One big question about every team in Qatar

The World Series is conscionable hardly successful the rearview. The NBA play is rolling and dramatic, portion American shot is arsenic aggravated arsenic ever. The European nine shot play deed intermission lone astir 2 minutes ago. Thanksgiving is approaching quickly, and you person to marque plans. The predetermination was a lot. And hey, work's conscionable been a beast lately.

The FIFA World Cup snuck up connected you, successful different words. It's good to admit it. It was bound to happen. This glorious lawsuit was perfectly dropped into conscionable astir the astir inconvenient imaginable clip of the year, and portion you cognize however important it is, and you decidedly privation to get the astir retired of it, you've travel to recognize you're moving retired of time.

Needless to say, ESPN has you covered from an wide sum standpoint. We've told you astir the 50 champion footballers astatine the World Cup. We've predicted each game (E+). We've ranked erstwhile tournaments. We've talked astir "sportswashing" arsenic it pertains to the big nation, Qatar.

We've tried to introduce you to the Qataris and migrant workers who really comprise the state too, but let's accidental you consciousness similar you conscionable privation to cognize a little spot much astir each squad taking the tract successful the coming days: storylines, cardinal players, the unusual paths to get present and the favorable tourney draws.

Allow maine to capable successful that gap. Let's locomotion done the tract of 32 1 past clip earlier everything gets underway.

GROUP A

Odds to beforehand to knockout rounds (per Caesars Sportsbook): Netherlands -1200 (equivalent to 92%), Senegal -105 (51%), Ecuador +105 (49%), Qatar +400 (20%)

Louis van Gaal's past go-round. Netherlands similar familiarity. Over the past 30 years, they've hired Dick Advocaat arsenic manager 3 times and Guus Hiddink twice. They've hired erstwhile Dutch stars similar Marco van Basten and Frank de Boer, and erstwhile the squad disappointed with De Boer astatine Euro 2020, they pulled the storied Van Gaal, present 71, retired of status for his 3rd stint successful charge.

- O'Hanlon: Predicting each azygous World Cup crippled (E+)

They haven't mislaid since. They've beaten Belgium doubly this twelvemonth and made abbreviated enactment of their Nations League group. Forwards Steven Bergwijn (Ajax) and Memphis Depay (Barcelona) person scored 11 goals and created 27 chances -- mostly for each different -- successful planetary play implicit the past calendar year. The absurdly talented backmost enactment of Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich) and/or Nathan Ake (Manchester City) is enactment nether unit astatine times due to the fact that of their possession-heavy style, but they're sturdy capable to usually marque it work.

This squad are making the astir of Van Gaal's possession benignant and person got a coagulated draw: if they triumph Group A arsenic planned, they wouldn't look a mega-contender until the quarterfinals (Argentina oregon France). This is simply a monolithic accidental for them.

play

1:54

DeAndre Yedlin shares the proposal he's fixed to the remainder of the USMNT, arsenic the lone subordinate of the squad with World Cup experience.

What are Senegal without Sadio Mane? Senegal person had an astonishing 2022, beating Mohamed Salah's Egypt connected penalties to triumph the Africa Cup of Nations for the archetypal time, past doing it again to suffice for the World Cup. They've got sturdy veterans passim the lineup, from goalkeeper Edouard Mendy (Chelsea) to defender Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea) to midfielders Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City) and Idrissa Gueye (Everton). But their onslaught runs done Bayern prima Mane, and his World Cup is over earlier it started acknowledgment to a tibia injury. Horrible timing.

The Ecuador Seagulls. Ecuador had ne'er qualified for a World Cup until 2002, but person present done truthful 4 of six times, albeit with eligibility contention this time. Unlike a batch of teams successful Qatar, astir of their highest-level endowment is astatine the back. A batch of them play for a circumstantial Premier League club, too: rising midfielder Moises Caicedo, full-back Pervis Estupinan and winger Jeremy Sarmiento are each plying their commercialized astatine Brighton.

If Ecuador marque noise, Caicedo, Estupinan and center-back Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen) are the astir apt reasons.

Continuity is cardinal for Qatar. By immoderate measurement of axenic talent, Qatar are 1 of the weaker teams successful the field. But among immoderate shaky results against high-level teams similar Portugal, they've shown hints of sturdiness, drafting with Chile successful September and reaching the semifinals of the 2021 Gold Cup.

Their champion quality: They've got a high-level nine successful their backyard and they usage it. Half of their roster comes from two-time Asian Champions League victor (and 16-time home champion) Al Sadd. Familiarity tin compensate for endowment astatine times.

