Three teams worth watching at the World Cup
The World Cup is nearly here and promises to bring a wealth of awesome soccer. The tournament only comes every four years, with it the hopes of the 32 nations who qualified.
Every edition, we are treated to teams who we think can win it all, but also some dark horses that go much further than fans first thought. Teams like Ghana in 2010, South Korea in 2002 and Croatia in 2018 may not have won, but they captured viewers’ hearts. Here are three teams that could be worth tuning into at the 2022 World Cup.
France
The French national team may be the deepest squad heading into the tournament. The 2018 winners can bring back most of the team who won four years ago, but since then, many more French players have come to superstardom. With that, they are heavily favored going into the competition. Any free football betting tips would tell you they are fancied to win it all, with Betfair having them second favorites at +550. They are only behind soccer powerhouse Brazil, who are at +400.
Can they break the World Cup curse? Since France won in 1998, four of the past five reigning champions have been knocked out at the group stages. Les Bleus have two to three world-class players that could fill every position. With Paul Pogba, Raphaël Varane and Antoine Griezmann all set to return, they are also adding Karim Benzema, who recently won the Ballon d’Or, to a championship side. If any team could break such a curse, it’s this stacked French team.
Belgium
For the past ten years, Belgium has been a bubbling hotbed for footballing talent. Often cited as a championship side waiting to happen, it always appeared as if they were a young side waiting to come to fruition. Now, it appears that all that talent has already come and gone. A third-place finish in 2018 seemed as if they had the potential to go even further at the next tournament.
However, since then, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku’s form has nosedived, and Vincent Kompany has retired. Nevertheless, Belgium still has the best midfielder in the world, Kevin De Bruyne. The Manchester City maestro has just finished third in the Ballon d’Or and has proved his capability of carrying a team on his back. If Hazard can return to form in the comfort of his national side, along with one last hurrah from Lukaku, Toby Alderweireld and Thibaut Courtois, then Belgium could be a dark horse once again.
USA
The United States of America appears to have produced a number of world-class talent recently. The rise in popularity of the sport is finally paying off, with their players plying their trade at clubs like Juventus, Chelsea and AC Milan. With that level of talent and belief running through the squad, the USA could be in with a chance of making a deep run in the tournament. In a group with England, Wales and Iran, they have a fantastic opportunity to qualify for the next stage. If anything, they will be worth the watch.
With so many really skilled players coming to the World Cup, picking just a handful is tough. Whatever game you watch, the teams will keep you entertained, and some unexpected talent will catch your eye.
