The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be known as the Tournament of Upsets with great World Cup picks. Now that the knockout stage has concluded, the final 16 teams are significantly different from what many oddsmakers and football enthusiasts predicted before the legendary competition.
Argentina Still Focused As They Draw Australia
Australia’s Cinderella narrative has been intriguing, from a difficult start to the World Cup to a knockout game, but it ends here as the latest World Cup predictions have it.
Even though Lionel Messi and his team fell to Saudi Arabia, they still have a chance to prove themselves in the semifinals due to their victories over Mexico and Poland.
Argentina is the overwhelming favorite to win this match, and it’s easy to understand why. France defeated Australia 4-1 in their lone group-stage contest against a quality team. Argentina wasn’t particularly beautiful during the group stage, but when have they ever been? Argentina is particularly adept at finding ways to win despite playing poorly.
The Albiceleste might face the Netherlands in the quarterfinals if they defeat Australia, but the Dutch must first defeat a formidable United States squad.
Argentina entered the World Cup undefeated in its previous 36 games. They had great aspirations of capturing the trophy for the third time, but coach Lionel Scaloni has downplayed their chances.
The Socceroos, on the other hand, will be aiming for a better tournament than they had in 2006, when they were eliminated by eventual champions Italy in a particularly cruel manner.
Marco Materazzi was sent off just after halftime, but the Italians persisted until Francesco Totti converted a penalty kick in the 96th minute to advance them to the quarterfinals.
Even if Australian fans are still ecstatic about what transpired against Denmark, they must remain composed and continue. They must hope lightning strikes again against Argentina to prevent Messi’s farewell celebration, as Saudi Arabia did.
Brazil Still Favorites
Brazil triumphed in their group and advanced to the next round. This year, they are the favorite to win the event. Alisson Becker, who may be the finest goalkeeper in the world, Richarlison, who is a brilliant scorer, and Vinicius Junior, who is likely to become a superstar, provide a solid foundation.
Casemiro and Fabinho, two experienced defensive midfielders, may make opponents nervous and assist their team in regaining possession of the ball. They have the best possible attackers on the front line.
But it’s not only because they have Neymar and the best talent in the world at the moment. Instead, it is because Brazil is greater than the sum of its parts for the first time in a long time.
The fact that Richarlison scored two goals in the team’s first match against Serbia is encouraging. However, star forward Neymar has a sprained ankle and is temporarily sidelined, although he could return in the knockout phase. Despite his absence, the team defeated Switzerland 1-0 and advanced to the next round.
Brazil advanced to the next round after defeating Serbia and Switzerland in the group round. Still, they fell 1-0 to Cameroon on Friday while most of their regular players were on vacation because they had already advanced.
Neymar will be almost the same age as Pelé when he retires from international soccer, having won three World Cups. Brazil, and he will be keener than ever to make a favorable impression.
Don’t Overlook The Underdogs
Much has been made about the World Cup’s favored teams, but what about those that could surprise everyone? Indeed, it is time to wager on long shots. Everyone adores a dark horse, typically a squad that makes you feel good because of one or more players, a system, or even their style of play.
Serbia, who was undefeated in qualifying, might make a “Croatia-like jump,” while Senegal, despite Sadio Mane’s injury-related absence for the first two games, “could become a real handful.”
World soccer fans were stunned when Japan defeated Spain and Germany to win Group E. When the Samurai Blue trailed Spain 1-0 at halftime, it appeared they would be eliminated. Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka scored in the second half to secure the Samurai Blue a 2-1 victory and the lead in the rankings over La Roja.
The Atlas Lions’ World Cup campaign has been a tremendous success thus far, with the team proving World Cup expert picks outcomes. They began with a tie against the 2018 champions before shocking everyone with a 2-0 victory over Belgium. Then, when the qualification chance was still questioned, they maintained composure and defeated Canada 2-1.