Who to Root for at the 2022 World Cup: A Totally Objective Guide
The 2022 World Cup will begin Sunday, November 20, as hosts Qatar kick off against Ecuador at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. The United States Men’s National Team will play Wales in their first match on November 21 at 2 p.m., and you can catch all the games on FOX Sports.
There’s been all manner of controversy around FIFA’s decision to award the tournament to Qatar, including that the winter timing has disrupted the club season in Europe’s top leagues, where most of the best players have day jobs. Injuries have been a problem in the lead-up, with some big names ruled out—defending champions France have been hit particularly hard, with Paul Pogba and Christopher Nkunku among the casualties—and some observers have blamed the short turnaround between the final club matches last weekend and the tournament kickoff a week later. A handful of World Cup stalwarts—Italy, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Chile, Colombia—also failed to qualify.
Still, there are a lot of bold-face names in attendance, and there are some spicy battles brewing. Groups F (Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia), G (Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon), and H (Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea) are shaping up as the trickiest, though the USA’s Group B is no joke. No matter the particulars, this thing is always fun when it rolls around every four years. Here’s a totally objective guide to who you should support for the next six weeks or so.
Team USA
OK, our rep for objectivity has already taken a hit here. But how could you not root for this daring young team after reading our profile of six key players who represent a generation of American soccer players unlike any who’ve come before? You’ve heard this story every four years, we know, but this isn’t Freddy Adu or even Landon Donovan. We’ve got guys playing at Europe’s biggest clubs and in the biggest leagues, including the Champions League. There are some question marks at center forward and center back, for sure. But look for Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna wreaking havoc in attack, Brenden Aaronson pulling the strings just behind or alongside them, and the trifecta of Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Yunus Musah battling in the midfield trenches against Wales, England, and Iran. That England match on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has the makings of a real cultural phenomenon.
Argentina
Lionel Messi said this week that he won’t play for much longer, which is a genuine tragedy for the sport. (Even fans of his greatest rival, who’s got his own problems, might agree.) He is the great one, the best to ever do it, and he’s back in imperious form at Paris Saint-Germain this season. Somehow, though, this prize has always eluded him, even when he dragged Argentina to the final in 2014. Some have blamed his supporting cast in the past, but this time around, they’re solid from back to front: Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez are formidable in central defense, while Messi is joined by names like Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, and Julian Alvarez in attack. The quality in midfield may be a half-step lower, but Argentina is among the favorites in a tournament known for its slim margins, where the balance is often tipped by star power. There is no brighter star than the little genius who wears the number 10—the dribbler, the finisher, the instinctive creator, the free-kick maestro. Enjoy it while you can.
Denmark
A sentimental pick here, with Christian Eriksen making his return to the world stage after the great horror of his fall at Euro 2020, when he was a victim of cardiac arrest. He is a master playmaker, the conductor of the orchestra, and Denmark will need to summon all of his talent to make a run. Granted, they made it pretty far even without him at the Euros, powered by the stoic heroism of Simon Kjaer in defense and the ferocious Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in central midfield. The Danes have a relatively easy ride in Group D, drawn against minnows Tunisia and Australia along with a world-champion France squad weakened by injury.
Ghana
The African delegation to this World Cup lacks the power of some previous editions, with Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire and Mo Salah's Egypt missing the cut. The Black Stars, however, are a serious outfit. Daniel Amartey and Tariq Lamptey will bring Premier League quality to the defense, while brothers Jordan and André Ayew will cause trouble around the opposition box. Iñaki Williams is the real danger man up front, though, and the fulcrum of the whole machine is Thomas Partey in central midfield. He has been imperious for Premier League leaders Arsenal this season, a wondrous combination of physical brawn and silky touch and tactical savvy. He has that thing that’s difficult to teach: he knows where everyone is on the field at all times. They’ll need all of that in Group H. With Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, World Cup specialists Uruguay, and a South Korean side powered by Son Heung-min, it is shaping up as the (relative) Group of Death.
