Perú returns to a World Cup after 36 years, and if they were able to put up a fight against Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia, they surely can scare their opponents in Group C.
Their road to Russia wasn't easy, as they needed to battle New Zealand for a spot in the global competition. Eventually, they defeated the All Whites to book their tickets.
France, Australia and Denmark will be their rivals in the competition. Let's see what tools they possess to try and make it to the KO stage.
Coach's objective
Coach Ricardo Gareca has slowly silenced naysayers in Peru, as he led Los Incas to a third-place finish in the 2015 Copa América, just months after being handed the coaching spot. Their performance in the Copa América Centenario also gathered praise, and making the Round of 16 would be the best way to earn even more credibility.
New faces
Wilder Cartagena, currently playing for Liga MX's Veracruz, is the player with the least experience in Peru's squad with two games under his belt. Nilson Loyola, from FCB Melgar in Perú, is also one of their youngest footballers to make the cut
Veterans
Jefferson Farfán will be the voice of experience for Perú both on and off the pitch. The 33-year old striker will be the team's attacking reference, and will help his team-mates to settle in this country, since he plays for Lokomotiv Moscow.
Major absences
Following Paolo Guerrero's pardon, Perú's main absence will be that of Cristian Benavente. The 24-year-old midfielder was included in their previous call up, but he wasn't able to make the cut for the 2018 World Cup squad.
Full squad list
Goalkeepers: Carlos Cáceda, Pedro Gallese, José Carvallo.
Defenders: Luis Advíncula, Aldo Corzo, Miguel Trauco, Christian Ramos, Alberto Rodríguez, Miguel Araujo, Nilson Loyola, Anderson Santamaría.
Midfielders: Edison Flores, Paolo Hurtado, Renato Tapia, Yoshimar Yotún, Pedro Aquino, Christian Cueva, Wilder Cartagena.
Strikers: Paolo Guerrero, André Carrillo, Jefferson Farfán, Raúl Ruidiaz, Andy Polo.
