Our prediction for this World Cup 2026 match:
Estonia and Belarus, the two former Soviet republics, face each other at A. Le Coq Arena in what is expected to be a close World Cup qualifier. Estonia have been struggling in Group E, with the team collecting only one point in total from possible 12, and, no doubt, they are desperate to return to winning ways. Midfielder Sander Puri has overcome his injury, but, as always, Henri Anier will be the man to watch in the home team.
Belarus were more than unfortunate not to grab something from the Wales game, with Gareth Bale scoring a late winner for the Dragons at Central Stadium. To make things even worse for the fans, the Belarusians were beaten by De Bruyne-less Belgium in their last qualifying match. Since the visitors are eager to put an end to their four-match losing run, we are tempted to put our money on both teams to score. Shakhtyor Soligorsk attacker Maksim Skavysh is widely expected to lead the line for the visitors.
Highlighted Player (Ragnar Klavan):
Ragnar Klavan is a defender who started his senior career at Elva. After playing for Tulevik an Flora between 2002 and 2005, the Estonian footballer joined Heracles Almelo on 4 August, 2005. Klavan made his debut for Heracles five days later and he scored his first goal for the club on 31 December, 2005, in a 2-2 draw with Vitesse.
In 2009 he was sent on loan to AZ Alkmaar and he signed a permanent deal with the Dutch outfit on 4 February, 2009. He played 12 games for AZ in the 2008/2009 season and it has to be noted that the Cheeseheads won the national championship that season. He played for AZ Alkmaar until 2 July, 2012 when he decided to move to Germany.
The Estonian defender signed a two-year deal with Augsburg and he made no less than 125 appearances for the German club between 2012 and 2016. Klavan impressed in the 2015/2016 Bundesliga campaign and, as a result, Liverpool chiefs decided to sign him on 20 July, 2016. He made his Estonia debut on 3 July, 2013 against fellow Baltic side Lithuania.
Highlighted Team (Belarus):
Belarus national football team have been competing on the international stage since 1992. The Belarusians played their first match against Lithuania on July 20, 1992, but the game was not FIFA-recognized. The White Wings faced Ukraine in their first official match, with the team sharing the spoils with the fellow former Soviet republic.
Belarus have yet to qualify for a major tournament and they have slim chances of booking their place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Belarusians recorded their biggest win on September 4, 2014, with the team rolling over Tajikistan 6-1 in Borisov and speaking of their biggest loss, they were hammered by Austria (0-5) on June 11, 2003.
Alexander Hleb is the most famous footballer who played for the Belarus national team and it is well known that he spent four seasons at Barcelona. Belarus play their home games at Borisov Arena and they wear white shirts and white shorts when welcoming their rivals. The colour of their away kits is black.