The World Cup in Qatar starts on Sunday afternoon as the home nation takes on Ecuador in Group A at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, and between its kick-off and the last whistle of the final, set to take place on December 18th at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, the eyes of the football world will be turned towards the Middle East.
Reluctantly so, perhaps, for a number of countries, due to various controversies around Qatar being awarded the tournament, and for some teams it may even prove an unwelcome distraction when they take to the pitch.
But leaving the non-football matters aside, let’s take a look at the teams most likely to win the crown this year.
Brazil to end 20-year wait?
There can never be a serious conversation about which team wins the World Cup without starting with Brazil. The Selecao are, after all, the record holders with five of these trophies on their shelf, a country that always has a top-quality squad, a nation that repeatedly produces top talent and main stars of some of the biggest clubs on the planet.
The list of the names who have worn the yellow-and-green of Brazil and regularly make the conversations about greatest players ever is very long indeed, longer than that of any other country in the world. Nonetheless, it’s now been 20 years since Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos and Co. won the greatest trophy of this sport for the last time to date. That fact will likely serve as strong motivation for Neymar, Gabriel Jesus, Thiago Silva, Alisson Becker, Casemiro, and the rest of Tite’s squad in Qatar.
Placed in Group G with Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon, Brazil’s job of finishing top of the table isn’t likely to be as easy as they might have wanted it to be, but they’re the absolute favourites nonetheless. In fact, the bookies have them as the main pick to win the World Cup, with Unibet providing great odds at 15/4.
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Alisson Becker (Liverpool), Ederson Moraes (Manchester City), Weverton (Palmeiras);
Defenders: Dani Alves (UNAM), Thiago Silva (Chelsea), Marquinhos (PSG), Danilo (Juventus), Alex Telles (Sevilla), Alex Sandro (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Gleison Bremer (Juventus);
Midfielders: Casemiro (Manchester United), Fabinho (Liverpool), Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham), Fred (Manchester United), Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo);
Forwards: Neymar (PSG), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid), Antony (Manchester United), Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Pedro (Flamengo).
Argentina – Messi’s last dance?
Argentina are second on the bookies list, with the best odds coming from Betfair at 11/2.
When considering the Gauchos in the last 15 years, the first name that pops into mind is, of course, Lionel Messi. The former Barcelona superstar, currently playing with Brazil’s Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain, has won seven Ballon d’Ors, four Champions League trophies, and the Copa America last year, but the World Cup so far remains an unfulfilled dream. At the age of 35, this is surely his last chance to make what’s been an incredible career anyway, so complete that there would be very little chance of it ever being matched.
But of course, Messi isn’t the only fantastic player representing Argentina in Qatar. Like Brazil’s Tite, manager Lionel Scaloni has a host of top-quality stars at his disposal, and his team shouldn’t have too many difficulties in overcoming Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Poland to top Group C at the end of the first stage. What happens from that point on depends, of course, on many things.
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Franco Armani (River Plate), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Villarreal).
Defenders: Marcos Acuna (Sevilla), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), German Pezzella (Real Betis), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique Lyon).
Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Enzo Fernandez (Benfica), Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton and Hove Albion), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Guido Rodriquez (Real Betis).
Forwards: Julian Alvarez (Manchester City), Thiago Almada (Atlanta United), Paulo Dybala (Roma), Angel Di Maria (Juventus), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid).
France to defend the title?
Brazil and Argentina may be the main two favourites, but the reigning world champions cannot be left out of the equation either. Didier Deschamps also has plenty of quality in his ranks, even without Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba who played a big role in their climb to the throne in 2018 but will miss this one out through injury.
Most eyes will now look to another PSG star, Kylian Mbappe. The 23-year-old forward is already among the best on the planet. His future was attracting plenty of attention earlier this year, right until he dealt a huge blow to Real Madrid by rejecting their offer to join them as a free agent and signing a new contract with PSG instead. Playing extremely well this season, with 24 goal involvements (19 goals and five assists) in just 20 matches in all club competitions, he will be a handful to any defence he faces as he lines up just to the left of this year’s Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema.
And he will first face Australia, Denmark and Tunisia in Group D, and as unpredictable as World Cup matches can be, it’s hard to imagine right now any of those three escaping undefeated when they clash with France.
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (West Ham), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Rennes).
Defenders: Lucas Hernardez (Bayern Munich), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamencano (Bayern Munich), Raphael Varane (Manchester United), Axel Disasi (Monaco).
Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco), Matteo Guendouzi (Olympique Marseille), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Jordan Veretout (Olympique Marseille).
Forwards: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Olivier Giroud (AC Milan), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt), Marcus Thuram (Borussia Monchengladbach).
*Karim Benzema has since withdrawn from the squad due to injury, and Deschamps has confirmed that no replacement is to be called up.
