The first-ever winter World Cup in Qatar has hit the headlines for some extremely negative reasons since the country won its bid back in 2018.
While the tournament continues to cause controversy among many people, football fans will at least look forward to a festival of football coming up in November.
From a footballing perspective, there are some fascinating questions to answer: will France retain their crown? Will Messi retire on a high? Will England finally win a trophy?
Here are the ten favourites that will probably provide all the answers.
Brazil
The pre-tournament favourites are still smarting from their Copa America final defeat to bitter rivals Argentina last year, where a Leo Messi-inspired Albiceleste edged the game with a 1-0 win.
The Brazilians always tend to bounce back, though. The five-time winners have a history of surprising people, and after 20 years without a Jules Rimet trophy win, the likes of Neymar and Everton will be out to prove their critics wrong.
France
The 2018 world champions had a tough time at Euro 2021, crashing out of the last 16 to Switzerland on penalties.
While the squad is blessed with world-class talent, there are persistent rumours of ego clashes within the dressing room as some of football’s biggest names vie for supremacy.
Didier Deschamps has managed to bring them all together before, of course, which is why experts make France favourites. But there’s always that element of doubt about team morale that dogs Les Bleus at a major tournament.
England
England’s failures are legendary. Despite having a team packed full of stars who earn monthly salaries the size of lottery jackpots, the English have consistently fallen short on the big stage.
Yet confidence is high after their best showing in years at Euro 2020. Their appearance in the final, following a 2018 World Cup semi-final, has given them big game experience, which they’ll be hoping to use via star men Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling.
Can they do it? It’s unlikely, but stranger things have happened.
Argentina
We mentioned Argentina’s stunning Copa America win, and their recent Finalissima win over Italy (where the Latin American champions play their European counterparts) will have boosted their confidence further.
It helps that they have arguably the best player ever in their ranks. Messi’s influence may be waning as he hits his mid-30s, but he still has the ability to turn a game on his head at any point. Just ask Estonia, which conceded five goals to the great Messi in a friendly game early in June.
Spain
Spain’s golden period may be over, but they still have some dangerous players in their ranks.
Barcelona’s young trio of Gavi, Pedri, and Fati have got the pundits’ tongues wagging, but the likes of Carvajal and Busquets have been there and done that. Old heads will be crucial in a tricky group where they clash with Germany, another big player.
Time will tell if Luis Enrique can bring back the glory days to the Iberian Peninsula.
Belgium
‘Always the bridesmaid, never the bride’ is an apt expression to describe Belgium and their galaxy of talent.
Frequently ranked as world number one, they are another team which continues to underachieve, despite having the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku in their ranks.
Roberto Martinez has been criticised for poor tactics in past tournaments, so the pressure’s on him to finally deliver glory to Belgium’s golden generation.
Portugal
Will this be Ronaldo’s last-ever World Cup? Not if he has anything to do with it. The 37-year-old has the physique of a man at least a decade younger, and this will help him in a physically demanding Qatari climate.
Another team with a tricky group, Portugal will need all of their talisman’s experience to get past Uruguay, Ghana, and South Korea, but they’ll also have the talents of Joao Felix and Diogo Jota to count on as they look to win their first World Cup.
Denmark
Christian Eriksen’s horrific collapse at last year’s Euros seems like a bad dream now, and the midfielder has exceeded everyone’s expectations by coming back to help Brentford stave off relegation.
It’s likely he’ll travel to Qatar, too, where his talents could help Denmark continue their brilliant run of form that has taken them to a Euro semi-final, their best showing since their famous 1992 tournament win.
Germany
Germany may not be at their best right now but write them off at your peril. New coach Hansi Flick is taking time to bed in new ideas, but a comprehensive defeat of Italy recently suggests that things are coming together.
People will look at stars like Thomas Müller to provide the spark, but it may instead come from the likes of Jamal Musiala who is already making a name for himself in the Bayern Munich side at the tender age of 19.
Netherlands
Netherlands represents the tournament’s dark horse, with their up-and-down form but capacity to spring a shock, as their 4-1 Nations League win over neighbours Belgium proved.
Marshalled by the colossal Virgil Van Dijk at the back and with the talent of Frenkie De Jong in midfield, the Dutch will fancy their chances in one of the less demanding groups. Win that, and a winnable knockout game against the Group B runners-up (likely to be Wales or USA) awaits them. After that, anything is possible.
