World Cup Predictions Roundtable
The World Cup is here, finally, and everyone certainly has an opinion on how things will play out. Our Pro Sports Fanatics contributors Stephen Bole, Othman Haddouche, and Paolo Confino answered the biggest questions on their minds to set the stage for Qatar 2022.
Question 1: Who will be your true breakout star of the tournament?
Stephen: Mohammed Kudus of Ghana. Every time I watch the 22-year-old player for Ajax, I’m so impressed with his versatility, one-on-one ability, and overall electricity. He is a hybrid attacking midfielder who can drop deep to progress the ball with fantastic agility and dribbling or be the focal point of an attack as a false nine.
I believe he is best playing off of a more traditional striker, which he will be able to do with Inaki Williams being up top for Ghana. Kudus is not just a great talent but so fun to watch as well, and with four goals and two assists in six Champions League matches this season, he has shown he can produce at the highest level. He is on the verge of exploding in the football world, and this world cup is the perfect platform.
Othman: While there are so many young players who will be representing their nations at the World Cup for the first time it’s really difficult to pinpoint just one player. I’m gonna have to go with Rodrygo, though.
He was sensational for Real Madrid last season, and he’s going to be one to watch in the future. He was a big reason for their Champions League success last year, and while he may not start ahead of players like Neymar or Vinicius, he has proven he can be a massive asset coming off the bench.
Who knows? He may even have a Gotze moment like in the 2014 World Cup or an Eder moment in the 2016 edition of the Euros. Another player worth noting is William Saliba. A masterclass defender with huge potential. He was sensational in Ligue 1 and is a big reason Arsenal are currently top of the league. France has a plethora of defenders in their 26-man squad, but it’s hard to omit Saliba. He’s on form, and Deschamps will have a headache in picking his starting backline.
Paolo: I took this to mean the player who repeatedly produced unforgettable moments throughout the tournament, like James Rodriguez in 2014, Diego Forlan in 2010, or Fabio Grosso in 2006. Naturally, you can start to see how this category gets a little funky. But I’m no rube–I’m not picking a fullback. This time around, it’s going to be Leroy Sane.
He’s the most effortlessly gifted player on a very deep team. He’ll stand out on a team that will stick around. Without a true number nine to rely on to score, the team will need to cobble together enough goals from the rest of the Bayern Germany forwards. Sane has already proven himself suited to the task at the club level, where he plays a similar style, and has 10 goals this season.
Honorable mentions that only qualify if their team gets out of the group stage include Dusan Vlahovic and Son Heung-min.
Will Sane put it all together on the World’s biggest stage? (Picture courtesy of FC Bayern)
Question 2: Which team will be the biggest disappointment?
Stephen: One nation sticks out to me here: Belgium. Their golden generation, led by Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Thibaut Courtois, is on their last legs. In 2018, they finished third and gave eventual winners France their toughest test in the semi-final. Four years on, injuries and age have caught up to many of their stars, including Hazard and Lukaku.
They don’t have enough young players to freshen up the squad, particularly in defense, where we will likely see Toby Alderweild and Jan Vertonghen remain starters. Yes, experience is important, but their lack of athleticism and legs in the back and through midfield worries me, even if Courtois and De Bruyne can still be considered the best in their positions. Unfortunately, time has run out on Belgium, and I can’t see them seriously challenging to win the tournament.
Othman: There are actually a few teams. I feel like Mexico is one of them. Just a lot of chaos surrounding them, and while they most certainly have the potential to get out of their group, I can’t see them progressing very far. I may have to include the United States as well. While they have decent star power, I can see them struggling in that group. Iran and Wales are no pushovers, and England was a Euro finalist.
That said, I also feel like England may have a hard time this year. Ever since the Euro final, there hasn’t been much to be impressed about England. Relegated to Division B of the UEFA Nations League, they haven’t looked the same. If Gareth Southgate can’t get that England team to at least the semi-finals, there’s little hope of him keeping his job. I would also probably throw Germany on that list.
They have been quite lackluster since they lifted the trophy in 2014. Again, not much to show in the past Euro, but with Hansi Flick at the helm and a cast of new, young stars, there may be some hope for them.
Paolo: In a bid to alienate both my co-hosts on the Golden Goal Show and be forced to record a Castaway-style solo podcast like Episode 67 for the rest of my life—it’s a tie between Mexico and the USA.
Mexico enters the World Cup with too many disgruntled fans and pundits to approach the tournament with a clear head. They also haven’t been done any favors by the calendar, which sees them play Poland first and Argentina second.
The Poland-Mexico game was always likely to determine who would clinch second place in the group behind Argentina. If Mexico loses or even draws against Poland, it sets up a do-or-die matchday two against Argentina, who will be looking to clinch passage to the Round of 16 following their win against Saudi Arabia. It could very well be over after two games. I bet that fourth-game curse doesn’t sound so bad now, huh?
The U.S.’s big question mark is at center-forward. Does Berhalter really plan to play one of Jesus Ferriera, Haji Wright, or Josh Sargent ahead of either Gio Reyna or Timothy Weah? I can’t answer that at this moment. But, if the U.S. wants to keep its most talented attacking players on the field at the same, then none of the true number nines should start.
Is Berhalter a good enough coach to figure out how to play a fluid front three of Christian Pulisic on the left, Weah on the right, and Reyna through the middle? That I can answer. He is not.
The potential for disappointment will be similar. The difference, however, is that I will be rooting for El Tri and will, of course, not be rooting for the baseball players.
Question 3: Who is your favorite to win the Golden Boot this year?
