While there are endless negatives surrounding the 2022 FIFA World Cup which have been (rightly) covered and discussed, I – like the vast majority – am still looking forward to it, at least from a solely footballing perspective.
My national team has now gone twenty years without making it to the showpiece, so I am well-versed in being a neutral and picking out a handful of teams from around the globe which I can take a particular interest in when the tournament comes around, or at least am glad to see have qualified, for one reason or another.
So now that we have our thirty-two finalists, here are a few teams I’m looking forward to seeing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup*.
*Subject to so, so much change of the next few months!
Wales and Canada
Two very different sides but they make this list for the same main reason. Both will be making their second respective appearance at the finals, both after long droughts; Canada previously appeared in 1986 while Wales have been waiting since they were knocked out in the 1958 quarter-finals by Brazil who had some lad called Pele scoring the winner.
It wasn’t a vintage qualification process for debutants; once Mali fell at the final hurdle in Africa it became apparent the only new team we have this time around are our rather unpopular hosts Qatar, so getting behind exciting first-timers isn’t much of an option. In fact, other than Canada, Wales and the Qataris, there are only five other sides who weren’t at Russia 2018, but they were all in Brazil in 2014. With a distinct lack of freshness elsewhere, the Dragons and Canucks provide much-needed variety to this year’s line-up.
After their exploits in 2016, the novelty seemed to have worn off Rob Page’s Wales as they were dumped out of Euro 2020, and few neutrals would have wanted them to stand in Ukraine’s way of qualifying last week. However, the outpouring of joy seen in the principality at reaching a first World Cup in 64 years was hard not to get swept up in, plus it is difficult not to feel delighted for Gareth Bale, their unreasonably-criticised world class talisman who will get a chance to prove his doubters wrong on the biggest stage – something top talent from so-called smaller nations don’t always get the chance to do.
Canada, meanwhile, didn’t merely sneak into a qualifying spot, they were the number one team from CONCACAF, playing an exciting brand of football under Englishman John Herdman who has Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David and Cyle Larin at his disposal, among others, in a well-balanced team which mixes youth and experience. They only lost twice in qualifying, with one defeat coming after qualification was confirmed, and now have the chance to change the footballing landscape in their country.
The Canadians have a very tough group which contains two of 2018’s top four. They begin Group F against Belgium, then face Croatia, and will hope to still have a chance to progress when they play Morocco. I believe they can cause an upset and take a point against one of the Europeans, and if they can advance with a win against Morocco, I fancy them to do it.
Wales begin their Group B campaign against the United States, then face Iran before a rematch with England. The first game for Wales is key, lose that and they’ll be playing catch-up and Iran are not the easiest side to break down. They won’t want too much riding on the England game.
Argentina
Form going into World Cups is usually to be taken with a pinch of salt, especially when South American sides are concerned. Take Brazil; awful in qualifying by their standards for 2002, but at the finals in Japan & Korea they were unstoppable. Fast forward to 2018, Brazil become a force again after appointing Tite, qualifying at a canter, before a handful of distinctly average displays in Russia.
So it is with that caveat that I’m trying not to get too enlivened by their neighbours, Argentina, and the possibility of a fairy tale World Cup victory for Lionel Messi.
Not losing once since the 2019 Copa America, they were therefore unbeaten in qualifying (as were the Brazilians), plus La Albiceleste won their first major trophy with Messi a year ago at the 2021 Copa America, before dismantling Italy in the Finalissima at Wembley a fortnight ago. Italy looked a shadow of their former selves, but Argentina fully deserved the 3-0 win; Messi very much the orchestrator.
With Lautaro Martinez and Angel di Maria in support, Messi is part of a front three which may not be as strong as the best ones he’s lined up in at club level, but it seems to have the most cohesion of all his previous Argentine ones. With Emi Martinez in goal, Lionel Scaloni’s side have filled a position they were clearly lacking in Russia, where they limped through the group stage and then came up short in a classic against France.
There are still question marks surrounding their defence which leads my head to say they won’t go all the way in Qatar, but it’s the World Cup! My heart rules over my head on such occasions, and of the favourites and usual suspects, they are the side I’d love to see lift the trophy.
Argentina shouldn’t face as much pressure to make it through the group this time; they’re in Group C where they begin against Saudi Arabia, then face Mexico and Poland. The latter two have potential to cause problems, but I fancy Argentina to take at least seven points. If things go as expected – which they never do in the World Cup – then they’ll meet France or Denmark in the Last 16.
Ecuador
One of the sides last seen in 2014, I’m excited to see how Gustavo Alfaro’s men get on in Qatar. That is if they are able to compete, with Chile launching a complaint to FIFA, stating that Bryan Castillo was ineligible for the eight qualification matches he took part in. A decision is expected in the coming days.
Presuming they will be at their fourth finals, El Tri will want to build on an impressive CONMEBOL qualification campaign, which despite going in to ranked 64th in the world, ninth of the ten South American sides, they were very much the best of the rest behind Brazil and Argentina, taking points off both and registering a 6-1 win over Colombia and a 4-2 against Uruguay.
They ended up in fourth, behind Uruguay, but were only pipped on the final day, long after already-qualified-Ecuadorian feet had been taken off the gas. With the three former winners the only other South American representatives, Ecuador fit the criteria of those who are on the lookout for something a little different.
Michael Estrada very much impressed me in qualifying, with six goals, plus veteran Enner Valencia’s experience still comes in very handy. Over the June international break they kept three clean sheets in three against Nigeria, Mexico and Cape Verde respectively, which suggests they’re ticking over quite nicely and though many leagues and clubs are represented in the squad – from England to Turkey to Argentina to United States – a real cohesion has developed in that striking yellow and navy kit.
Ecuador will be Qatar’s first opponents on the opening day in Group A; it will be a tough opener against hosts who will be desperate for a strong start. It won’t get any easier, with the Netherlands next up, then the champions of Africa, Senegal, to round things off. In a wide open group, for me, everything rides on that first fixture, but at least history is on Ecuador’s side, as CONMEBOL sides have a great World Cup record against AFC opponents.
A few honourable mentions
Let’s be honest, it’s great to see a rejuvenated Netherlands back at the World Cup. Missing out on Euro 2016 was a shock, but when they registered a big, fat DNQ for Russia 2018 were were starting to miss them. Plagued by constant talk of whether Frank de Boer was the right man for the job at Euro 2020, they were rather hit-and-miss a year ago, but with Louis van Gaal in the dugout again they look almost back to their best, beginning their Nations League campaign with a 4-1 hammering of neighbours Belgium. I can’t wait to see Doha stands bedecked in orange come November.
As for the final two sides to qualify, Costa Rica and Australia, I’m glad they both came through their inter-continental play-offs victorious, for nothing more than the extremely-tenuous reason of… Geography! Every World Cup needs at least one Central American nation who could do anything from crash out of the group without a point, to narrowly miss out on the semi-finals, and Los Ticos are very much the team for that job! As for the Socceroos, despite not being an OFC team for a while now, qualifying regularly is doing wonders for the game in Oceania, so in my opinion, it is always positive to see that corner of the globe represented.
So there you have it, half a dozen or so teams who (for now) I’m wishing well or at least keeping an eye on in the run up to Qatar 2022. I’m sure my own opinions will change a little over the next few months, but either way, despite so much negativity around this year’s event, I’ll be doing my utmost to find as many ways as I can to get excited about it.
Anthony Tomas Sport 