And nine players from the Chinese Super League are competing in Russia, setting a new record for CSL players at the event.

Hebei Fortune's Javier Mascherano, who used to play for West Ham United, Liverpool and Barcelona, has made the Argentine squad. The 34-year-old helped Albiceleste at the 2014 edition where they were beaten by Germany in the final in Brazil. His spell in the Chinese Super League isn't not going so well, having not scored one goal in 10 appearances, and picking up 4 yellow cards. But he still kept his place in the World Cup qualifiers as a reliable midfielder.

Beijing Guoan midfielder Renato Augusto is the only one from the league being selected for Brazil's 23. The former Chelsea striker Oscar and his Shanghai SIPG teammate Hulk were both left out of the star-studded five-time World Cup winners. The 30-year-old has scored 2 goals in nine appearances this season but due to recent injury on his left knee, the former Leverkusen midfielder has been absent in warm-up friendlies against Croatia. Medical staff in the Brazilian national team have confirmed that he will be fit in time for the group stage.

Belgium, who were drawn in Group G with England, Panama and Tunisia, have two midfielders from the Chinese Super League. They are Axel Witsel from Tianjin Quanjian and former Monaco and Atletico Madrid man Yannick Carrasco. Witsel, after spells with Benfica and Zenit, joined the Tianjin side in 2017 while Carrasco has scored three goals in nine appearances since joining northeast China's Dalian Yifang last February.

European champions Portugal also have one representative from the Chinese league in Jose Fonte from Dalian Yifang. The 34-year-old signed for the Chinese club in February for a reported fee of five million pounds (seven million U.S. dollars) after playing in the English Premier League for ten years in Crystal Palace, Southampton and West Ham United.

The Chinese league also has two players for the Super Eagles, Nigeria. The 29-year-old striker Odion Ighalo, who moved from English Premier League side Watford to Changchun Yatai last year, joins Tianjin Teda ex-Chelsea midfielder and national team captain John Obi Mikel. As the skipper, Mikel, led the side to become the first African country to qualify for this year's tournament and even after suffered a six-month injury last season starred as an attacking midfielder with Teda this season, a position he could be could pick up in Russia.

Guangzhou R&F's new signing from May Dusko Tosic is in the Serbia 23 and Kim Younggwon, who won two Asian Champions League titles with Guangzhou Evergrande, will play his first World Cup with South Korea after leading his country to the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games.