Stephen: I’m all in on the Neymar train. Brazil has been my pick to win the tournament since the draw came out, and to do that, they will need Neymar to be the superstar he is. The PSG playmaker has been in stunning form with 15 goals on the season, and he looks to be having more fun playing than ever before.
This Brazil squad is stocked with plenty of playmakers, so Neymar will not just have to create for himself, but they do need their talisman to provide the finishing touch. With Brazil set for a deep run, he will have plenty of games to make his mark, and he will likely pick up a handful of assists, too, to win any tiebreakers if necessary.
Neymar has been in scintillating form this year (Picture courtesy of CNN)
Othman: There are plenty of high-profile goalscorers this year. With the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and many others, it’s a real toss in the air. However, I can see Karim Benzema getting a number of goals.
The Ballon d’Or winner has only become better with age, and if France can manage to progress far enough, we can see Benzema take home yet another award. His goal-scoring ability and his chemistry with Mbappe are class. We can see both of these top strikers banging in goals left and right. (UPDATE: Benzema will miss the World Cup due to injury)
Paolo: Leo Messi. Argentina will go far this year, perhaps even to the final, and they’ll do it on the back of their leader. He’s never scored a knockout stage goal at the World Cup, and he’ll be eager to change that.
When Argentina won the Copa America in 2021, he finished top scorer. It’s no coincidence that the best Argentina side in years also has La Pulga firing on all cylinders. With the team gelling like never before and committed to Scaloni’s leadership, Messi will be free of the pressure he felt at past World Cups.
Question 4: Which team will be the biggest surprise?
Stephen: I’ll go with Serbia. They have a couple of elite talents in Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Dusan Vlahovic, and Filip Kostic, as well as other talented pieces like Dusan Tadic, Filip Mladenovic, and Aleksander Mitrovic, to name a few. It’s quite possible they can get out of a group containing Brazil, Cameroon, and Switzerland, and once they get to the knockout stages, anything is possible.
The upper-tier talent of their team is very impressive, and they have goal threats throughout the forward line, midfielders, and possibly the subs bench with backups like Luka Jovic. The physicality of the squad impresses me as well, and we all know how this can be seen on set pieces to swing a game.
Finally, they finished undefeated and top of their qualifying group, which included Portugal. Not much is being said about Serbia, and they could certainly surprise the rest of the world.
Othman: I feel as if Senegal has the potential to cause some real upsets! With a strong, united team under Aliou Cisse, the Lions of Teranga can do some real damage this year. Even without Sadio Mane, there are still several amazing players, including Kalidou Koulibaly, Eduoard Mendy, Idrissa Gueye, Ismalia Sarr, and plenty of others.
Their victory in the AFCON 2021 was no miracle. It was the second final in a row, and they managed to lift the cup for the first time. If they manage to get past the group stage, their opposition has to stay on high alert. They’re a true dark horse this time around and are not to be messed with.
Senegal lifted the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year (Picture courtesy of the Daily Sabah)
Paolo: Agreed, Othman! Senegal is unironically playing to win this tournament. It’s not posturing or delusions of grandeur when you’re the reigning champions of Africa. Beating Egypt again in the playoff to qualify for the World Cup just two months later has only strengthened Senegal’s resolve. It was a deserved victory, and they performed in the biggest moments…twice.
The team’s obvious strength is Sadio Mane. But its secret is that Aliou Cisse has created a team that doesn’t rely on Mane. They’re a team, and they’re talented.
Question 5: Which team will rewrite their World Cup history for the better?
Stephen: Canada. Now, the bar is pretty low as their only other World Cup appearance was in 1986 when they finished bottom of their group, conceded five goals, and scored none. However, this side will not only better that, but they will make it to at least the Round of 16.
Their youthful and talented attacking trident of Alphonso Davies, Tajon Buchanan, and Jonathan David is just the type that can do damage on the counterattack against teams like Croatia and Belgium. As for their matchup with Morocco, it is a toss-up, but Canada does have the best player in Davies, who I think will be the ultimate difference-maker. This squad finished first in CONCACAF and will make waves in Qatar.
Othman: This may be a more common shout, but Portugal has some potential. Right now, there is some tension in the camp due to the whole Ronaldo fiasco, but if Fernando Santos can get his team fully focused, there’s a good chance we can see this team get past their best finish, which was a third-place finish in 1966.
There have been some recent struggles in recent years, including failing to escape the group stage in 2014 in a group with Germany, Ghana, and the United States. Or in 2018, when Uruguay knocked them out in the Round of 16. With a team of this quality and this depth, it’s now or never for Portugal to make their people proud and make some real progress. Who knows, perhaps the trophy will have a seat on the Portuguese plane.
Paolo: See above.
Question 6: What’s your dream final?
Othman: I’m sure a mass majority is with me on this, maybe even the whole footballing world, but it has to be Argentina vs. Portugal. The final showdown, the last dance, the final hurrah, the ultimate finale. The world would stand still to watch Ronaldo and Messi go at it one last time.
Stephen: This is a great question, and it allows me to go full homer mode. Picture this: the USA loses to England in the group stage but still manages to finish second behind them and go through. The two intertwined nations fall on opposite sides of the bracket, and England finally plays up to their talent while the U.S. pulls off an improbable run. They meet again, and of course, the Americans win when it matters most, and we party like it’s 1776. A boy can dream.
Paolo: Argentina-Portugal or Brazil-Argentina. My team isn’t in the tournament, so I just want to see the best possible version of a World Cup final with the highest stakes.
The former would essentially be a single contest to decide who is officially the GOAT. And the latter could forever shift the hierarchies of footballing power because if Argentina wins, they would be able to say that they’d beaten Brazil in a final AND produced both Maradona and Messi. Excuse me. I have to go pray about this…