With less than two months to wait now the World Cup 2022 in Qatar is looming large and the football world waits to see how the most controversial tournament in recent history will pan out.
There will be cultural and climate nuances which are totally new to most football players and fans, and the World Cup has landed smack bang in the middle of the big domestic leagues in Europe. But amidst the uncertainty surrounding the off-field atmosphere and facilities, the speculation about the on-field action set to unfold is increasing day by day.
According to our SBOTOP odds makers the 12 most likely teams to win the tournament are from Europe and South America, with Africans Senegal predicted to make the Round of 16 alongside Mexico. The World Cup isn’t just about Europe and South America; players from Asia and Africa also have a chance to shine and there will be plenty of World Cup 2022 highlights to come from the likes of South Korea’s Heung-Min Son and Ghana’s Thomas Partey, who are both capable of lighting up the stadiums.
But the clear favourites will come from the two biggest football continents of Europe and South America which have won all 21 of the previous competitions between them. Until 2006 the two continents were running neck and neck at nine wins each, but Europe has pulled away with Spain, Germany and France making it 12-9 to the Europeans.
Brazil are the top tips for may pundits this year, but who do you think will provide the champions…Europe or South America?
Europe
There’s a big choice of potential winners on the European side. 2018 champions France will lead the charge and head coach Didier Deschamps has the richness of talent in his squad to make other national bosses green with envy. The jewel in France’s crown is Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe who burst onto the scene at Russia 2018. He’s still only 23 years old and has scored 28 goals in 59 appearances for his country, and an incredible 113 goals in 122 matches for PSG. He’s a decent bet for the Golden Boot but he put in a poor performance in Les Bleus defeat to Denmark on Sunday, and his row with PSG team-mate Neymar is well publicised. Mbappe will be keen to show the Brazilian who is boss in Qatar.
Denmark are a good outside bet for a semi-final spot as are 2018 finalists Croatia, while England, Netherlands and Germany are title hopefuls, but I would expect Europe’s other big challenge to come from Spain. Head coach Luis Enrique has one of the most exciting group of players in the tournament with a superb balance of youth and experience and one of the lowest squad ages in Qatar. Barcelona duo Pedri and Gavi at 19 and 18 years of age could be breakout stars on the world stage, while their club mate, the 34 year old Sergio Busquets, will lead the team. He has a high quality set of lieutenants in Villarreal defender Pau Torres, Manchester City’s midfield ace Rodri and Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata.
La Roja were unlucky not to win Euro 2020 after dominating champions Italy in the semi-final and they are one year wiser now.
South America
If France meet Brazil at some stage it will be deep into the competition, maybe the final, and the box office draw would be the contest between the PSG enemies Mbappe and Neymar. The two have been at loggerheads since the start of the Ligue 1 campaign but there is no denying the quality of them as footballers.
With 74 goals from 120 international appearances the 30 year old Neymar is at the peak of his powers and, alongside players like Barcelona’s Raphinha and Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus he is part of the most exciting Brazil team in two decades. With brilliant youngsters coming through, like Real Madrid pair Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior and the big match nous of Manchester United’s Casemiro and Chelsea’s Thiago Silva this is a team which has everything…even the best two keepers in the Premier League in Alisson and Ederson.
Five times winners but not since 2002, the Selecao will see this tournament in Qatar as a huge chance to take their place on the throne of world football once again.
The current World Cup 2022 betting odds rate Brazil as favourites, but Argentina are in the next group, alongside France and Spain, and another PSG man will take centre stage for the Albiceleste as Lionel Messi will probably make his final appearance at a World Cup.
One of the best two players in a generation, alongside Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, it would be some story of Messi leading Argentina to the trophy.
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