After eight years of non-participation, Serbia has managed to earn its place in a big tournament, and what makes this success even greater is knowing that, by qualifying for the World Cup in Russia, our team is once again among the 32 top teams in the world. Ivanović and his teammates treated the nation with excellent matches on their way to Russia, completed qualifications by winning against the Republic of Ireland, Wales and Austria, and the entire nation hopes to show, at the summit of the best national teams on the planet, that Serbia is in the company in which it deserves to be. At the World Cup in Russia, our national team, led by Mladen Krstajić, will be placed in the Group E along with Brazil, Switzerland and Costa Rica.
Our first game is scheduled for June 17 in Samara, where our rival will be Costa Rica. Five days later, in Kaliningrad, our Eagles are expecting a duel with Switzerland, and a real treat for the football planet will be an encounter between Serbia and Brazil, scheduled for June 27 in Moscow. Two first-placed teams will compete in the World Cup knockout phase. The first appearance of independent Serbia was at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where we made a historic victory against Germany, but due to a series of unfortunate circumstances and unexpected losses from Ghana and Australia, we were unable to pass the group stage. Back then and even now, our ambitions have always been great, thanks to our tradition and mentality. Our dream, of course, is to make a little wonder and repeat the success that Yugoslavia once achieved at the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930 when we won the third place, or 32 years later when Šekularac and his teammates took the fourth place in the world.
The World Cup in Russia will be, according to the host’s announcement, as well as FIFA’s, the best organized Cup ever. New stadiums, huge interest of fans around the globe, and the biggest names of world football guarantee an outright spectacle. Serbia wishes to show itself in the proper light with our players from strong European leagues, those who are hungry for success, and playing in jerseys with their favourite coat of arms. Therefore, we hope that, during the World Cup in Russia which will be held from June 14 to July 15, the entire nation will be one with its national football team. For Serbia in Russia!
Expert collaboration: Football Association of Serbia.
Artistic realization of the stamps: MA Jakša Vlahović, academic graphic artist.
