(CNN) This may be the one soccer major tournament where losing has an upside.
Since its start in 1992, no Confederations Cup winner has gone on to win the following year's World Cup.
The tournament pits the winners of each of world governing body FIFA's six continental tournaments against the previous World Cup Finals winners, and future hosts -- in this case Russia -- a year before its showcase tournament.
This year's cup boasts two of the biggest stars on the planet in Cristiano Ronaldo and Alexis Sanchez, but will also field 94th ranked New Zealand, who could struggle just to keep their matches competitive.
Russia has been grouped with European champion Portugal, New Zealand and Mexico, while World Cup titleholder Germany heads the other group featuring Chile, Cameroon and Australia.
The tournament will showcase four of the 12 stadiums built or refurbished for next year's World Cup, and will take place in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan and Sochi.
Over time, the tournament has been a chance for host countries to work through teething problems ahead of the World Cup. Based on violence displayed by some Russian fans, who clashed with England supporters, at the Euro 2016 tournament in France, quelling any repeat will be a top priority for Russian organizers.
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"Guaranteed safety"
Another priority will be ensuring that Russian spectators refrain from making racist gestures that have emerged during club matches over the past decade.
Retired footballer Alexei Smertin, who was appointed Russian football's anti-racism chief last year, says he "can guarantee" safety for World Cup 2018 attendees.
"(There) won't be an incident," he told CNN's World Sport show. "We are taking it seriously. I can guarantee that the World Cup will be in the best level you've ever seen."
Guarantees aside, the former Chelsea and Bordeaux midfielder will have his work cut out for him.
Newly published figures from football watchdog FARE Network cite an average of 90 incidents of "racist and far-right displays in Russian football" in each of the past five seasons.
Last month, a parade in Sochi, billed as "celebration of the different continents, and a testimony of Russia's open attitude toward traditions from around the globe" included men wearing blackface and carrying bananas.
"Unfortunately they did it," Smertin acknowledges. "My role is to educate because some people don't know that their acts hurt people ... and they need to know."
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Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Designed by late Japanese architect Kisho Kurosawa to look like a spaceship, the brand new St. Petersburg Stadium was built on Krestovsky Island where the 110,000-capacity Kirov Stadium used to stand.
Opened in April 2017, the stadium is equipped with a retractable roof and sliding pitch. Inside, the temperature can be regulated to a mild 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 C) all year round.
St. Petersburg Stadium World Cup schedule: Group stage, last 16, semifinal, third-place playoff
Legacy: The 67,000-seater will regain its former name -- Krestovsky Stadium -- and be home to 2007-08 UEFA Cup winners Zenit St. Petersburg.
Located 1,000 miles east of Moscow on the site of the old Central Stadium -- once a prominent speed skating venue -- the Ekaterinburg Stadium has retained its original Soviet neo-Classical pillars while adding modern refurbishments and temporary stands.
The additional seats, constructed outside of the original stadium, loom dramatically at either end of the pitch in order to fulfill FIFA's minimum World Cup capacity of 35,000. Recent inspection reports have shown the temporary stands "fully comply with all safety and security requirements," according to a FIFA spokesperson.
Ekaterinburg Stadium World Cup schedule: Group stage
Legacy: FC Ural, one of Russia's oldest clubs newly promoted to the country's top tier, will continue to use the stadium for its home games. After the World Cup, the capacity will be reduced and it will once again be known as Central Stadium.
The Fisht Stadium held the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics and is already well-equipped for the demands of a major international football tournament.
Named after Mount Fisht, a peak in the nearby Caucasus mountain range, the arena's roof was designed to resemble a snow-capped summit.
Fisht Stadium World Cup schedule: Group stage, last 16, quarterfinals
Legacy: The 47,700-capacity venue will stage training camps and competitive matches for the Russian national team.
It was home to the 1980 Summer Olympics, 2008 Champions League final, 2013 Athletics World Championships and no shortage of musical tours, from Michael Jackson to the Rolling Stones...
Now the Luzhniki Stadium has been refurbished -- with the athletics track removed and two extra tiers added -- while preserving its historical facade.
Luzhniki Stadium World Cup schedule: Group stage, last 16, semifinal, final
Legacy: The 81,006-seater will retain its status as the country's leading football stadium, hosting competitive international matches and friendlies.
Built in the heart of Kaliningrad on Oktyabrsky Island -- a section of land sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania left largely untouched until its selection as a World Cup venue -- the Kaliningrad stadium is loosely based on the design of Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena.
