32. Saudi Arabia
Group C opponents: Argentina, Mexico, Poland
Odds to win World Cup: +75000
Experienced French manager Herve Renard is in control of this Saudi side. Credit to Saudi Arabia finishing atop their group in World Cup qualifying. Among others, The Green Falcons finished ahead of Japan and Australia before punching their ticket to Qatar. The side gave up only six goals in 10 qualifier matches (though scoring only 12 goals during the same period). This will be a team most likely bunkering in to limit the opposition from creating scoring chances. Interestingly enough, every player on the projected roster plays their club football domestically. It is an athletic team, however — and one that works hard (as we saw in the draw versus the United States).
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31. Tunisia
Group D: France, Denmark, Peru
Odds to Win World Cup: +30000
Tunisia narrowly got past Mali to make the World Cup field. When looking at the draw, Tunisia will undoubtedly be the massive underdogs in this group. France and Denmark are proven entities, and Peru — assuming it gets through — is a major pain to play against. Not all is lost for Tunisia, however. Saint-Etienne striker Wahbi Khazri has a strong goal-scoring record. Ellyes Skhiri is a solid midfielder playing for Cologne in the Bundesliga. Promising French-born prospect Hannibal Mejbri (playing at Manchester United) should be afforded the chance to make a name for himself.
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30. Costa Rica
Group E opponents: Spain, Germany, Japan
Odds to win World Cup: +75000
Costa Rica upended New Zealand 1-0 in the one-game playoff to reach the World Cup. After getting off to a very slow start in CONCACAF play, Los Ticos mounted a furious comeback to overtake Panama for the fourth spot in the region. Remember the miraculous run Costa Rica had in the 2014 World Cup? Well, many of those same guys are back (Celso Borges, Bryan Ruiz, Joel Campbell, Keylor Navas) yet are much older. There are some promising young players in the group (Manfred Ugalde, Jewison Bennette, Aaron Suarez, Alonzo Martinez). However, it’ll be up to the 35-year-old Navas to virtually carry this team (which is a tall task).
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29. South Korea
Group H opponents: Uruguay, Portugal, Ghana
Odds to win World Cup: +25000
Portuguese manager Paulo Bento leans heavily upon Tottenham star Son Heung-Min. Arguably the best player in all of Asia, he’s undoubtedly the center of Korea’s universe as it pertains to getting into the final third. Outside of Hwang Ui-Jo (Bordeaux) and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz 05), much of the roster plays domestically in South Korea. The group isn’t impossible to advance from. However, Bento’s boys will be considered underdogs in virtually every match.
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28. Qatar
Group A opponents: Ecuador, Netherlands, Senegal
Odds to Win World Cup: +20000
The host nation traditionally gets out of the group stage and into the knockout stage. However in this group, we’re not sure Qatar will make it happen. The entire team plays its club football in Qatar. There is a benefit to this — as the group surely has strong familiarity with one another. On the flip side, the free flowing style of play employed by Qatar may not play up against the type of competition they’ll be facing. Fortunately for Qatar (as a positive), none of the three teams in its group are defensive juggernauts. Also — keep an eye on striker Akram Afif. He’s good enough to play in any major league in the world.
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27. Japan
Group E opponents: Spain, Germany, Costa Rica
Odds to win World Cup: +25000
Japan is in a tough group…there’s no other way to slice it. Germany and Spain are considered two of the favorites to win the entire World Cup. You’ll still see a pragmatic team leaning heavily on technicality rather than physicality. There is some talent in the midfield (Takumi Minamino, Genki Haraguchi). With that said, the group of defenders is somewhat weak, and there’s not much in the way of proven talent within the corps of strikers. However, Japan did play the United States off the pitch in a friendly leading up to the tournament. Don’t be shocked if it makes life difficult for those in the group.
