s an expert dribbler and he has the perseverance which his team-mates sometimes lack.
All he needs now is to demonstrate these qualities during a big tournament, something he failed to do at Euro 2016.
Alexei Miranchuk
Club: Lokomotiv, Moscow
Age: 22
Position: attacking midfielder
Alexei Miranchuk has long been called a ‘rising star’ of Russian football. But under Lokomotiv coach Yury Semin, he has really come into his own.
Alexei has become an indispensable attacker due to his exceptional vision of the game and his ability to make quick decisions.
Winning the Russian championship with Lokomotiv was well deserved.
Daler Kuzyayev
Club: Zenit, St Petersburg
Age: 25
Position: midfielder
Few people believed that after moving to Zenit last season Kuzyayev would make regular appearances on the pitch.
But he excelled, became a permanent fixture in their line-up and was selected to play for the national team.
Kuzyayev is good at winning the ball, he has a powerful, long-range strike and he is able to play in several positions.
Roman Zobnin
Club: Spartak, Moscow
Age: 24
Position: midfielder
Two years ago, Zobnin left Dynamo for Spartak and immediately became a firm fixture with the ‘red and whites’.
A year later, during a friendly match for the national team, he received a serious injury and spent almost the entire season in treatment and recovery.
Now the success of Zobnin depends on whether he can regain his form.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup will take place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018.
Author: Seva Boiko
Producer: Olesya Volkova
Editors: Aleksandra Zaytseva, Oleg Mikhaylov
Photo Copyright: AFP/Getty Images