Can Spain do it again?
Until the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Spain were one of those teams that always had fantastic players but never managed to win the trophy. That year it all changed, with Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, and so many other top players finally getting there. Set between two European crowns (2008, 2012), it was even sweeter for the proud, football-loving nation.
But 10 years on from last moment of glory, Spain don’t look quite as good anymore. The bookies have them in fourth place among the favourites for Qatar triumph with the odds of 9 at Unibet, but in all honesty, it’s questionable if they should really be there. Not that they don’t have quality players in their ranks still, it’s just that there are other teams who arguably seem more complete, more prepared at this specific point in time.
Be that as it may, the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Dani Carvajal, Marco Asensio, Busquets and Rodri, and others of course, aren’t exactly known for giving up. The players to keep an eye on will probably be young Barcelona stars, Pedri, Gavi and Ansu Fati, as they seek to break through on the world’s biggest stage.
Drawn in Group D, Spain will face Germany, Costa Rica and Japan.
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), Robert Sanchez (Brighton and Hove Albion), David Raya (Brentford);
Defenders: Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Eric Garcia (Barcelona), Hugo Guillamon (Valencia), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Alejandro Balde (Barcelona).
Midfielders: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri Hernandez (Manchester City), Gavi (Barcelona), Carlos Soler (PSG), Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid), Pedri Gonzalez (Barcelona), Koke Resurreccion (Atletico Madrid).
Forwards: Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Yeremi Pino (Villarreal), Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid), Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), Pablo Sarabia (PSG), Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig), Ansu Fati (Barcelona).
England – Is it coming home?
“It’s coming home,” chanted the England fans ahead of the Euro 2020 final when their team lined up to face Italy. Wembley erupted less than two minutes into the contest when Luke Shaw broke the deadlock, and the mood around the stadium was notably good (despite the unpleasant events that preceded the match). However, it lasted only until Leonardo Bonucci’s 67th-minute equalizer and eventually turned to disbelief, when Bukayo Saka missed the penalty he had to score to keep his team in the shootout. “It’s going to Rome”, said several Italy players afterwards.
England will have taken some comfort in the fact that Italy failed to qualify for Qatar, but reaching the final this time will be a lot more difficult. Still, the bookies have Gareth Southgate’s men in fifth place according to odds on winning the trophy, with Unibet again giving the best ones at 10.
There was a bit of controversy regarding Southgate’s selection, and the feeling that he is a stubborn man is difficult to shake off. He openly criticized Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold quite recently after leaving him out of the squad for the last meaningful game before the Qatar trip, making it clear that he saw the likes of Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier and Chelsea’s Reece James ahead of him in the pecking order.
But with James eventually being ruled out through injury, Southgate recalled Alexander-Arnold with obvious reluctance. Some feel that it’s a good opportunity for the player to prove his worth to the coach, while others simply point to the fact that by the age of 24, Alexander-Arnold has achieved more than Southgate as a player and coach combined, believing this to mean that there is nothing for him to prove to anyone anymore. Be that as it may, Alexander-Arnold is in the Qatar squad.
Meanwhile, Southgate’s decision to call up Harry Maguire has been questioned most strongly. The centre-back is currently the fourth choice for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United and has so far started only three Premier League matches this term. The fact that United’s improvement in terms of results can be traced back to Ten Hag placing the 29-year-old firmly on the bench speaks for itself.
However, Southgate once more spoke openly about his decision to take Maguire to Qatar, expressing strong belief that England are stronger with the United defender in their ranks. Well, we’ll soon see exactly what sort of advantage Maguire’s presence will give to this team at the World Cup.
England have been drawn in Group B with the USA, Iran and Wales, and winning (or even going through) it might not prove to be as straightforward as it seems at first glance. All three opponents have plenty of quality in their ranks, and Southgate’s team will have to be on top of their game throughout.
The man leading the team on the pitch is, of course, Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane, and his goals are likely to prove crucial for any success they might have in mind to achieve at this tournament.
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), Nick Pope (Newcastle).
Defenders: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Benjamin White (Arsenal), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Conor Coady (Everton), Luke Shaw (Manchester United).
Midfielders: Declan Rice (West Ham), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Kalvin Phillips (Man City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Mason Mount (Chelsea).
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Callum Wilson (Newcastle), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), James Maddison (Leicester City).
What about the rest?
There are, of course, other teams who stand a reasonable chance of returning home from Qatar triumphant. The most notable among them are Germany, Netherlands, Portugal and Belgium.
There are also teams who perhaps aren’t quite of world-champion quality, but they might well play a part by knocking out some that are. Uruguay, Denmark, Croatia, Serbia, Switzerland, all these teams have the ability to surprise anyone on the pitch with just a bit of luck, and given such a chance, they certainly won’t be short on motivation.
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