We’re finally getting close to another FIFA World Cup, with less than five months until the competition begins. The tournament will this time take place in Qatar, making it the first time an Arab country has hosted the event and the second time it has taken place wholly in Asia.
Since there will be an expansion to 48 teams for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico will be the hosts), this year’s tournament will also be the last to feature 32 teams.
The competition is set to run from November 21 to December 18, 2022, with the group stage lasting through December 2 and the knockout stage beginning on December 3 with the Round of 16. On December 18, the Qatar National Day, the grand final will be held at Lusail Iconic Stadium.
The World Cup will be held from late November to mid-December instead of May, June, or July due to the high heat in Qatar throughout the summer. It will also be played over a reduced length of time, around 28 days, instead of the usual 30 days.
The “Al Rihla”, the official match ball, was presented on March 30, 2022. It was mostly based on the culture, architecture, and flag of Qatar. Al Rihla is an Arabic term that means “the journey”. According to Adidas, “the ball was designed with sustainability as a priority, making it the first-ever official match ball created with water-based glues and inks”.
France is the defending champions, after claiming the title in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The overwhelming favorites to win the tournament, however, according to online sports betting sources, are Brazil, at +500 odds, followed by France, at +650 odds, and England at +700. Spain and Argentina are also among the favorites to win the championship this year, with odds of +800.
Brazil
Even if the Brazilian national team is considered one of the favorites by many bookies, sportsbooks, experts, and analysts, there are still many unanswered questions. One of the biggest reasons why the Brazilians still have a lot to show is the absence of games against elite teams, particularly the Europeans.
It’s difficult to rule Brazil out, though, given their incredible potential, with talented players like Neymar, Marquinhos, Richarlison, Raphinha, and Gabriel Jesus. This is especially true given how consistently they have performed under head coach Tite.
Despite being the tournament favorites, Brazil lags behind England and France in terms of squad value. The squad is presently valued at $934.45 million, although many consider them to be the tournament’s strongest side.
France
Despite a dismal performance in the UEFA Euro 2020, the reigning champions remain one of the strongest teams in international football, with Kyllian Mbappé, Karim Benzema, Kingsley Coman, Antoine Griezmann, and Hugo Lloris guiding Les Bleus to important results in recent months.
France, however, has been on a roll since their early exit from the Euros, and they returned to winning ways by claiming the Nations League title against Spain last year. It’s difficult to find a weakness in Didier Deschamps’ squad, which has clearly become stronger since 2018.
In addition, France has the second-most valuable team in the competition, with a $1.07 billion valuation. Les Bleus undoubtedly have what it takes to win the first back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 thanks to some of the best players in the world in their squad.
England
The phrase “football is coming home” may well be true in 2022 thanks to England’s status as one of the favorites to win the FIFA World Cup. The Three Lions have developed into a team that excels in key tournaments under head coach Gareth Southgate with a talented group led by Tottenham Hotspurs striker Harry Kane after so many previous World Cups and European Championships saw them fall short of expectations.
England is the most valued team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with a market value of $1.15 billion. Despite not having the most skilled roster, England has a good squad, and Gareth Southgate has a plethora of world-class players to choose from.
Kane has the greatest value since he is virtually as important to the team as he is to England’s prospects of winning their first title since 1966. The Spurs striker is valued at $110 million, followed by Phil Foden at $99 million and Raheem Sterling at $93.5 million.
Spain
Spain has matured into a competitive team after coming within a penalty shootout of reaching the UEFA Euro 2020 final, and the talent in Luis Enrique’s roster makes the Spaniards a significant danger in the forthcoming tournament.
Spain has the fourth most valued squad in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and will undoubtedly be a pleasant surprise throughout the competition thanks to their dynamic youthful team, which is filled with players under the age of 25. Despite a few disappointing performances over the previous months, the squad has been steadily getting better under coach Luis Enrique.
The most valuable player on the team is Pedri, the phenomenon from Barcelona and one of the most exciting young players in the tournament, who is valued at $88 million. The market worth of Spain is $861.85 million and includes players like Rodri and Aymeric Laporte from Manchester City, Marcos Llorente from Atletico Madrid, Gavi from Barcelona, and Dani Olmo from Red Bull Leipzig.
Argentina
Argentina is another of the favorites, and the renowned Lionel Messi-led squad is under intense expectation to do well in Qatar. On the other hand, if Argentina wants to take home its first World Cup since 1986, coach Lionel Scaloni will have a tremendous challenge on his hands.
Since losing to Brazil in Copa America in July 2019, Argentina has gone unbeaten in more than 30 games. But their resounding victory against Italy in the 2022 Finalissima at Wembley in June was a fair indicator of just how powerful they are.