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26. Ghana
Group H opponents: Uruguay, Portugal, South Korea
Odds to win World Cup: +25000
This is not the Ghana of old. Gone are the days of Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah, and Asamoah Gyan. Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is currently the best player on the roster. Ajax attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus is a slippery, tricky player. Up top, Jordan Ayew leads a rather young and inexperienced group. Interestingly enough, Ghana’s hopes may be buoyed by a host of ‘recruits’ possessing Ghanaian heritage. The following players are all eligible to represent the Black Stars in Qatar:
- Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea)
- Tariq Lamptey (Brighton)
- Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal)
- Mohammed Salisu (Southampton)
- Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
- Nicolas Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
- Myron Boadu (Monaco)
If even half of these players commit to Ghana, the ceiling of this team increases considerably.
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25. Wales
Group B opponents: England, United States, Iran
Odds to Win World Cup: +15000
Gareth Bale can make something happen out of nothing — and this is an aspect which makes Wales a not-so-fun opponent. Aside from that, they play compact out of the back with discipline centrally and some real speed on the wings. This is a very manageable group for Wales when looking at the other three participants. They won’t be fearing England, as there’s plenty of familiarity with the personnel. Iran likely isn’t as talented top-to-bottom. As such, the first match of the tournament — versus the United States — could determine who goes through alongside group favorite England.
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24. Canada
Group F opponents: Belgium, Morocco, Croatia
Odds to Win World Cup: +12500
Oh, Canada! Welcome back to the World Cup. It’s first time since 1986 in which the Maple Leafs are in the tournament. It’s a ‘Golden Generation’ of sorts for Canada, and the fan base should be very excited by the fact that the world’s best left back (Alphonso Davies) and one of the world’s best No. 9’s (Jonathan David) are both Canadian. Canada also has a very underrated crop of attack-minded players led by electric winger Tajon Buchanan. Porto midfielder Stephen Eustaquio is also the tone setter for Canada in the middle of the park.
This is not an easy group for Canada, as it features two established European sides and a dangerous African team. However, despite Canada’s lack of depth, this is a young, exciting team with great team chemistry. Manager John Herdman has built a very impressive culture — and we wouldn’t be shocked if Canada surprises some people in the process.
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23. Cameroon
Group G opponents: Switzerland, Serbia, Brazil
Odds to Win World Cup: +20000
Les Lions Indomptables snuck into the field on a frantic last-second goal versus Algeria. It was mass hysteria in Algeria when Rigobert Song’s team nicked a goal right at the depth. As such, Cameroon was rewarded with being in arguably the most difficult group.
If Cameroon has any chance of advancing, it must secure a win versus Serbia or Switzerland (if not both). From there, they also must grab a draw at some point. Cameroon will be relying upon Bayern Munich striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Lyon attacker Karl Ekambi for some magic.
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22. Morocco
Group F opponents: Canada, Croatia, Belgium
Odds to win World Cup: +25000
Here’s the big question for The Atlas Lions: Will Hakim Ziyech and Noussair Mazraoui be there with the team in Qatar? Due to a quarrel with the manager, neither have really been involved in the qualification process. For Morocco to reach its potential in getting out of this group, things need to be smoothed over.
On paper, this might be the most talented African side in the field. Morocco boasts a number of very good players currently playing in Italy, Spain, England, and France. Among them include PSG outside back Achraf Hakimi, Wolves center back Romain Saiss, Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, and Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri.
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21. Iran
Group B opponents: United States, England, Wales
Odds to win World Cup: +75000
Iran is a much better team than people realize. Dragan Skocic’s team breezed through the Asian World Cup qualifying process — allowing four goals in eight matches (while scoring 34 goals during the same time period). Iran employs a low block style which is predicated upon getting out on the break with its two most lethal strikers: Bayer Leverkusen’s Sardar Azmoun and Porto’s Mehdi Taremi. However, with Azmoun’s reported torn calf muscle, his involvement for the tournament is in question. If he can’t play, that’s a major loss for Iran.