GROUP B

Odds to beforehand to knockout rounds: England -1200 (equivalent to 92%), USA -120 (55%), Wales +120 (46%), Iran +400 (20%)

How overmuch does signifier matter? Asking for England. England mightiness person much earthy endowment than immoderate squad successful this field. A squad of players snubbed from the 26-man roster would beryllium favored to suffice for the World Cup(!), but results person vanished of late. England went winless successful the summertime and autumn Nations League slate, results that included a expanse by Hungary. Some of manager Gareth Southgate's favorites -- defender Harry Maguire, winger Raheem Sterling -- haven't been successful large form, and assurance is low.

Does immoderate of this really matter, though? This squad made the World Cup semifinals 4 years agone and astir won the delayed Euros successful 2021. And again: TALENT. SO MUCH OF IT. And what happens if they don't?

play

1:41

Sporting stars person their accidental connected the Lionel Messi oregon Cristiano Ronaldo statement successful ESPN's "You Have to Answer."

Knock connected wood, but ... the U.S. are healthy? The U.S. person besides struggled to animate assurance successful 2022. Of the six World Cup teams they've played successful the past calendar year, they've beaten conscionable one. Their performances successful 2 September friendlies were dreadful and betrayed a deficiency of either instauration quality oregon dependable passing successful defense, 2 staples of the possession benignant manager Gregg Berhalter has spent 4 years trying to build.

Vibes: low. Health, however: good. The young quintet of attackers Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna, midfielders Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams and full-back Sergino Dest person played unneurotic once, ever, owed to injuries, but astatine the infinitesimal they each look acceptable to go. So are Berhalter favorites Antonee Robinson and Yunus Musah, and emerging prima Brenden Aaronson, Adams' teammate astatine Leeds United. We technically don't cognize however this American squad mightiness execute due to the fact that we truly haven't seen it ... and that mightiness beryllium the champion disposable crushed for optimism.

Gareth Bale's curtain call. Wales are playing successful their archetypal World Cup successful 64 years, qualifying successful portion acknowledgment to sturdy defence and an breathtaking young halfway of players similar midfielders Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest), Ethan Ampadu (Spezia) and Harry Wilson (Fulham) and forwards Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest) and Daniel James (Fulham). But Gareth Bale remains the headliner. The Welsh fable netted each 3 goals against Austria and Ukraine successful the qualification playoffs and, astatine 33, is rapidly nearing the extremity of his career. Does helium person capable magic near successful him to thrust Wales to the knockout rounds?

Iran: Advanced CONCACAF. According to the ratings astatine EloRatings.net, neither the U.S. nor Wales are the second-best squad successful Group B: Iran are. Carlos Queiroz helms a squad that does the "defend with everything you've got and deed a mates of counter-attacks" regular arsenic good arsenic anyone. It's a benignant that gave the U.S. fits successful World Cup qualification, and Iran are amended astatine it than immoderate CONCACAF squad too possibly Canada.

This squad are a spectacular symptom successful the butt, and if seasoned attackers Mehdi Taremi (Porto) and Sardar Azmoun (Bayer Leverkusen) tin supply immoderate benignant of finishing -- and if the squad aren't dragged down by domestic unrest -- they could advance. (That makes those qualification likelihood supra alternatively absorbing if you're betting-inclined.)

Group C

Odds to beforehand to knockout rounds: Argentina -1000 (equivalent to 91%), Mexico -135 (57%), Poland +100 (50%), Saudi Arabia +650 (+13%)

The past creation for Lionel Messi (and Robert Lewandowski). There's plentifulness of exciting, young attacking endowment successful the shot beingness astatine the moment, from Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Junior connected down. That's bully due to the fact that we're going to beryllium losing a batch of storied endowment successful the coming years, too. The most storied talent, successful fact.

- Argentina, Uruguay instrumentality 4,000 pounds of nutrient to World Cup

Lionel Messi enters his last World Cup with a spectacular Argentina squad astir him. They are the No. 2 betting favorites down Brazil, and it's not hard to spot why. Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Julian Alvarez (Manchester City) and, if healthy, Paulo Dybala (Roma) complement Messi up front, and Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United) and Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur) are sturdy successful the back. Argentina won the Copa America past summertime and haven't mislaid since July 2019. The gully is unsmooth -- they volition apt play either France oregon Denmark successful the circular of 16, past possibly Netherland oregon England successful the quarterfinals and Brazil successful the semis -- but the squad are outstanding.

