FIFA is a disgrace. I hope Gianni Infantino is forever smeared for the comments he made when defending the tournament this past week. I also hope that Sepp Blatter never has the opportunity to do anything relevant in the world ever again. Qatar should not be hosting this tournament. Unfortunately, it is. If you will not watch because your values and morals prohibit you to do so, then you are a better man than I. Anyways, here are some storylines to look out for during the 2022 World Cup.
Oh Canada! Oh Baby!
I hate our national team announcer. If someone at Bell Media can hire a fifty-year-old British man to commentate our games I would really appreciate it. Canada’s only appearance in the men’s World Cup was in 1986, or thirty-six years ago. The 2022 Canadian national team will be led by young international superstars Alphonso Davies and Johnathan David, while veterans like Milan Borjan and Atiba Hutchinson will be supporting a very young team. Canada has never scored a goal in the World Cup but I really feel that this team is different. Our group is formidable, as Belgium, Croatia and Morocco are all ranked in the top twenty-five in the world. However, Belgium and Croatia are bringing old squads, while Morocco lacks the star power that Canada brings to the tournament. It would not be surprising if the Canadians got out of the group, let alone score a goal. Anyone remember Costa Rica in 2014? Please dream Canadians, they may come true.
Les Bleus May Turn Blue
France is a heavy favorite to go far in this tournament. The defending champions have one of the most talented and star-studded rosters in the world. Narcissistic wonderkid Kylian Mbappe will look to further cement his place as the best player in the world and possibly the best French player ever. The majestic Zinedine Zidane could not win two World Cups, let alone two in a row. However, Les Bleus are faced with two significant problems. First, injuries have really hit their squad hard. Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante were the engines of the midfield in 2018. Both of them are injured long-term. Karim Benzema just won the Ballon D’or for his incredible 2021 season. He just picked up an injury in training this week and is confirmed out of the entire tournament. Injuries have been unkind to France. Secondly, and most importantly, France will be tested by the holder’s curse. Since France’s triumph in 1998, the winner of the World Cup has often crashed out of the group stage ever since. France, Italy, Spain, and Germany have all fallen victim. Only Brazil was spared in 2006. France must tread carefully.
Last Hurrahs
For arguably the two greatest players ever—Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo—this is likely their last appearance at the World Cup. Messi had his chance to lift the trophy in 2014 in Brazil, but Germany ended up prevailing. Ronaldo has had brilliant moments like his hat trick in 2018 against Spain, but has generally not been able to go too deep into the tournament. Messi is thirty-five, while Ronaldo is thirty-seven. Rumours have already begun to swirl over Messi’s retirement from Europe’s top leagues, with Inter Miami being very interested in bringing the superstar Argentine to the States. Meanwhile, Ronaldo just recently finished a scathing interview with Piers Morgan where he demolished Manchester United and called Wayne Rooney ugly. What would a World Cup do for Messi? For many, it would cement his status as the GOAT. For Argentinians, he would finally be in the conversation with the great Maradona. What would a World Cup do for Ronaldo? For many, it would cement his status as the GOAT. For the Portuguese, he already is the greatest player their country has ever produced, but he would have won both major international trophies for Portugal. Major legacy points are at stake for both.
Brute or Beauty?
The English were credited with the creation of association football. However, England has been in a trophy drought since 1966. The Three Lions under Gareth Southgate deploy a pragmatic approach where defensive solidity overrides offensive brilliance. This is despite England being forward-rich, with Kane, Saka, Sterling, and Grealish leading the lines. England is forever hated by every other footballing nation in the world because their fans are often pompous and arrogant. They have reason to be this time around. But my brain tells me Southgate will limit this team once again. If the English created the game, then the Brazilians made it beautiful. Brazil has not won a World Cup since 2002, but are the favourite once again. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of Pele, Romario, and Ronaldo, Neymar knows that this may be his last tournament while he is at his physical peak. Flanked by young talent like Vinicius Junior, Gabriel Jesus, and Antony, Brazil is the odds-on-favourite to add a sixth star to their crest.
The Missing
Gli Azzurri won Euro 2020 against England in Wembley. This was supposed to re-establish the Italians as a major force again. They were embarrassed by North Macedonia 1-0 in the semi-final of the World Cup qualification play-in. This is the second straight World Cup that Italy will miss. Clearly the Italian FA has some real soul searching to do. Also not attending is Sweden, who has accumulated young talent after the closing of the Zlatan era. They should feature heavily in future tournaments. You may have heard of Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland breaking Premier League records in his first season at Manchester City. Well, Norway were not able to qualify for the tournament. He can hang out with Mohammed Salah, since Egypt were also unable to qualify. Finally, Russia has not qualified as they were suspended due to their invasion of Ukraine. Next time, refrain from invading your neighbours and you can try again.