Friday 1st April marked the day that the groups were drawn for the much-anticipated 2022 edition of the football World Cup. However, there were no April Fools’ moments this time around as the 29 qualified nations (plus eight hopefuls whose place in Qatar is still subject to victory in one or more play-off matches) learned their fate come November.
Normally, these tournaments always throw up a so-called ‘Group of Death’ which contains at least three heavyweight teams who could reasonably lay claim to winning the tournament. While that didn’t quite happen this time around, Group F was particularly eye-catching in terms of the competitiveness of the teams within it and the difficulty of predicting who would qualify.
For those who like to visit betting sites such as those listed at https://www.sportsadda.com/tips-and-predictions/betting-sites and lay a wager on who may progress, we take a look at each of those teams in isolation below.
Belgium
Currently ranked as the number one team in the world by FIFA, Belgium has to be the odds-on favorite to qualify from Group F. However, that ranking papers over the fact that Belgium has never actually won any major international tournament, with their solitary success story a gold medal at the 1920 Olympics. This, alongside the fact that many of the stars of their so-called golden generation are now entering their twilight years, could mean that progress from the group may not be quite such a foregone conclusion as many people are predicting.
Canada
Canada has surprised almost everyone in their World Cup qualifying campaign, producing a spectacular run of results to secure their flight to Qatar with games to spare. Of course, it should be acknowledged that their biggest rivals in CONCACAF qualifying are a USA team that is talented but inconsistent and a Mexican outfit that’s clearly on the wane. Nonetheless, Canada has only ever qualified for the World Cup once before (in 1986) and with exciting stars such as Jonathan David, Alphonse Davies, and Cyle Larin on their books, they could just be this year’s surprise package.
Morocco
Morocco enjoyed a flawless qualifying campaign this time around, winning six out of six, scoring 20, and conceding just once. After that, they easily brushed aside the Democratic Republic of Congo in their two-legged play-off by an aggregate score of 5-2 to book their place at their sixth World Cup. After a disappointing showing in 2018, they’ll be eager to put the record right this time around and with the supreme talents of players like Achraf Hakimi, Hakim Ziyech, and Youssef En-Nesyri at their disposal, they will fancy their chances of getting out of the group.
Croatia
Beaten finalists in 2018, Croatia is not quite the force that took France all the way in Russia four years ago. Many of that team have retired or passed their peak, yet they still have a dynamic and creative team at their disposal. Players like Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic, and Domagoj Vida can provide guidance and wisdom to young starlets such as Josip Stanisic, Luka Sucic, and Josip Brekalo, while stalwarts such as Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic and Mislav Orcic are now entering the prime of their careers. Write them off at your peril.
Although Belgium is the clear front runner in Group F, any one of the other three teams could join them in the knockout stage – or even overhaul the number one ranked nation in the world altogether.
