Will A South American Team Win the FIFA 2022 Qatar World Cup, Latest Predictions

Will A South American Team Win the FIFA 2022 Qatar World Cup, Latest Predictions

We are just months out from the FIFA 2022 Qatar World Cup, with the first match kicking off on the 21st November between Senegal and the Netherlands, know the latest predictions

The scheduling format is of course very different this year, taking place mid-season in the winter instead of post-season in the summer. This is due to the climate of the host country, Qatar, where their summer temperatures are scorchingly high. Average temperatures of upwards of 40° in the summer compared to around 24° in the winter months mean that for player welfare, FIFA decided it best to move the tournament to a manageable season.

Can A South American Team Win the FIFA 2022 Qatar World Cup, Latest Predictions

This will be the first ever World Cup held in the winter and is sure to be an exciting one at that. Whilst many still ponder over how the scheduling will affect the European club football season, many more will be dreaming of sitting down to Christmas dinner with their country fresh off of becoming world champions. Most of the hopeful’s hail from Western Europe and South America and it is currently Brazil who find themselves as favourites according to Betway, sitting at +500.

Will a South American Team Win the World Cup In The FIFA World Cup 2022 Predictions

Brazil

Canarinho have a long, storied history with the World Cup, winning the tournament on five

separate occasions. Brazil have always boasted some of the most incredible footballing talent in the world with the likes of Pele, Socrates, Ronaldo Nazario and Kaka lighting up our screens over the last half a century. This current crop of players is no different with quality up and down the pitch.

Vinicius Junior, Fabinho, Alisson and of course Neymar are some of the biggest names in European football. They all grace the Brazilian national team with their presence. Overall, A Seleção had an incredible nine champions league winning players in their most recent squad for their fixtures against Korea Republic and Japan.

That kind of experience at club level is invaluable and it reflects in their results on the pitch. They are unbeaten in their last 13 matches with their last loss coming at the hands of fellow South Americans Argentina in the 2021 Copa America final.

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Argentina

Argentina is another team who find themselves in with a chance of winning the World Cup this year, in what will likely be Lionel Messi’s last chance at capturing the coveted trophy. Their win against Brazil in the Copa America last year ended their 28-year trophy drought and Lionel Scaloni’s side are looking good.

Whilst that win was a great achievement in and of itself, there is no doubt that Messi et al are not done yet and plan on using that success as a launchpad for Qatar.

Whilst on paper La Albiceleste’s squad does not look the strongest, their performances under Scaloni have been impressive. Their aggressive, high intensity pressing style has brought much success to the team, and this is reflected in Scaloni’s incredible record so far.

The former wing-back, who also played at international level for Argentina on seven occasions, has lost just four of his 47 matches in charge of the national team. They have now gone over three years without a loss under Scaloni and will be in prime position to keep that record going come their opening group fixture against Saudi Arabia.

Uruguay

Another team in with a punchers chance of winning is Uruguay. Although outsiders at +5000, they still boast a decent amount of talent in their ranks along with established players like Edinson Cavani and Diego Godin.

They actually have an impressive record at the World Cup, reaching the knockout rounds 7 times in 10 appearances and winning the competition twice.

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They will also be boosted in their attacking ranks by recent Liverpool acquisition Darwin Nunez. The striker signed for The Kopites from Benfica in June for a potential club record £85m.

Coach Diego Alonso replaced long standing manager Oscar Tabarez in December, after the latter spent 15 years at the helm. He has settled in well to his new position, winning six of his first seven games so far, drawing one with the USA. A big 3-0 away victory over Mexico has proven that they are not to be taken lightly.

Ecuador

The final contender from South America. Ecuador find themselves as massive +15000 outsiders in what will be just their fourth appearance at a world cup tournament. After failing to qualify for the 2018 Russia World Cup, they kicked on to squeeze through qualifying in 2022.

However, recent reports claim that their position could be in jeopardy amongst allegations that they fielded an ineligible player throughout qualifying. This could possibly lead to an exemption from the tournament.

If they are to play however, the group stage has been relatively kind to them and whilst the Netherlands are fancied to top the group, they have just as good a chance as Senegal and Qatar at qualifying for the knockouts in second place.

South America have just as passionate a love affair with football as Europeans (if not more in Brazil’s case) and their quality has shone through for decades. Whether it’s Messi and Neymar now, Ronaldo and Kaka 20 years ago or Maradona and Socrates 20 years before that; they have always had their share of generational talent.

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It is that same talent that will be striking fear into the hearts and minds of hopefuls all around the world. After 20-years without a World Cup trophy, 2022 looks as good a time as ever to end the drought in South America.

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