World Cup 2022 – Guide

History

Qatar participated in the Asian Cup ten times and won the last edition in 2019. The team participated in the Arab Cup three times and the best result is becoming the runners-up in 1998. Qatar participated in the CONCACAF Gold Cup once and managed to reach the semi-finals. The Arabian Gulf Cup was won three times, and the last time was in 2014. Now Qatar is ranked 51 in the world in the FIFA Rankings.

Kit

Red is the colour of the home kit of Qatar. Below you will find the home kit.

Road to Qatar

Qatar is the host of the World Cup. Therefore, they were placed automatically.

Coach

Félix Sánchez Bas was born 13 December 1975 in Barcelona. After coaching the youth of Barcelona, Sanchez went to coach the Aspire Academy, Qatar U19, Qatar U23 and finally to the main team of Qatar.

Squad

TBC

History

Senegal qualified for the World Cup on three occasions. They participated in 2002 and 2018, and now they will battle group A for the next round. Senegal managed to win the 2021 edition of the Africa Cup 2022. Sadio Mané scored the winning penalty. Sadio Mané is the top scorer of Senegal at the time of writing, and Henri Camara with 99 appearances. Idrissa Gueye and Sadio Mané might be able to overtake his appearances after the World Cup.

Kit

The home kit of Senegal is white with a little green. The second kit is green.

Road to Qatar

Senegal had to battle for first place in Group H with Toga, Namibia and Congo. This wasn’t a problem for the champions of the Africa Cup. Without losing a single match, Senegal ended in first place in the African qualification for the World Cup. They gathered 15 points, while Togo, Namibia and Congo ended up with five points each. After winning the group stage, they only had one obstacle left. It was Egypt which lost the Africa Cup final against Senegal. Mo Salah versus Sadio Mané was a battle once more. After a 1-0 loss in Egypt, Senegal won the home game. After penalties, it was Senegal pushing through to the World Cup.

Coach

Aliou Cissé was born 24 March 1976 in Ziguinchor. As a player, he played for Lille, Paris Saint-Germain, Montpellier, Birmingham City, Portsmouth, Sedan and Nîmes. He managed Senegal U23 from 2013 to 2015. Since 2015 he has managed Senegal.

Best/notable players

Sadio Mané
Mané is one of the most notable players in the world right now. The attacker became the top scorer of the Premier League in the 2019-2020 season together with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mohamed Salah. Before going to Liverpool, Mané played for FC Metz, Red Bull Salzburg and Southampton. He won the Champions League in the 2018-2019 season and the Premier League in 2019-2020. In the year 2022, Mané played the Africa Cup of Nations, League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League final. The chance of Senegal reaching the final of the World Cup seems slim, but it could be his fifth final of 2022!

Kalidou Koulibaly
Born on the 20th of June 1991 in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges. He plays as a centre half. Koulibaly played for Metz, Genk and Napoili. He had played for France U20 before he joined Senegal, where he is the captain and played 60 matches now.

Squad

Not yet known

History

England has participated in the World Cup 16 times. 1950 was the first time the team participated. England managed to become the World Champions in 1966, while the best result at the European Championship is second place in 2020. Harry Kane is the current captain of the team, and he is in second place on the all-time top scorers list of England with 49 goals. Bobby Charlton scored 49 goals as well. The number one is Wayne Rooney, with 53 goals. Peter Shilton has 125 appearances for England and therefore played most matches for the team.

Kit

England’s home kit is white for the most part, with navy blue shorts and white socks. The emblem on the shirt is showing three lions.

Road to Qatar

England managed to qualify for the World Cup by becoming the number 1 in Group I of the World Cup qualifications in Europe. The three Lions bested Poland by getting 26 points, while Poland got 20 points. England started with a 5-0 win over San Marino and a 0-2 win versus Albania. Then the first match against Poland was on the doorstep. Harry Kane scored a penalty in the 19th minute. Moder scored the equalizer in the 58th minute. The game looked to end in a 1-1 draw. However, Reece James scored in the 86th minute to give England a 2-1 win. The next game in Poland’s territory ended in a 1-1 draw. England got a draw versus Hungary as well, but all other games were won. England won against San Marino in the last round by 0-10.