Team Melli is more than capable of advancing from the group. Iran is measured with its attack, and is hard to break down. It’s also a technical bunch featuring a plethora of players who play their club football in Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands. When factoring in the political history between Iran and both England/The United States, things will get even more fascinating — especially when Iran’s capital city Tehran is only a short flight from Qatar. Iran may enjoy a big fan advantage.
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20. Australia
Group D opponents: Denmark, France, Tunisia
Odds to win World Cup: +25000
In what was a major upset, the Socceroos ultimately upset Peru in penalties to earn the automatic bid to Qatar. In what was a slog of a match, neither team was really able to put together any threatening chances. With the match finishing 0-0 after 120 minutes, Australia was victorious after back-up goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne was inserted solely with the purpose of playing mind-games with the Peruvian shooters. It worked — as Redmayne’s dancing theatrics in goal eventually led to the game-winning save.
Australia employs a 4-1-4-1 formation for the most part. Veteran midfielder Aaron Mooy (pictured above) is the heartbeat of the team. Speedy winger Matthew Leckie has plenty of experience playing in the Bundesliga, and first-choice keeper Mathew Ryan (of Real Sociedad in La Liga) is likely the team’s best player. This iteration of the team isn’t as talented as the ones before it. However, they enter the tournament with plenty of momentum.
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19. Mexico
Group C opponents: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Poland
Odds to Win World Cup: +12500
This might be the weakest Mexico group we’ve seen over the last few cycles. The depth isn’t great, and Liga MX’s inability to play/sell younger players to Europe has resulted in somewhat of a lost generation. Simply put, this is an aging roster without much in the way of younger talent.
The front three for Mexico (Raul, Tecatito, Hirving Lozano) is undoubtedly the strength of the team — with young Feyenoord striker Santi Gimenez pushing for a starting spot. The backline is a major worry, and the midfield outside of Ajax’s Edson Alvarez and PSV’s Erick Gutierrez struggles with athleticism and physicality. Even though Mexico is usually a lock to make the knockout stage, El Tri may struggle against a side like Poland.
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18. Ecuador
Group A opponents: Qatar, Netherlands, Senegal
Odds to Win World Cup: +15000
Ecuador is a team where the sum is greater than its parts. On paper, you won’t see a ton of its players playing in the bigger leagues around the world. However, it’s a fast group with elite team chemistry. Remember, this team finished fourth in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying (ahead of Peru, Colombia, and Chile).
Veteran striker Enner Valencia is the biggest name on the roster — though Augsburg midfielder Carlos Gruezo is a fixture for La Tri. If you’re looking for two potential stars to break out in the tournament, look no further than Brighton MF Moises Caicedo (20 years old) and Valladolid MF Gonzalo Plata (21 years old). In what appears to be a wide-open Group A, we could see Ecuador advancing into the knockout stage.
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17. Poland
Group C opponents: Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Argentina
Odds to Win World Cup: +12500
Whenever you’ve got the world’s best No. 9 on your team, you’ve got a chance to make some real noise. Poland will be relying heavily upon Robert Lewandowski for goals in this tournament. With that said, he’s far from alone as it pertains to quality within the side. Fiorentina striker Krzystof Piatek is more than capable of banging home a couple of goals. Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski is a maestro in the middle of the park, and veteran Kamil Grosicki still possesses some ability to give Poland some high-level play.
The backline has a nice mix of veteran leadership and youth. Juventus keeper Wojciech Szczesny and captain/center back Kamil Glik are fortified by EPL defenders Jan Bednarek and Matty Cash. Argentina is the favorite of the group. However, Poland is more than capable in advancing past Mexico and into the knockout stage.
