As unsure as we still are about exactly which teams will be on the most anticipated tournament in football, some of the lines are already well defined and, looking at the squads, we can take an educated guess regarding which national squad will snatch the golden cup and make history.
However, such clairvoyance does not come easy at all; history plays a role, but yet again, teams like Argentina, Brazil, Germany and other timely candidates are not in their prime. So, if we are talking about making a buck off of the World Cup, looking for the best bookmaker for World Cup 2022 bets would be wise, to say the very least.
Argentina won the American Cup, Italy won the European Cup, and we are still avidly looking towards the results of the African Cup. Teams like Poland and Portugal are not even qualified yet, but it would be a shame not to have these incredible squads on the biggest event of modern football.
So, whose teams are upfront for the coveted gold? The answer seems complicated, but dissecting the quality of the squads, things become clear
The Favorites
Yes, we can talk about Argentina and Brazil – after all, both Messi and Neymar are looking towards the ultimate prize to crown their career – but if there’s a team who is the ultimate favorite that is, you guessed it, France.
The incredible sheer quantity of talent in France’s national squad is flabbergasting. They could unironically build two squads, and both of them would be candidates for the World Cup. The old and new, the Mbappe and Benzema, Camavinga, Kante, Varane, Griezmann, Dembele… And oddly enough, this was purely an exercise of naming a few.
They also have the added competitive nuance of being the crowned champions, and holding the title would be historical.
We can also talk about Spain, and its new gold generation, Italy, or even England. But the bet has to be on France, for their history, current capabilities, and current form. And lest we forget Germany, they can also have a say on the World Cup, if they can manage to combine their youngsters and veterans and play the game as only they know: as it is often said, “Football is a game where 11 players play against 11 players; and in the end, Germany wins.” Well, we will see about that.
Our Favorite Underdogs
Portugal matched with Belgium in the last Europe Cup, where Belgium stood victorious. Well, both of these national squads have an astounding amount of talent and experience in not only top leagues, but top national squad competitions.
Belgium has players like De Bruyne, Lukaku, Carrasco, Courtois, the Hazard brothers, and this is just to name a few. Yet again, we can talk about Ronaldo, but looking at the Portuguese entourage at Manchester City is enough to understand the current quality of Portugal’s squad: Bernardo Silva, Cancelo and Ruben Dias are world class, Bruno Fernandes and Ronaldo are too, and then you still have João Félix, Pepe, Ruben Neves, and other players from Wolverhampton that can steam the team to new levels.
Perhaps it is hard to name these great teams as underdogs, but truth be told, they are not historical candidates, and they will have a hard time outperforming their ancestors. Anyway, Portugal has Ronaldo, a serial-winner. The odds are on.
The Sad Decline of Croatia
Croatia managed to go on to the final the last time the World Cup was played, but it doesn’t look anywhere near as sharp as it was in that time. While it seems apparent to pretty much everyone that it won’t happen again in the near future, Croatia will feel disappointed when the games show the fans the squad is simply not a match to the new, reconstructed squads from the top national teams. It’s not a shadowy forecast, and surely not a definitive one, but the guess is that they won’t match their incredible form, and other national squads will be toppling them rather easily.
Either way, football fans will appreciate each and every game, and surprises are bound to amaze every lover of the old game.
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