The Peruvian players heading to Russia weren’t alive when the team last appeared at the World Cup.

The 36-year wait is over.

Argentine coach Ricardo Gareca has restored the elegant ball possession and short passing style that carried Peru to the quarterfinals of the 1970 edition.

While lacking stars, Peru will be hoping its ability to adapt to different conditions serves it well across Russia. The players have already shown through qualifying that they can handle everything from the altitude of the Andean mountains to the heat of the Amazon.

Peru will be boosted by the presence of their all-time top goal-scorer Paolo Guerrero in Russia after his 14-month drug ban was lifted this week.

The striker was a hugely influential figure as La Blanquirroja qualified for their first World Cup in 36 years and is one of several players with good potential.

On paper, this is the greatest Peruvian side to ever travel to a World Cup. Their 2-0 friendly win over Scotland on Tuesday stretched their current unbeaten run to 13 matches, which is now the longest in the country’s history. Accordingly, there is a real sense of optimism that manager Ricardo Gareca can guide Peru out of Group C.

However, their 2018 qualification campaign endured the most inauspicious of starts. In their first seven matches they picked up just four points, ending that run with a 2-0 defeat in Bolivia. Luck turned for Gareca’s side when it was revealed their opponents in that match had fielded an ineligible player and Peru were awarded a 3-0 victory. In the end, were it not for that turnaround, Peru would not have qualified and Chile would have likely taken their place in Group C.

Here’s a closer look at the Peru team, which secured its place at the World Cup through the playoffs against New Zealand:

COACH

Gareca was responsible for denying Peru a place at the 1986 World Cup, scoring the goal that ended its qualification hopes while playing for Argentina.

He went on to gain two decades of coaching experience in the South American club game, including spells at Brazil’s Palmeiras, Argentina’s Velez Sarsfield, and Colombia’s America de Cali, and has led Peru since 2015.

GOALKEEPERS

Pedro Gallese, of Mexico’s Veracruz, expects to have Peru’s No. 1 jersey by recovering from the right knee injury he sustained in February.

DEFENDERS

Peru will be relying on two players who rarely feature for their clubs: Central defender Alberto Rodriguez and left back Miguel Trauco.

At age 34, Rodriguez returned to training at Colombia’s Junior Barranquilla only in the middle of April after an injury to his right leg. Trauco played only three matches this year for Flamengo in Brazil.

MIDFIELDERS

Tapia of Feyenoord and Carrillo of Watford were integral during qualifying along with Yoshimar Yotun of Orlando City. Christian Cueva of Sao Paulo and Edison Flores of Denmark’s Aalborg are also likely to be called.

FORWARDS

Lokomotiv Moscow forward Jefferson Farfan, formerly of PSV Eindhoven, is the most recognisable name in Peru’s World Cup. Despite making just eight starts in qualifying, the 33-year-old scored four goals and assisted another in sending Peru to the World Cup.

Since that campaign ended Farfan has started all three international friendlies scoring twice more and assisting Raul Ruidiaz in a 3-1 win against Iceland. He has very much returned to the forefront of Peruvian football after an absence in 2015/16.

The team's all-time top goalscorer is Paolo Guerrero, with 34 goals in 87 appearances. He is followed by Teófilo Cubillas, who scored 26 goals in 81 appearances, and Jefferson Farfán, with 25 goals in 81 games

GROUP GAMES

Based in Moscow, Peru opens on June 16 against Denmark, plays France on June 21, and Australia on June 26.