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16. Switzerland
Group G opponents: Brazil, Cameroon, Serbia
Odds to Win World Cup: +9000
Switzerland is a mid-level European side with the upside of a team making the Quarterfinals. It lacks the high-end talent to advance further than that. However, it’s a group with considerable continuity and familiarity with one another. Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka still remain as key cogs in the midfield. Juve midfielder Denis Zakaria adds some much-needed athleticism and mettle to the group.
This could represent the last major tournament for many of the ‘old guard’ within this team. As such, you’ll see a highly motivated Swiss side. Unfortunately for them, the group is far from easy. Brazil is, well…Brazil. Serbia boasts a lot of ability, and Cameroon is a complete wildcard.
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15. United States
Group B opponents: England, Iran, Wales
Odds to Win World Cup: +10000
This is a manageable draw for the United States. It should be favored in two of the three matches. Duly, it will not need to defeat England at all (and nabbing a draw is somewhat feasible). Of course, Christian Pulisic will be the headlining name within this group. When combining the average age of every team at the tournament, the U.S. will be the youngest group in Qatar.
It will be fascinating to see how manager Gregg Berhalter is able to motivate the team. Two depressing results in the September window has many questioning whether this team will actually advance. They’re struggling to score goals, and many of the significant players are either injury-prone or not in form for their respective clubs. Plus — will Berhalter actually leave Jordan Pefok off this roster? Aside from Pulisic, the eyes of many fans will be watching the exuberant trio featuring Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Weston McKennie (Juventus), and Yunus Musah (Valencia).
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14. Senegal
Group A opponents: Qatar, Ecuador, Netherlands
Odds to Win World Cup: +9000
Senegal has to like how this group evolved. The Lions of Teranga narrowly got into the field after besting Egypt on penalties. Manager Aliou Cisse has done a terrific job in building the squad with a strong defensive spine. Of course, the leaders of the bunch include Chelsea GK Edouard Mendy and Napoli CB Kalidou Koulibaly. The midfield possesses talents from PSG (Idrissa Gueye) and Leicester City (Nampalys Mendy). Up top, Watford speedster Ismalia Sarr is buoyed by Villarreal winger Boulaye Dia.
However, the cream of the crop comes with Liverpool winger Sadio Mane. He is the danger man for Senegal — and is often the player it builds around for creation of scoring chances. Simply put, this is a dangerous side. No one will want to see them in a knockout stage situation. They could give either England or the United States a lot of trouble in the Round of 16.
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13. Croatia
Group F opponents: Belgium, Canada, Morocco
Odds to Win World Cup: +5000
This appears to be a much more difficult group than on the surface. While Belgium is considered to be the prohibitive favorite, there are some warts which could cause an early exit (more on them later). Morocco has a very talented group of players. However, arguably their two best (Hakim Ziyech, Noussair Mazraoui) are currently quarreling with the federation. It’s not a guarantee either will play by November. Canada brings loads of youth and excitement — yet lack the depth and experience to make a serious run.
All the while, Croatia operates as the most consistent team in this grouping. There are some questions — especially when it comes to the collective age of the squad. Stalwart Luka Modric will be age 37 when the tournament kicks off, and much of the core is above the age of 30. However, the Croats are rock-solid tactically and technically. They should be able to advance.
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12. Serbia
Group G opponents: Brazil, Switzerland, Cameroon
Odds to Win World Cup: +15000
Many people are pegging Serbia as a major darkhorse in this tournament — and for good reason. The striker pair up top featuring Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrovic is damn good. For good measure, Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic is normally considered the third option. In the midfield, the creative Dusan Tadic (of Ajax) pulls the strings with his ability to create for others. When looking at the roster as a whole, much of it plays in the top-five leagues (Italy, England, France, Germany, Spain).
This roster is well-balanced with veteran leadership and a number of very hungry, young players looking to emerge. Vlahovic is good enough to carry Serbia a long ways in this tournament. The group isn’t easy — as Serbia will have to get past a tricky Swiss side. However, Serbia does have the makeup of a team (at minimum) in the knockout stage.
