Qatar 2022: Who will be victorious?
The highly controversial Qatar World Cup is nearly upon us and despite some key players missing from this tournament, it is still shaping up to be a very exciting month. Will France retain their prized trophy? Is this the last hurrah for Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Will we see a dark horse rise above the giants?
Here are five teams who are favourites to lift the trophy at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in December:
Brazil
It has been 20 years since a Brazil side raised the World Cup trophy with the likes of Ronaldo and Rivaldo playing in that winning squad.
Neymar will be looking to make an huge impact as he has his eyes set on breaking Pele’s all-time national scoring record in this tournament. Manager Tite has also included Real Madrid’s talented wingers Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo who are coming into the competition as Champions League winners.
Due to the domination of UEFA affiliated teams at previous finals, Brazil were the last South American team to win the tournament, so they will be eager to put an end to their misery.
France
France are the current holders of the trophy after they demolished Croatia 4-2 in Moscow four years ago. However, there will be a huge difference in Qatar as some of the 2018 winners are ruled out. Players such as Paul Pogba and N’golo Kante who were the engine of the French midfield in Russia are out injured.
Nonetheless, the holders are given a huge boost as Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema makes a return to the squad. The Real Madrid forward was instrumental last season with 44 goals in 46 games, a goalscoring record which lead to the Champions League triumph in Paris.
With Benzema likely to lead the line with PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, it’s a scary scene to imagine for opposition defenders which will be a huge benefit for Les Bleus as they look to reclaim their crown as world champions.
Germany
After a hugely disappointing 2018 tournament which saw Die Mannschaft lose to Mexico and South Korea in the group stages, Germany are ready to redeem themselves. With Champions League winning manager Hansi Flick now at the helm, there have been glimpses shown of the German side that won the tournament in 2014.
With the retirement of Toni Kroos after Euro 2020, the attraction of the midfield lies on the shoulders of Joshua Kimmich who has been a rock in the Bayern Munich team since he broke through at 20 years of age.
It’s a reasonably young squad that Flick has created which includes 17-year-old starlet Youssoufa Moukoko; a talented player who is constantly improving and becoming a massive part of the Borussia Dortmund lineup.
Argentina
Lionel Messi will be hoping he can go out with a bang and finally earn his deserved World Cup medal. The PSG forward was part of the Argentina team that lost the final in 2014 and will no doubt have it at the back of his mind. It’s been a great start to the season for the forward who has formed an unbelievable partnership alongside Mbappe and Neymar.
It will also be the final opportunity for Juventus midfielder Angel Di Maria who also suffered the same fate as Messi in 2014. The experience that the two players bring to the squad will be key for Lionel Scaloni who has built a side that are unbeaten in 35 games.
Argentina fans have the vision of Diego Maradona lifting the trophy in 1986 etched in their memory and are praying that Messi and co. will be able to replicate this moment again.
Belgium
Despite having one of the best squads in the world, it has always been one step too far for Belgium who have never advanced past the semi-finals. With the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Romelu Lukaku in the 26 man squad, there is no wonder why they are so high on the favourites list.
Manager Roberto Martinez has created a team that bullies opponents in the qualifying campaign, resulting in constant first place finishes in their group. However, this golden generation are getting older with no real upcoming replacements in the frame.
The Red Devils will be faced with tough tests in their World Cup group as they hope to try navigate past Croatia, Canada and Morocco. An opportunity will be squandered by Belgium if this pool of players don’t achieve World Cup glory as Qatar will probably be their final chance.