The 2018 World Cup gets underway in Russia on June 14 with Germany defending the crown they won in Brazil four years ago, and with the Brazilians, Spain and France the other leading tournament favourites.

The competition, which runs until the final in Moscow on July 15, could also be the last chance for Lionel Messi to win a World Cup with Argentina and for Cristiano Ronaldo to add the title to his collection with European champions Portugal.

This week, AFP Sport is moving a comprehensive package of factboxes, profiles and interviews looking at each of the eight groups one by one.

On Monday we moved the first part, on Groups A and B. We are about to move the second part, focusing on Groups C and D, and featuring:

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GUADELOUPE

When slightly-built Thomas Lemar tried out for a place on one of the teams at his club Solidarite Scolaire, coach Christian Zeby remembers that he “thought it was a joke”.

600 words by Amandine Ascensio. File picture.

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LIMA

From the peaks of the Andes to the jungles of the Amazon, Peru is alive with anticipation for the World Cup, despite the absence of star player Paolo Guerrero.

550 words by Carlos Mandujano. File picture

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LONDON

Johann Berg Gudmundsson insists Iceland’s daunting World Cup group holds no fears for his giant-killing country as they aim to make a dream debut in the tournament.

550 words by Steven Griffiths

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SAN POLO DI TORRILE, Italy

Iceland will bring a little bit of missing team Italy to the World Cup in Russia as they compete in their first finals wearing a kit supplied by Italian sportswear firm Errea.

600 words by Stanislas Touchot. Picture

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MODRICI, Croatia

The burned-out shell of a remote cottage bears testimony to the trauma that Luka Modric lived through long before he became a Croatian national hero and Real Madrid star.

600 words by Lajla Veselica. Video. Picture

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Twenty years ago Enrique Dominguez was coaching 10-year-olds at Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina when he saw Lionel Messi for the first time. He remembers it still: “He was a gift of life!”

550 words by Liliana Samuel. Picture. Video

We will also move

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