Coach

Gareth Southgate was born on the 3rd of September in 1970. He is the manager of England since 2016, while he managed England U21 and Middlesbrough. He got England to the final of the European Championship in the 2020 edition (which was held in 2021). He also came in third with England at the Nations League in the 2018-2019 season.

England is seen as the home of football because the clubs are said to have been created in England. That is why the English fans created a song about the cup coming home. This is used at World Cups and European Championships.

Best/notable players

This team consists of a lot of stars. So, we had to make a choice between great players like Jude Bellingham, Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling, Kyle Walker and many others. We chose Phil Foden and Harry Kane. Phil Foden is one of the most notable youngsters in the world of football right now. He was born in Stockport on the 28th of May. England is expecting a lot of the 22-year-old midfielder. He has been active for the senior squad of Manchester City since 2017. He was active in all England teams since the 2015-2016 season (England U16). Harry Kane was born on the 28th of July in London. He plays as a striker for Tottenham Hotspur, where he joined the senior team in 2009. Kane is the captain of England and won the golden boot in the Premier League on three occasions (2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2020-2021).

Squad

History

Iran participated in the World Cup six times, and the first time was in 1978. The team didn’t manage to push through to the knock-out stage yet. However, Iran managed to reach the quarter-finals at the Olympic Games of 1976 and win the Asian Cup on three occasions (1968. 1972 and 1976). Javad Nekounam is the player with the most appearances for Iran. Ali Daei is number two with 149 caps, but he is number one on the all-time top scorers’ list of Iran.

Kit

Irans’ home kit is white for the most part, with a little green or red at the sides. The away kit is red, green and white.

Road to Qatar

Iran ranked first in Group A in round three of the WC Qualification in Asia and placed for the World Cup. The Korean Republic came in second with 23 points and placed for the World Cup as well. Iran won all matches except for the two matches versus Korea (1-1 and 2-0). In the third round, Iran was able to come in first as well, with eight wins and two losses.

Coach

Dragan Skočić was born on the third of September in 1968. His place of birth is Rijeka in Croatia. He has been a coach since 2005, when he started coaching Rijeka, after which he coached Interblock, Al-Arabi, Al Nassr, Malavan, Foolad, Khooneh be Khooneh and Sanat Naft. He won the Croatian Cup in the 2005-2006 season and the Slovenian Cup in 2007-2008. He also won the Slovenian Supercup in 2008.

Best/notable players

Sardar Azmoun was born on the first of January in 1995. The 27-year-old forward plays for Bayer Leverkusen, where he wears the number 9 jersey. Before he played for Zenit Saint Petersburg where he scored 52 goals in 79 matches.

Squad

TBD

History

Argentina has been active at the World Cup 17 times and became the champions in 1978 and 1986. Diego Maradona scored a goal with his hand in the 1986 edition of the World Cup. He would later state that it was the hand of god that helped him and Argentina to score. The Copa América has been won 15 times, and Argentina participated 43 times. Lionel Messi is the player that has the most appearances behind his name with 160 caps. He is the all-time top scorer as well, with 81 goals.

The goal of Maradona scoring with his hand can be seen below.

Kit

The home kit of Argentina is blue and white, while the away kit is black.

Road to Qatar

Argentina became the second team of South Africa to qualify for the World Cup. Brazil took away the first spot in the qualification with 45 points, while Argentina came in second with 39 points. Uruguay became the number three at 11 points distance from Argentina with a total of 28 points. Brazil vs Argentina ended in a 0-0 draw, just like the Argentina vs Brazil game.

Coach

Lionel Scaloni was born on the 16th of May in Pujato. In his player career he played for Estudiantes, Deportivo La Coruña, Racing Santander, Lazio and Atalanta among others. He started his coaching career at Sevilla as an assistant. Then he became the assistant in Argentina in 2017 and took over in 2018.

