There's more hunger to win this year

The home advantage is of no doubt a big factor in motivating a country to go all the way. Russia's performance this year is similar to Brazil's run to the semi-final in 2014. How far they will go, only time will tell. Teams like Belgium, Sweden and Croatia pose a whole new dynamic in this years cup, having stunning performances across the board.

Surprise omissions have proven futile .

The omission of Leroy sane from the German National team was a surprise to many especially after the Winger's title winning season with English side Manchester City. Racking up 10 goals and 15 assists last season, could Sane have been a force to reckon with in Russia? Guess we'll never know.

On the other hand, Argentina also left out strikers: Mauro Icardi and Paulo Dybala (who had over 50 goals between them) from their squad and it proved futile after Argentina's elimination in the round of 16 to France. Thus when it comes to the starting 11, the coach's choices have proven consequential.

Squad depth

Having good players is one thing, having great players is another, but having fantastic players in each position at your disposal is a thing of dreams. France's 2018 World Cup squad is the best example of squad depth, its the reason they are unbeaten and it just might be the reason they go all the way. 19 year old Kylian Mbappe matched an almost 50 year record in which he was the first teenager, after the Great Pele, to score twice in a World Cup match. Surrounded by a star players like Kante, Pogba and Griezmann, Mbappe is guaranteed to flourish.

Late late goals

So far, there have been 5 goals scored in the final 10 minutes of 5 different games of this year's world cup.Most notable is Belgium's late winner against Japan and Colombia's dramatic equalizer against England. Such feats are historic considering so many late goals have never been scored in the World Cup. A tip for this year's cup, keep your eyes glued till the last minute because that last corner-kick could be the next goal.

The Midfield battle

A midfield consisting of Rakitic and Modric for Croatia's has ensured 4 wins out of 4, a 100% record unmatched by any other team in the World Cup this year. It's a run of unprecedented nature for the small nation and one of the most unpredictable stories of the world cup so far. Can Croatia go all the way? Well, Russia might have something to say about that.

The underdogs: Out with the old, in with the New

OUT with Messi and IN with Mbappe, the 19 yr old overshadowed Messi in France's 4-3 win over Argentina. While Portugal's defeat to Uruguay proved that the World Cup is not a place for one man teams. Of the 8 teams left in the Quarterfinals, only England, Uruguay, Brazil and France have won the World Cup before and out of those only France (1998) and Brazil (2002) have won it recently. So it speaks volumes when i say this year's world cup is as open as it gets, truly a festival for the underdogs.