Kaliningrad Stadium World Cup schedule: Group stage
Legacy: The 35,000-seater stadium will have its capacity reduced by 10,000 and be home to second-tier side FC Baltika Kaliningrad. A new residential development will be built around it featuring parks, quays and embankments alongside the Pregola river.
Located about 20 miles from the Sea of Azov in south eastern Russia, the brand new Rostov Arena is 51m tall -- as high as the Niagra Falls.
Rostov Arena World Cup schedule: Group stage, last 16
Legacy: As one of the first major projects built on the southern bank of the Don River, architects hope the 45,000-seater stadium will attract a flow of people and investment from the north. It will also host Russian Premier League side FC Rostov's home fixtures.
Built at the foot of the towering Mamayev Kurgan World War II memorial "The Motherland Calls" (pictured), the Volgograd Stadium will replace the demolished Central Stadium and feature an open lattice exterior structure.
Volgograd Arena World Cup schedule: Group stage
Legacy: The 45,000-seater will become the home ground of second-tier side FC Rotor Vologograd.
Built to host Spartak Moscow -- the "people's team" which has made do without its own venue for almost a century -- the 43,298-seater Spartak Stadium will go on proving its worth long after the World Cup. The arena's facade features hundreds of red and white diamonds representing Spartak's logo, which change color when the Russian national side plays there.
Spartak Stadium World Cup schedule: Last 16
Legacy: As well as hosting Spartak Moscow and the national side, the stadium will provide the center piece for a new residential development.
Situated at the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers, the new Nizhny Novgorod Stadium is designed to resemble the shimmering waters that surround it. The 45,331-capacity arena sits close to the Alexander Nevsky cathedral, and with views across to the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.
Nizhny Novgorod Stadium World Cup schedule: Group stage, last 16, quarterfinals
Legacy: The stadium was intended to become the permanent home of Russian club FC Volga, replacing the Lokomotiv Stadium after the tournament. However, Volga dissolved because of financial troubles in June 2016. Instead, second tier Olympiets Nizhny Novgorod will call the new build home.
Constructed in a southeastern region renowned for its aerospace sector, the 44,807-seater Samara Arena is designed to resemble an otherworldly glass dome. By night, the whole structure will light up.
Samara Arena World Cup schedule: Group stage, last 16, quarterfinals
Legacy: The 44,918-capacity stadium will be known as Cosmos Arena, hosting Russian second-tier side FC Krylia Sovetov Samara.
Featuring a striking orange, red and white exterior, construction on the 44,442-seater Mordovia Arena began in 2010. Initially hoped to be completed two years later for the 1,000th anniversary of the Mordovian people's unification with Russia's other ethnic groups, it was eventually finished in April 2018.
Mordovia Arena World Cup schedule: Group stage
Legacy: With a population of just 300,000, Saransk is the smallest of the 2018 World Cup host cities. After the tournament, some of the stadium's temporary structures will be demolished, reducing the capacity to 25,000. It will become the home of third-tier side FC Mordovia.
Designed by the same firm of architects as Wembley and Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, Kazan Arena was constructed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. Viewed from above, it is said to resemble a water-lily on the banks of the adjacent Kazanka river. The front of the stadium is dominated by a high definition screen with a total area of 3,700 meters -- the largest of its kind in the world.
Kazan Arena World Cup schedule: Group stage, last 16, quarterfinals
Legacy: Opened in 2013, it will continue to be home to Rubin Kazan, Russian Premier League champions in 2008 and 2009.
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Tournament guide
Here's an inside look at the eight teams, and how they rank before the opening match between Russia and New Zealand on Saturday.
Russia (FIFA rank: 63)
Qualification: Automatic berth as host nation
Coach: Stanislav Cherchesov (Russia)
Key players: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Denis Glushakov (Spartak Moscow), Fyodor Smolov (FC Krasnodar)
Analysis: Russia made an underwhelming impact at last year's Euros, failing to win a match while sustaining a 3-0 loss to Wales. The side, led by captain and goalkeeper Akinfeev, is composed entirely of players from the Russian Premier League. Smolov can score goals, netting 25 times in 31 appearances for Krasnodar last season.