Best/notable players

It is easy to mention Lionel Messi as the most notable player of Argentina. He has the most Ballon d’Ors and is the all-time top scorer of the team. However, there are a lot of starts in the Argentinian team. Think of Nico Tagliafico, Nicolás Otamendi, Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, and Ángel Di Maria. Yet again, we are talking about the most notable players here, and the player with seven Ballon d’Ors should be the one and only player to be the most notable. He played 520 matches for Barcelona and scored 474 goals. At Paris Saint Germain, he doesn’t have a great season. Though in 23 matches, he scored 4 goals, and he had a couple of injuries. In 2021 he won his first Copa América with Argentina. Messi won the Champions League four times and came in second at the World Cup in 2014 when he became the top scorer of the tournament.

Complete Squad

TBD

History

Mexico has been active at the World Cup 15 times. The best result for Mexico was in 1970 and in 1986, when they qualified for the quarter-finals.  At the CONCACAF Gold Cup, they participated 20 times, and Mexico won seven times. Claudio Suárez played the most matches for Mexico with 178 matches, and Javier Hernandez scored the most goals with 52 goals.

Kit

Mexico’s home kit is black with grey stripes, while the away kit is white with red and green elements.

Road to Qatar

Mexico came in second behind Canada. They had the same amount of points but a lesser goal difference. Mexico lost their first points in round 4 in the home match against Canada (1-1). Mexico lost versus the United States with 2-0 and with 2-1 against Canada. In total, Mexico lost twice, won eight times and shared the points in a draw four times.

Coach

Gerardo Martino was born in Rosario on the 20th of November in 1962. Martino was an Argentinian football player and is currently the coach of Mexico. He played more than 500 matches for Newell’s Old Boys. After starting his managerial career at Brown de Arrecifes, he coached Paraguay, Newells’s Old Boys, FC Barcelona, Argentina and Atlanta United.

Best/notable players

Jesús Corona was born on the 6th of January in 1993. He is an attacking midfielder/winger. Currently, he plays for Sevilla FC. He started his professional career at CF Monterrey. Afterwards, he went to FC Twente and FC Porto. He scored 13 goals in 61 matches.

Squad

History

France experienced much of its success in three different eras: in the 1980s, late 1990s/early 2000s and late 2010s, respectively, which resulted in numerous major honours. France was one of the four European teams that participated in the inaugural World Cup in 1930. In 1984, under the leadership of the three-time Ballon d’Or winner Michel Platini, France won UEFA Euro 1984 and reached another two World Cup semi-finals. However, France only began to reach its prime from the 1990s onward.

Portugal won the European Championship in 2016 due to this goal scored by Éder.

Kit

The France national team utilizes a three colour system composed of blue, white, and red. The team’s three colours originate from the national flag of France, known as the tricolour. France normally wears blue shirts, white shorts, and red socks at home. When on the road, the team utilizes an all-white combination or wear red shirts, blue shorts, and blue socks, with the former being the most current.

Road to Qatar

France finished in first place in UEFA Group D on 18 points, winning five of their eight fixtures in an unbeaten campaign. They thrashed Kazakhstan by a whopping score of 8-0, one of three consecutive victories to finish qualifying after being held twice by Ukraine in the first five matches.

Coach

Didier Deschamps has been in charge of France since 2012 and has had quite an impact on the national team. The 1998 World Cup-winning captain has brought great success to Les Bleus, repeating that triumph as a coach in 2018 before rebounding from Euro 2021 disappointment with 2021 Nations League success. Under his stewardship, France also reached the final of Euro 2016, losing 1-0 to Portugal. The main problems Deschamps experiences usually come back to whether or not he can select the right combinations from the plethora of options at his disposal.

Best/notable players

Kylian Mbappé Lottin is considered one of the best players in the world. He is known for his dribbling, speed, and finishing. At international level, Mbappé made his senior debut for France in 2017, at age 18. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Mbappé became the youngest French player to score at a World Cup and became the second teenager, after Pelé, to score in a World Cup Final. He finished as the joint second-highest goalscorer as France won the tournament, and he received the Best Young Player and French Player of the Year awards for his performances.