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11. Denmark
Group D opponents: France, Peru, Tunisia
Odds to Win World Cup: +2500
You should not sleep on Denmark. There’s talent littered throughout the team — and it’s a very manageable group for the Danes to get through. Christian Eriksen made an emotional return to international/club football following his horrifying cardiac arrest episode last year (on the pitch). Now plying his trade for Manchester United, he’s starting to round into form.
The midfield is deep with talent — led by the likes of Eriksen, Thomas Delaney, Emile Pierre-Hojbjerg, and rising star Mikkel Damsgaard. Up top, it’s not an easy proposition to deal with the likes of Kasper Dolberg, Yusuf Poulsen, and Jonas Wind (among others). Assuming Denmark can get through to the knockout stages, it will not be a team anyone will want to see.
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10. Portugal
Group H opponents: Uruguay, Ghana, South Korea
Odds to Win World Cup: +1200
Thanks to a monumental collapse from European Champions Italy, Portugal finds itself backing into the World Cup in what likely will be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last appearance in the competition. This is not a team without talent — though it’s not exactly lived up to its potential.
Bruno Fernandes is the straw that stirs the drink of the offensive attack. Diogo Jota, Andre Silva, and Joao Felix are all highly dangerous in the final third. The defense is a bit long in the tooth. If there’s one area to exploit Portugal, it could come in the backline.
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9. Netherlands
Group A opponents: Qatar, Senegal, Ecuador
Odds to Win World Cup: +1200
In the last calendar year, Netherlands has lost only once in its last 23 matches. Louis van Gaal has this team playing with a considerable amount of confidence at the moment. The duo of Memphis and upstart striker Donyell Malen is highly intriguing. The trio of Atalanta players (Hans Hateboer, Marten de Roon, Teun Koopmeiners) offers nice depth next to captain Gini Wijnaldum.
The group really is for Holland’s taking. Qatar is the worst of the Pot 1 teams, and the Netherlands should be favored versus Ecuador and Senegal (though both are tough opponents). It’s quite possible Holland could be squaring off versus the United States in the round of 16.
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8. Uruguay
Group H opponents: Ghana, Portugal, South Korea
Odds to Win World Cup: +5000
No one wants to face Uruguay in a World Cup setting. The pedigree from this tiny nation of less than four million people is utterly astounding. Ever since letting go of longtime manager Oscar Tabarez, the team flew up the CONMEBOL table en route to qualifying outright for the tournament.
You’re going to be up against an organized side with guile, intelligence, energy, and ruthlessness in the final third. We’ve still got veterans Diego Godin, Luis Suarez, Fernando Muslera, and Edinson Cavani as fixtures within the group. However, Real Madrid man Fede Valverde is a fantastic midfielder. Striker Darwin Nunez also is likely the next great star for La Celeste. Lastly, defensive midfielder Lucas Torreira is among the best at his position in Serie A. Don’t be surprised if Uruguay tops this group.
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7. Belgium
Group F opponents: Croatia, Morocco, Canada
Odds to Win World Cup: +1400
This Belgian ‘Golden Generation’ likely will end at the conclusion of this tournament. Of the expected Starting XI, almost every single member will be at least age 30 by the time November rolls around. This is not ideal when playing three matches in seven days. High-end talent is littered throughout the squad. However, we could envision a scenario in which Belgium collapses under the pressure. They are the favorites to advance from a somewhat tricky group.
Despite that, don’t be shocked if they crash out in the group stage. The trio of Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, and Kevin de Bruyne will be asked yet again to carry this side. If there’s a young name to watch for, keep an eye on speedy winger Jeremy Doku.
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6. England
Group B opponents: United States, Iran, Wales
Odds to Win World Cup: +750
This is a FASCINATING group on a number of levels. Just from a storylines standpoint, England will be going up against a country (United States) which has heavily been influenced by its soccer culture (not to mention the whole Revolutionary War thing). When analyzing Geopolitics and past history, Iran also has a heavy bone to pick with England. Even Wales is relishing the opportunity to play England.