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Germany (FIFA rank: 3)
Qualification: Winner of 2014 World Cup
Coach: Joachim Löw (Germany)
Key players: Julian Draxler (Paris Saint-Germain), Antonio Rudiger (Roma), Jonas Hector (FC Köln)
Analysis: Even without stars Toni Kroos, Thomas Müller, Mesut Özil, Leroy Sané and Manuel Neuer -- all rested or recovering from injury -- Germany has enough firepower to take the tournament. Giving youngsters like Bayer Leverkusen striker Julian Brandt match experience ahead of next year's World Cup Finals will be Löw's top priority, however.
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Chile (FIFA rank: 4)
Qualification: Won 2015 and 2016 Copa America tournaments
Coach: Juan Antonio Pizzi (Argentina)
Key players: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal), Arturo Vidal (Bayern Munich), Claudio Bravo (Manchester City)
Analysis: It would be foolish to bet against the Chileans in Russia. Coming off major tournament wins over the last two summers, and fielding the second-best talent of the tournament in Sanchez, "La Roja" will be eager to prove that the country's success extends beyond the Americas.
Portugal (FIFA rank: 8)
Qualification: Winner of Euro 2016
Coach: Fernando Santos (Portugal)
Key players: Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Pepe (Real Madrid), Nani (Valencia)
Analysis: Remarkably, Ronaldo did not ask for a rest. Coming off perhaps the most complete year in football history, scoring 42 goals in 46 appearances with Real Madrid, while sweeping La Liga, Champions League and Euro 2016 honors, it would have been understandable if the 32-year-old sat out to recuperate before another big campaign. Instead, Portugal will be without the services of Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches -- Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 2016 -- and striker Eder, both dropped by Santos.
Brazilian Hulk was the most expensive signing in Russian Premier League history.
The former Zenit Saint Petersburg striker said he faced racism in "almost every game" in Russia.
Mexico (FIFA rank: 17)
Qualification: Won 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, then beat 2013 winners USA in a one-match qualifier
Coach: Juan Carlos Osorio (Colombia)
Key players: Andrés Guardado (PSV), Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad), Javier Hernández (Bayern Leverkusen)
Analysis: "El Tri" are in excellent form, with nine wins and three draws in their last 12 World Cup qualifiers, while compiling an astounding 22-3 goals ratio.
Mexico, who won the 1999 Confederations Cup, and took home gold in the 2012 Olympics, are no slouches on the big stage. A match against Portugal on the tournament's second day will test Osorio's game strategy early on.
Cameroon (FIFA rank: 32)
Qualification: Won 2017 Africa Cup of Nations
Coach: Hugo Broos (Belgium)
Key players: Benjamin Moukandjo (Lorient), Vincent Aboubakar (Besiktas), Christian Bassogog (Henan Jianye FC)
Analysis: Liverpool's Joel Matip is again a notable absentee from the Indomitable Lions squad -- though the team did not miss him on the way to winning the AFCON in Gabon last January.
Aboubakar -- who notched the winner in the final against Egypt -- leads a team brimming with international experience. Twenty-one-year-old Bassogog, who plies his trade in China, took home player of the tournament honors at the Africa Cup.
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Australia (FIFA rank: 48)
Qualification: Won 2015 Asia Cup
Coach: Ange Postecoglou (Australia)
Key players: Tim Cahill (Melbourne City), Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa), Mathew Ryan (Valencia)
Analysis: Thirty-seven-year-old wonder Cahill leads a squad bereft of top-level European experience. Teammates like goalkeeper Mathew Ryan will need to step up if the Socceroos are to advance past the group stage.
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Qatar 2022
The Khalifa International Stadium was the first of the Qatar 2022 World Cup venues to be completed.
The stadium, pictured here during the official opening ceremony on May 19, can currently hold 48,000 fans after being expanded for the World Cup.
Initially opened in 1976, the stadium has undergone two reconstructions, first in 2005 and then in 2017.
The Al Wakrah stadium, designed by the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, will boast a capacity of 40,000.
It is said to be inspired by the sails of a Dhow, an Arab or Indian sailing vessel. Once the World Cup in over, local team Al-Wakrah Sports Club will use it as their new home.
New Zealand (FIFA rank: 95)
Qualification: Won 2016 OFC Nations Cup
Coach: Anthony Hudson (England)
Key players: Stefan Marinovic (Unterhaching), Kosta Barbarouses (free agent), Chris Wood (Leeds)
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Analysis: Leaving this tournament with one win from its three group stage matches would be a result for young coach Hudson, whose brief prior experience features a stint coaching Bahrain.
The Kiwis open the tournament against hosts Russia. Striker Wood -- who is averaging a goal in every two appearances at Leeds -- must be in top form for New Zealand to have a chance at an upset.