Squad

Regular starting XI (formation: 3-4-1-2):

Lloris (GK) — Varane, Kounde, Kimpembe — Pavard, Pogba, Tchouameni, T. Hernandez — Griezmann — Benzema, Mbappe

Strengths: counter-attacking speed, depth of quality in all positions that other national teams don’t have, world-class strikeforce (Benzema, Mbappe, Griezmann, Giroud, Ben Yedder)

Weaknesses: lack of traditional No. 10, loyalty to certain players, over-reliance on Mbappe.

History

Radhi Jaïdi, with 105 international matches, holds the record for the number of matches played by the Tunisian national team. While Issam Jemâa, with 36 goals, is the top scorer in the history of the selection. The highest rank achieved by the team in the FIFA World Rankings was 14th place in April and May 2018, while the 65th lowest rank was in July 2010. On 17 November 2020, after securing qualification for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, the Tunisian team became the most consecutive African team in the history of the competition with 15 consecutive participations as it did not miss the tournament in the 1994 edition, breaking the Egyptian team’s record of 14 consecutive participation.

Kit

The home kit usually is white with some red details. The away kit is inverted, red with some white details. The third kit has been described as the best kit in the history of the Tunisian national team. It is black and has grey trims forming an eagle, which is the title of the Tunisian national team, “Eagles of Carthage”.

Road to Qatar

Tunisia qualified for the 2022 World Cup by topping Group B of the CAF region. They won 4 of the 6 games. They lost one and drew one. Tunisia scored 11 goals and conceded just 4 in the process.

Coach

On 23 January 2022, in the Tunisia-Nigeria match in the round of 16 of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Jalal Kadri replaced the first coach, Mondher Kebaier, in leading the team due to his infection with the Covid-19. The match ended with Tunisia winning 1–0. On 30 January 2022, he was appointed as Tunisia’s national team manager after being eliminated from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final against Burkina Faso. He led the team to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Best/notable players

In late 2012, Wahbi Khazri switched his international allegiance. When he accepted a call-up from the Tunisian national team’s coach including him in the squad for the 2013 African Cup of Nations. Khazri is the current captain of the Tunisia national team. He has played over 60 matches and scored 24 goals for the side since 2013. Khazri represented Tunisia at five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Total Squad

TBD

History

Spain is the only national team with three consecutive major titles, becoming the first European team to win a FIFA World Cup outside of Europe in 2010 as well as the only one to win back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012. From 2008 to 2013, Spain won the FIFA Team of the Year, the second-most of any nation, behind only Brazil. From the start of 2007 to the end of 2009, the Spanish national football team achieved 35 consecutive matches undefeated, a feat which they shared with Brazil and what was a world record at the time. Their achievements have led many experts and commentators to consider the 2008–2012 Spanish squad one of the best sides in the history of world football.

Kit

Spain’s kit is traditionally a red jersey with yellow trim, dark blue shorts and black socks, whilst their current away kit is all predominantly white. The colour of the socks altered throughout the 1990s from black to the same blue colour as the shorts, matching either the blue of the shorts or the red of the shirt until the mid-2010s when they returned to their traditional black.

Road to Qatar

Spain qualified for the 2022 World Cup by topping its group in the European Qualifiers. They won 6 matches, drew 1 and lost one match. They scored 15 and conceded 5 goals in the qualifying process.

Coach

In 2018, Luis Enrique was appointed Spain’s head coach for the first time before resigning for family reasons in 2019. He reassumed the position the same year and subsequently led the team to the semi-finals of Euro 2020 and second place in the 2020–21 Nations League.

Best/notable players

Pedri was included in Luis Enrique’s 24-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He became the youngest player ever to represent Spain at the European Championships when he started in the 0–0 draw against Sweden, aged 18 years, 6 months and 18 days. He played all but one minute of Spain’s six matches and had an important impact on Spain’s run to the semi-final, where they were defeated 4–2 on penalties by eventual winners Italy following a 1–1 draw after extra-time. He completed 65 of the 66 passes he attempted. For his performance, he got voted Young Player of the Tournament and was the only Spanish player in the tournament to be named in the Team of the Tournament.

