10 Lowest-Ranked Teams At The 2018 World Cup
3. Japan (61)
Japan are making their sixth successive appearance at a World Cup, with their best performances being round of 16 appearances at the 2002 and 2010 editions of the tournament. The team enjoyed a great qualifying campaign but has struggled in recent friendlies and will be hoping for a change in fortunes when the group games get underway.
Key players include midfield icon Keisuke Honda (pictured), who has scored 36 goals in 95 appearances, as well as Frankfurt's Makoto Hasebe, Leicester's Shinji Okazaki, and Dortmund's Shinji Kagawa. Solid defenders like Maya Yoshida and Hiroki Sakai offer strength at the back and goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima has proven to be a reliable shot stopper over the years.
Japan were lucky enough to be drawn in a group without any of the big sides like Germany, France, or Brazil, but will still have to be at their best to qualify ahead of Colombia, Poland, and Senegal. There's plenty of talent all around the pitch for the Japanese, and even though they'll be the lowest-ranked team in their group, they still have a chance of getting out of it.