The men’s FIFA World Cup is just around the corner and excitement is building. With that in mind, it’s time to take a deeper look into the 22nd FIFA World Cup. Who are the favourites? Who is going to be the dark horse? Who is going to be the top goal scorer? And of course, who is going to win it all?
The last dance
Before taking a look at the nations and players that are going to light up the World Cup this year, it’s important to acknowledge that this year’s competition may be the last time some of the greats step foot on the world stage. Here are the most legendary players who will most likely feature at their final World Cup:
- Thiago Silva (38) – Brazil
- Dani Alves (39) – Brazil
- Neymar Jr. (30) – Brazil
- Manuel Neuer (36) – Germany
- Thomas Muller (33) – Germany
- Luka Modric (37) – Croatia
- Cristiano Ronaldo (37) – Portugal
- Lionel Messi (35) – Argentina.
Some of these legends have never won the World Cup. Could their final appearance result in winning it for the very first time?
Who is going to top the scoring charts?
From legends of the game to players approaching their prime, who will be the top goal scorer?
Based on the betting odds, the favourite to score the most goals this time around is England’s Harry Kane. The star striker was the top scorer at the 2018 World Cup, and he may just be the top scorer this time around too. However, in recent games, England has been struggling to score goals and it might not be Kane who ends up topping the scoring charts.
The next two favourites to be the top scorer are French superstars Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema. Mbappe, one of Paris Saint Germain’s bright stars at the young age of 24, is already one of the best players in the world and this could be his time to shine on the international stage. Benzema is in the form of his life and on track to win this year’s Ballon d’Or (the most prestigious footballing award given to the best player at the end of each calendar year) and is a solid pick to be the top scorer of the competition.
The final three picks to top the scoring charts are arguably the three best players of this era. Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr. and Cristiano Ronaldo. All three may be playing in their final World Cup and what a way to exit the international stage it could be! Their goals may even help their respective nation to World Cup glory.
This year’s dark horse
At every World Cup, there is always a team that defies expectations and rewrites the script. Like in 2014, when Costa Rica made it to the quarter finals (with everyone predicting them to finish dead last in their group) or South Korea in 2002 making it past star-studded teams like Italy and Spain going all the way to the semi-finals. But who is going to surprise everyone this year? Here are six teams who could go on to defy all odds:
- USA
- Canada
- Poland
- Switzerland
- Senegal
- Wales.
These six nations have the potential to do wonderful things at the World Cup this year. Could one of these teams go on a truly unforgettable run?
The favourites to win the World Cup
With there being many strong teams at this year’s World Cup, only one team can go on to win the grand prize. According to betting odds, South America’s Brazil and Argentina are the two favourites. Both teams are full of stars and are led by two football legends, Neymar Jr. (Brazil) and Lionel Messi (Argentina).
Another strong candidate to win it all is reigning world champions France. Previously mentioned stars Mbappe and Benzema could combine to make quite the partnership, which could lead France to back-to-back victory.
Another nation that could claim World Cup glory is Spain. They play a swashbuckling brand of football and have an array of young stars, players in their prime as well as a few legends. Expect Spain to progress to the latter stages of the competition. They may win the tournament for a second time, with their first win happening in 2010.
The final pick to win the World Cup are former champions Germany. They have a strong team littered with great talent throughout their ranks. In the 2018 World Cup, Germany was embarrassed and finished bottom of their group. With vengeance and redemption on their mind, Germany will be looking to prove a point and show the world how good they can be.
Elite Words World Cup predictions
The team here at Elite Words have made their predictions on who is going all the way and winning the 22nd FIFA World Cup.
Copywriting Intern, Lorenzo Sanni, predicts Australia to win the tournament. He said, “I know that we won’t even make it out of the group but out of blind love and passion I have to pick Australia.”
Knowing how strong Germany are and with redemption on their mind, Senior Content Writer, Ella Boyd, has selected Germany to win this year’s World Cup.
Elite Words Managing Director, Natalie Dawson, has predicted her home country Croatia to win the tournament. In 2018, they made it all the way to the finals but ultimately fell short. Could they go one better and cement their names in World Cup history?
Natalie’s kids have also chosen who they think is going to win the World Cup. Both Markus and Marisa think that the reigning world champions, France, will go back-to-back and win the World Cup once again.
Well, it’s safe to say that the team here at Elite Words is waiting in anticipation for the start of the World Cup. 21 November couldn’t come soon enough, with host nation Qatar facing South America’s Ecuador to kick off the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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The Elite Words team are football fans, but we’re copywriters first. We provide expert copywriting, copyediting and content strategy services.