On the pitch, England should be the Group B winners. It has the deepest collection of talent, and also has the momentum of making the EURO 2020 final. With that said, none of these opponents will be fearing England. The Three Lions have a habit of pooping the bed in major tournaments. Also, it’ll be interesting to see whether Gareth Southgate opts for a highly conservative tactical approach…or if he’ll allow his young talent to actually play free-flowing football.
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5. Spain
Group E opponents: Japan, Germany, Costa Rica
Odds to Win World Cup: +850
There might not be another national team possessing a future as bright as Spain’s. Two of their primary fixtures in the midfield (Pedri, Gavi) are both under the age of 20. Pedri in particular is undoubtedly set to become the next world class player representing La Roja. His understanding of the game is phenomenal — as is his ability on the ball.
This Spanish side will assume the role as the heavy-possession team. It’ll wear you out chasing the ball before one delicately weighted pass cuts you open — thus relinquishing a scoring chance. A key for Spain is aiming to figure out who will be the lead scoring option up front. Ferran Torres might be up to the challenge.
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4. Germany
Group E opponents: Spain, Costa Rica, Japan
Odds to Win World Cup: +1000
Hansi Flick has reinvigorated this team with a plethora of new ideas and a host of inexperienced talent. Riding a nine-game unbeaten streak, we’re seeing fixtures from the past (Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer) woven in with the emerging talents of Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, and Robin Koch.
Of course, you’ve still got Joshua Kimmich, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Antonio Rudiger, and others firmly embedded within the squad. Though Group E is no picnic, Germany should be able to advance. When collectively looking at its roster, Germany may be the most complete team in Europe at this present time.
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3. Argentina
Group C opponents: Poland, Saudi Arabia, Mexico
Odds to Win World Cup: +700
Is this it for Lionel Messi? By all accounts, this could be the last chance for the icon to help his nation win that elusive World Cup which previously slipped through his fingers. Based upon the team’s run up until this point, it could be Argentina’s most talented team we’ve seen in years.
No longer are they exclusively reliant upon Messi’s ability to create magic out of nothing. On the contrary — this roster is flush with attacking talent. The midfield is as deep as it’s been in years, and the defensive unit is rock-solid. Argentina should have no trouble getting out of this group versus a decent Poland side and rival Mexico.
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2. France
Group D opponents: Peru, Denmark, Tunisia
Odds to Win World Cup: +600
The reigning World Cup champions are still a mega threat to repeat in Qatar. The roster/spine of the team remain relatively the same. Still, there will be some questions as to the overall age of the team. By November, both Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante will be in their 30’s. Antoine Griezmann will be 32, Olivier Giroud will be 36, and Karim Benzema will be approaching his 35th birthday.
It could benefit Les Bleus to integrate some younger options into the side in order to compensate for the packed schedule/hotter climate. Leipzig attacking player Christopher Nkunku could be one of those guys — especially since he’s been lighting up the Bundesliga. With all of that said, the team still has arguably the world’s best player in Kylian Mbappe. France should be fine as it presumably heads towards the Quarterfinals with relative ease.
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1. Brazil
Group C opponents: Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Odds to Win World Cup: +400
Brazil is the best team on the planet at this point. It’s frightening how good the team was during the CONMEBOL qualification process (which is no joke). Over 17 matches Brazil won 14 games and drew three (no losses). Even more stunning, manager Tite’s team allowed five goals over a 17-match span (scoring 40 during the same time period).
We know all about Neymar’s ability on the ball. However, this iteration of Seleção has a plethora of young and exciting players in the attack (Raphinha, Vini Junior, Richarlison, Bruno, Gabi Jesus). Duly, they’re buoyed by steel in the midfield (Casemiro, Fabinho) and veteran leadership at the back (Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, Alisson).
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