City's World Cup Years: 2018 | OneFootball

The 2018 World Cup was a busy one for Manchester City players.

Held between 14 June and 15 July in Russia, the Blues were well represented at the tournament which featured 32 nations and would eventually be won by France who saw off Croatia in the final, while Belgium beat England to finish third.

Here’s how our players fared…

Brazil

Ederson was part of the Brazil squad but the then 24-year-old didn’t play a single minute.

Defender Danilo did feature, but only in one game while Fernandinho and Gabriel Jesus would play five matches apiece, though none of our Brazilians would find the net – at least at the right end!

Fernandinho’s own goal in the quarter-final and another from club team-mate Kevin De Bruyne saw the Red Devils triumph 2-1 and eliminate the Seleção.

Argentina

There was more South American disappointment for Argentina who dipped out at the Round of 16 stage.

Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Otamendi were our only representatives and Aguero’s two goals would bookend La Albiceleste’s tournament as he scored the opener in the first group game against Iceland (ending 1-1) and his nation’s last goal in a 4-3 loss to France in the knockout round.

Otamendi featured in all four games of a campaign that also meant Lionel Messi was still without a World Cup triumph to add to his glittering trophy cabinet.

Belgium

City duo Kevin De Bruyne and Vincent Kompany both played in Belgium’s excellent run to the third place play-off stage.

De Bruyne played two of the three Red Devils’ group matches, while Kompany, not fully fit, would only play 16 minutes of the Belgium’s first three matches coming on in the latter stages of a 2-1 win over England.

Both City stars played the full 90 minutes of a 3-2 Round of 16 win over Japan, and again in 2-1 quarter-final win over Brazil where De Bruyne scored his only goal of the 2018 World Cup.

However, Belgium were eliminated by France in the semi-finals, with the 2-0 win over England some consolation in the Third Place Play-off – again the City duo playing the full 90 minutes against France and England.

England

In what was one England’s best performances at a World Cup for many years, Gareth Southgate’s team would go all the way to the semi-finals – and lead 1-0 at the mid-point of the second half - before eventually losing 2-1 to Croatia.

Our Three Lions quartet would see John Stones, Kyle Walker and Raheem Sterling play all seven games, with Fabian Delph playing three times.

The City highlight?

Two Stones goals in the second group game as England beat Panama 6-1!

Spain

There was to be no second World Cup winner’s medal for our brilliant playmaker David Silva at the 2018 tournament.

Silva, part of La Roja’s triumphant 2010 World Cup squad did his best in the four games Spain played, but though they wouldn’t lose a match in normal time, their one win and three draws – the last one being a penalty shoot-out loss to hosts Russia – saw them knocked out by the latter at the Round of 16 stage.

Portugal

Bernardo Silva followed a similar path to David Silva’s Spain, who had shared Portugal’s qualification group.

Bernardo started the 3-3 draw with Spain, and the 1-0 win over Morocco, but was substituted in the second-half of each game.

The diminutive attacking midfielder started on the bench in the 1-1 draw with Iran, replacing Ricardo Quaresma on 70 minutes.

However, Portugal’s progress – and Bernardo’s, - was ended in the Round of 16 by a 2-1 loss to Uruguay with our future skipper playing the full game.

Germany

They old saying ‘never write off Germany’ didn’t apply to the 2018 World Cup as the defending champions were knocked out at the group stage.

Our only representative was Ilkay Gundogan, who was used sparingly by Joachim Löw.

Gundogan didn’t feature in the opening group game loss to Mexico but came on as a sub on 31 minutes of Die Mannschaft’s 2-1 win over Sweden.

Gundo was absent from the final group match against South Korea where two added time goals saw Germany beaten 2-0 to complete one of their worst ever World Cup campaigns as they finished bottom of the four-team table.