Total Squad

Spain projected World Cup starting XI.

4-3-3 (left to right): Simon (GK) — Carvajal, Laporte, Garcia, Alba — Rodri, Pedri, Koke — Sarabia, Morata, Torres.

Strengths: Midfield has often been a strong area for Spain, and that remains the case as they are able to call upon a mixture of experienced players and talented youngsters.

Spain’s weaknesses: Spain isn’t the most prolific of teams, and they may not be able to compete with some of the other leading nations in terms of attacking firepower.

History

Japan was not a major football force until the end of the 1980s, with a small and amateur team. Since the 1990s, when Japanese football became fully professionalized, Japan has emerged as one of the most successful teams in Asia. They have qualified for the last seven FIFA World Cups with three second-round advancements and won the AFC Asian Cup a record four times. The team has also finished second in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Japan remains the only team from the AFC other than Australia and Saudi Arabia to have reached the final of a senior FIFA men’s competition.

Kit

Japan uses blue and white rather than red and white due to a superstition. Japan first used blue shirts in the 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games. A team of the Tokyo Imperial University represented Japan wearing light blue shirts, and they got a 3–2 victory over Sweden in the first game of its maiden major international competition, the 1936 Summer Olympics. When Japan was coached by Kenzo Yokoyama, the kits were red and white, matching the colours of Japan’s national flag. The red shirt was scrapped after failures at the 1990 FIFA World Cup and 1992 Summer Olympics qualifications.

Road to Qatar

Japan qualified for the World Cup by finishing second in Group B of the AFC qualifiers. Japan’s preparations for the tournament have gone well, having beaten off the challenge of Australia to qualify automatically, but it remains to be seen how well the Samurai Blue will fare when they come up against stronger opposition.

Coach

Hajime Moriyasu was the coach of the under-23 national team preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He will stay on even as his duties were broadened by his new appointment. Moriyasu assisted coach Akira Nishino in the round of 16 in the recent World Cup finals in Russia. On 26 July 2018, with the current coach stepping down, the Japan Football Association appointed Hajime Moriyasu as the new coach of the men’s national team, with an eye to the World Cup in 2022. He led Japan to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Final after defeating Iran 3–0 in the semi-finals, but was defeated in the final 3–1 to Qatar to mark Japan’s first defeat at a continental final.

Best/notable players

Maya Yoshida was part of the Japanese squad that participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics. In January 2011, he was part of the Japanese squad for the Asian Cup. He played regularly and became the champion of Asia together with Japan. Yoshida competed with the Japan Olympic national football team led by national coach Takashi Sekizuka in the 2012 London Olympics. He was one of three dispensation players on the roster and wore the captain’s armband. Yoshida played for Japan in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2015 Asian Football Championship.

Total Squad

NNB

History

Belgium finished in third place as hosts at UEFA Euro 1972. After that, they experienced two golden ages with many gifted players. In the first period, which lasted from the 1980s to the early 1990s, the team finished as runners-up at UEFA Euro 1980 and fourth in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. In the second, under the guidance of Marc Wilmots and later Roberto Martínez in the 2010s, Belgium topped the FIFA World Rankings for the first time in November 2015 and finished third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. To date, Belgium is the only national team in the world to top the FIFA ranking without having won a World Cup or a continental trophy.

Kit

In home matches, the team’s outfield players traditionally wear the colours of the Belgian flag: black, yellow and red. Red dominates the strip and is often the sole jersey colour. The away colours are usually white, black or both; in 2014, the squad introduced a third, yellow kit. Their shirts are often trimmed with tricoloures at the margins.

Road to Qatar

Belgium qualified in Group E of the UEFA qualifiers. They topped the group with 20 points, amassing 6 wins and 2 draws. They scored a total of 25 goals and conceded just 6. Belgium had total possession of 66.8% and a passing accuracy of 88,4% in the European Qualifiers.