Serbia
The stylish Serbs have one of the more high-octane offenses in the tournament. They’ve got a pair of big-boy strikers in Aleksandar Mitrović and Dušan Vlahović who will stuff defenders in lockers before they put the ball in the net. Behind them is Dušan Tadić, the classy attacking midfielder, and farther back you can find more quality in Filip Kostić and Sergej Milinković-Savić. The latter’s younger brother, Vanja, will start in goal. They’ve got a rough ride in Group G, with Brazil, Cameroon, and Switzerland on the fixture list, and that last matchup has an added element: Granit Xhaka, the Swiss captain, was born in Basel to a family with roots in Kosovo.
Canada
In the interest of North American solidarity, we ought to point out that our neighbors to the north have gotten pretty good. They topped qualifying out of CONCACAF, finishing ahead of the U.S. and Mexico. They’re led by Alphonso Davies, a star at German giants Bayern Munich who was born in a Ghanaian refugee camp after his parents fled civil war in Liberia. Davies is a nightmare for defenders, all fleet-footed skill and lightning pace, blowing by people through sheer athleticism at times. But he’s got help in forward Jonathan David and midfielders Stephen Eustáquio and Atiba Hutchinson. They’ll need everyone if they’re going to clamber out of Group F, where Croatia and Belgium will be the favorites.
Speaking of which…
Belgium
It’s tempting to pick Croatia in this group, with another legend in Luka Modric making his final bow on this stage. But we already awarded that slot to Messi and Argentina, and besides, Belgium could be the most fun team in this tournament. My highly objective assessment is that Kevin De Bruyne is the best midfielder in the world, piling industry on top of prodigious talent. He is one of the best strikers of the ball, with superhuman vision for a pass and an ability to power past defenders like a dribbling locomotive. He’s part of quite a cast from back to front: Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois in goal, veteran stalwarts Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld in central defense, Youri Tielemans and Axel Witsel and Yannick Carrasco in midfield. Up front, Romelu Lukaku is due for an explosive performance after a difficult few years at club level. So is Eden Hazard, once one of the world’s most terrifying attackers. Should they fail, there are players all over the squad who can score goals.
Japan
They brushed the Americans aside in the penultimate warmup match for this tournament, a defeat comprehensive enough to heat up U.S. Coach Gregg Berhalter's seat by a few degrees. After all, his team didn't have a shot on target, and a skilled and highly organized Japanese defense can take some credit for that. They're led by Takehiro Tomiyasu, the versatile Arsenal defender, but the Samurai Blue have some decent attacking talent as well in Junya Ito and Daichi Kamada. In midfield, look for Wataru Endo and Takefusa Kubo as Japan seeks to pick off one of Spain or Germany to escape the group at their expense.
Brazil
Fuck it, just enjoy the ride. The Brazilians are due for a World Cup win—they last won (their fifth) in 2002—and this particular group is out of this world. They’ve got two top goalkeepers in Ederson and Alisson, a strong anchor in defense with Thiago Silva and Marquinhos, midfield class in Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães and Lucas Paqueta, and the most formidable forward line in the tournament next to France. Vinicius Jr., Gabriel Jesus, Richarlison, Antony, Gabriel Martinelli, Raphinha, Rodrygo—they all play for clubs at the very highest level. The jewel in the crown, though, is Neymar: he’s been back to his very best for PSG, with 18 goals in 25 matches and plenty of samba magic to wash it all down. He is, in another truly objective statement, the best flair player since Ronaldinho. If you can stomach his histrionics—that is, the amount of time he spends writhing on the ground—he's a joy to watch.
Let’s see what this fabulously talented group can do amid France’s injuries—they’ve still got Kylian Mbappé and Karim Benzema, to be fair—and uncertain forecasts for Spain and the Netherlands. Add in England and the aforementioned Argentina, and this is your cast of favorites to lift the trophy. Oh, and Germany. Never bet against Germany at an international tournament.
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