Coach

On 3 August 2016, Roberto Martínez signed as coach of the Belgium national team, succeeding Marc Wilmots. In his first match in charge on 1 September 2016, Belgium were defeated 2–0 by his birth country Spain in Brussels. Martinez’s Belgians were the first European side to advance from qualifying into the 2018 FIFA World Cup after their 2–1 win over Greece. Belgium defeated Brazil 2–1 to set up a semi-final against neighbours France, which they subsequently lost 1–0. Belgium defeated England 2–0 in the third-place play-off to secure their best World Cup finish of all time.

Best/notable players

Kevin De Bruyne made his full international debut in 2010, and he has since earned over 80 caps and scored 23 goals for Belgium. He was a member of the Belgian squads that reached the quarter-finals both at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and at UEFA Euro 2016. He represented Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where Belgium won the third-place play-off match against England and was named in the FIFA World Cup Dream Team.

Kevin de Bruyne is one of the best midfielders on the pitch currently. Let’s see what one of the best strikers to have ever played in the Premier League says about the Belgian.

Total Squad

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History

In 1986 they became the first African national football team and only the second national football team from outside Europe and the Americas to reach the second round of the World Cup. In the subsequent round of 16 knockouts, they narrowly lost to eventual runners-up West Germany 1–0. The Atlas Lions were considered one of the best national football teams in the world when they ranked 10th in the FIFA World Rankings in April 1998, as the first African national team in history to be ranked by FIFA in the top ten national football teams. They are also the only African national team in history to have been at the top of the FIFA World Rankings for three consecutive years by FIFA from 1997 to 1999.

Kit

Since gaining independence from France, Morocco’s home colours are mostly red shirts and green shorts and socks, and away colours are usually all white or all green.

Road to Qatar

Morocco finished first in their qualifying group winning all matches and conceding just one goal. This meant they had to play DR Congo. They drew the first match 1-1 but won the second match, convincingly beating them 4-1.

Coach

In August 2019, it was confirmed that Halilhodžić would take over as the Morocco national team’s new manager. His first win came on 10 September when Moroccan beat Niger 1–0 at the Stade de Marrakech. Halilhodzic managed to lead a national team to a World Cup for the fourth time in his career. The former international of the former Yugoslavia previously did this with Ivory Coast (2010 World Cup), Algeria (2014 World Cup) and Japan (2018 World Cup). Halilhodzic did not experience the World Cup in Russia with Japan. In April 2018, he was sidelined by the Japanese Federation.

Best/notable players

Born in Spain to parents from Morocco, Achraf Hakimi represented Morocco at various youth levels before making his international debut in 2016, aged 17, after previously being capped by the nations’ youth teams at under-20. He was chosen in Morocco’s squads for the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019 and 2021. He signed with Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 for a reported fee of €60 million.

Total Squad

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History

Brazil is the most successful national team in the FIFA World Cup, being crowned winner five times: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. The Seleção also has the best overall performance in the World Cup competition, both in proportional and absolute terms, with a record of 73 victories in 109 matches played, 124 goal difference, 237 points, and 18 losses. It is the only national team to have played in all World Cup editions without any absence or need for playoffs and the only national team to have won the World Cup on four different continents.

Kit

The use of blue and white as the second kit colours owes its origins to the defunct latter-day Portuguese monarchy and dates from the 1930s, but it became the permanent second choice accidentally in the 1958 World Cup Final. Brazil’s opponents were Sweden, who also wore yellow, and a draw gave the home team, Sweden, the right to play in yellow. Brazil, who travelled with no second kit, hurriedly purchased a set of blue shirts and sewed on them the badges taken from their yellow shirts.

Coach

In June 2016, Tite was announced as the new coach for the Brazil national team to replace Dunga, who was fired following Brazil’s poor performance at Copa América Centenario. In Tite’s first match in charge of Brazil, a 2018 World Cup qualifying match against Ecuador on 1 September 2016, Brazil prevailed 3–0, with goals from Neymar and Gabriel Jesus. He would then lead his team to seven consecutive victories in qualifying matches, eventually securing a spot at the World Cup in Russia, making them the first team to qualify for the tournament, apart from the hosts. On 14 May 2018, Tite announced the 23-men Brazil squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He would lead the squad to a quarterfinal exit.

Best/notable players

Neymar is the second-highest goalscorer for his national team, with 71 goals in 117 matches for Brazil since debuting at age 18. His participation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2015 Copa América was cut short by injury and a suspension, respectively, before captaining Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men’s football at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Having renounced the captaincy, he featured at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and after missing the 2019 Copa América through injury, helped Brazil to a runner-up finish at the 2021 tournament.

Road to Qatar

Brazil are currently in excellent form, with the Selecao unbeaten since losing the Copa America 2021 final to Argentina. Tite’s team went all the way through World Cup qualifying without suffering a single defeat, and this strength is reflected in Brazil’s standing at No. 1 in the FIFA rankings. They qualified through the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier after finishing first.

Squad

Regular starting XI (formation: 4-2-3-1)

Alisson; Lodi, T. Silva, Marquinhos, Danilo; Fabinho, Fred, Vinicius, Neymar, Raphinha; G. Jesus

Strengths: Along with England and France, Brazil boasts the deepest squad in international football right now. Tite has fielded his Brazil team in a number of different shapes and formations throughout his tenure.

Weaknesses: They have yet to settle on their first choices at left and right back for the 2022 World Cup. Neymar’s scoring record (71 goals in 117 caps) speaks for itself, but the 30-year-old’s role in this Brazil team has been the subject of much debate. That uncertainty could be unhelpful in the build-up to the Finals.

Brazil is always a team that is able to play some magical samba football. Do they have the magic to win the World Cup again?

History

Switzerland’s best performances at the FIFA World Cup were three quarter-final appearances in 1934, 1938 and 1954. They hosted the competition in 1954, where they played with Austria in the quarter-final match, losing 7–5, which today still stands as the highest-scoring World Cup match ever. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Switzerland set a FIFA World Cup record by being eliminated from the tournament despite not conceding a single goal, being eliminated by Ukraine after penalties in the round of sixteen. They did not concede a goal until a match against Chile at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, conceding in the 75th minute, setting a World Cup finals record for consecutive minutes without conceding a goal.

Kit

The Switzerland national team’s traditional home kit is red shirts, white shorts and red socks, with the away kit being reverse with white shirts, red shorts and white socks, although the colours of the shorts and socks are interchangeable if there is a minor clash. Ever since being established in 1895, Switzerland has always had the same colour code, as tradition and homage to the national colours derived from the Swiss flag.

Road to Qatar

Switzerland qualified for the World Cup through their group, which they topped and went undefeated. They won 5 matches and drew 5. The Swiss finished World Cup qualification with a flourish, beating Bulgaria 4-0 at home back in November to underline their place at the top of Group C as they booked an automatic spot in Qatar.

Coach

On 9 August 2021, Yakin was appointed as the manager of the Switzerland national football team. In qualifying for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar, when in Belfast, Northern Ireland kept the then current European Champion Italy from scoring for 93 minutes resulting in a 0-0 draw, and making Switzerland top of the group, and thus avoiding a Swiss barrage, he sends 9.3 kilos of Swiss chocolate to the Irish Football Association.

Best/notable players

Granit Xhaka is the captain of the Swiss team. Xhaka was part of the Swiss team that won the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He made his senior debut in 2011 and has won 100 caps, representing the nation at the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and 2018 and the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and 2020.

Xherdan Shaqiri, a full international since 2010, Shaqiri has earned over 100 caps and scored 26 goals for Switzerland. Making him the country’s seventh-highest goalscorer. He represented the nation at 2010, 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, as well as UEFA Euro 2016 and UEFA Euro 2020.

Total Squad

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History

Portugal won the EURO 2016 by beating France in the final after a winner in extra time. They have also recently won the UEFA Nations League by beating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final. Portugal will be playing in its sixth consecutive World Cup, with its skipper Cristiano Ronaldo playing his fifth. Portugal’s World Cup record is 14 matches won, 6 drawn, and 10 lost while scoring 49 and conceding 35 goals. They will look to add to this tally at the 2022 World Cup.

Coach

Fernando Manuel Fernandes da Costa Santos is the Portuguese national team manager and former player who played as a defender. He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 161 games and two goals over eight seasons, almost always with Estoril. After retiring, he worked as a coach for several decades, starting out at his main club in 1988. Santos managed Portugal’s Big Three, winning five major titles with Porto. Subsequently, he led Portugal to victory in the Euro 2016 and the 2019 Nations League, which were the first two major titles in the nation’s history.

Kit

Portugal’s traditional home kit is mainly red with green trim, reflecting the colours of the nation’s flag. Over the years, the particular shade of red has alternated between a darker burgundy and a lighter scarlet.

Best/notable players

Cristiano Ronaldo

Often considered the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Or awards and four European Golden Shoes, the most by a European player. He has won 32 trophies in his career, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, one UEFA European Championship, and one UEFA Nations League. Ronaldo holds the records for most appearances (183), most goals (140), and assists (42) in the Champions League, most goals in the European Championship (14), most international goals by a male player (115), and most international appearances by a European male (186). He is one of the few players to have made over 1,100 professional career appearances and has scored over 800 official senior career goals for club and country.

Road to Qatar

Portugal fought for qualification in group A amongst Serbia, Ireland, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan. They finished second, just behind Serbia. Therefore they advance to the play-offs instead of direct qualification. They first faced Turkey, who they beat 3-1. After that, they beat North Macedonia 2-0 to qualify for their sixth consecutive World Cup.

Total Squad

Regular starting XI (formation: 4-3-3):

Anthony Lopes (GK) — Nuno Mendes, Ruben Dias, Pepe, Joao Cancelo — Joao Moutinho, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva — Diogo Jota, Cristiano Ronaldo, Otavio.

Strengths: Great coverage in most positions across the pitch with a string of midfield options. Midfield runs and goalscoring ability of Bernardo Silva. Diogo Jota’s roaming role, causes major problems for the opposition, creating chances for both himself and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Weaknesses: Lack of pace in one centre-back slot, with either Pepe or Jose Fonte. A bad habit of missing lots of chances based on the volume created.

History

Uruguay has won the Copa América 15 times, alongside Argentina the most titles in the history of that tournament. Uruguay’s most recent title is the 2011 edition. The team has won the FIFA World Cup twice, including the first World Cup in 1930 as hosts, defeating Argentina 4–2 in the final. Their second title came in 1950, upsetting host Brazil 2–1 in the final match, which has the highest attendance for a football match ever.

Kit

Uruguay has worn a light blue shirt since 1910. They display four stars in their emblem. This is unique in world football as two of the stars represent the gold medals received at the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics, which are the only editions recognised by FIFA as senior World Championships.

Road to Qatar

Uruguay qualified for the 2022 World Cup after finishing 3rd in the CONMEBOL qualifiers. They reached qualification after beating Peru 1-0, meaning they couldn’t be overtaken by the 5th and 6th place. This win also meant that Ecuador qualified for the World Cup.

Coach

Alonso was appointed manager of Uruguay on 14 December 2021, replacing Óscar Tabárez, who had occupied the position for the previous 15 years. On 24 March 2022, after four wins in his first four games in charge, he secured qualification for the World Cup in Qatar. Alonso began working as a coach in 2011, being in charge of clubs in Uruguay, Paraguay, Mexico and the United States and leading Pachuca to the 2016 Clausura and the 2016–17 CONCACAF Champions League titles.

Best/notable players

Luis Suárez is Uruguay’s all-time leading goalscorer and has represented his nation at three editions of the FIFA World Cup and four editions of the Copa América, as well as the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. Suárez has been a source of controversy throughout his career. As well to his goal-line handball against Ghana at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he has also bitten opponents on three occasions. Suárez has also been accused of and admitted to diving, and in 2011, the FA found him guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra.

Squad

TBC