This is rather perchance Robert Lewandowski's past World Cup arsenic well. The 34-year aged Barcelona prima has scored 76 goals for Poland and astir 600 successful nine play, and portion his supporting formed lacks compared to Messi's, Poland aren't bereft of talent: Napoli's Piotr Zielinski is simply a coagulated attacking complement, and the Aston Villa duo of Matty Cash and Jan Bednarek are coagulated successful defense. They got knocked astir by Belgium and Netherlands successful Nations League play (four matches, 1 point), but they're tested and talented.

play

1:07

Gab Marcotti says helium has nary thought what to expect from defending champions France astatine the 2022 World Cup.

Tata's redemption? The U.S. allegedly looked astatine Tata Martino earlier choosing Gregg Berhalter arsenic manager 4 years ago; Martino alternatively landed with Mexico and, for a while, helium looked similar the acold amended prime successful charge. But past Mexico mislaid 3 times to the U.S. successful 2021; since past October they person played 8 matches against World Cup teams and haven't beaten a azygous 1 (four draws, 4 losses.)

Star attacker Raul Jimenez (Wolves) has hardly played since August owed to injury, and veterans Hirving Lozano (Napoli) and Andres Guardado (Real Betis) are the lone players connected the 26-man roster who presently play successful Europe's Big Five leagues. Have Mexico fallen heavy into a down cycle? Will the World Cup trigger a rebound?

Goals are unicorns for Saudi Arabia. Journeyman manager Herve Renard helms a roster that, similar Qatar's, calls wholly connected home league talent, including 12 players from Saudi heavyweight Al-Hilal, victor of the Asian Champions League successful 2019 and 2021. That has paid disconnected successful the signifier of antiaircraft stability: successful the past calendar year, they've allowed conscionable 7 goals successful 12 matches.

Of course, they're present successful a radical with Messi and Lewandowski. Also, they scored conscionable six goals successful those 12 matches. Their champion anticipation of advancing is simply a tally of scoreless slogs.

Group D

Odds to beforehand to knockout rounds: France -1400 (equivalent to 93%), Denmark -275 (73%), Australia +350 (22%), Tunisia +350 (22%)

France: A monolithic (and massively talented) wildcard. It's a precise disorienting acquisition talking astir France astatine the moment. On 1 hand, they're the defending champions and a favourite successful immoderate tourney they enter. On the different hand, they won conscionable 1 of six Nations League matches this summertime and fall. On 1 hand, they person mislaid immoderate incredibly high-caliber players to wounded -- midfielders Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante and guardant Christopher Nkunku, for lawsuit -- and different stars are dealing with astatine slightest nagging injuries. On the different hand, they inactive person Mbappe, Ballon d'Or victor Karim Benzema and loads of some seasoned veterans (Hugo Lloris, Antoine Griezmann) and precocious youngsters (Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, William Saliba.)

They're loaded and dangerous. They're playing second-teamers and are successful a slump. They could repetition arsenic World Cup winners oregon suffer early, and it wouldn't beryllium a full surprise. All of which makes them 1 hellhole of a wildcard.

play

1:57

The ESPN FC unit statement who volition person the champion World Cup retired of Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde and Pedri.

Dynamite Danish acheronian horses, portion deux? Last we saw Denmark connected a large stage, they had to enactment done a astir unfathomable calamity -- Christian Eriksen's on-field illness and adjacent decease via cardiac apprehension astatine Euro 2020 -- but aft losing their archetypal 2 matches, rallied to not lone scope the knockout rounds but travel wrong an extra-time Harry Kane extremity of the finals. They were fashionable sleeper picks and lived up to it.

A twelvemonth and a fractional later, Eriksen is backmost successful the fold and ... they're fashionable acheronian equine picks! They've inactive got veterans similar Eriksen, midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and defenders Andreas Christensen and Joachim Andersen, and optimistic, 22-year-old midfielders Jesper Lindstrom (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Andreas Skov Olsen (Club Brugge) person been implicit delights successful the Champions League this year. The radical is benignant extracurricular of France, and Denmark could either triumph the radical or, arsenic runner-up, service arsenic a monolithic round-of-16 situation for apt Group C champions Argentina. Either way, they could beryllium a communicative again, and this clip for lone bully reasons.

Are either Australia oregon Tunisia susceptible of disruption? Six players successful Scotland. Two successful Japan. Two successful Denmark. Two successful Italy. One astatine Hamburg St. Pauli. One for the Columbus Crew. Australia mightiness person the astir diasporic roster successful the World Cup. Tunisia, meanwhile, don't person the idiosyncratic standouts of different African qualifiers, but they've got the results. They made the Arab Cup finals past December and since the summertime they've beaten Chile, Japan, Iran and mislaid lone to Brazil. They neither effort nor let galore shots, and conscionable mostly marque things annoying.

Do either person capable to apical France oregon Denmark, oregon are they conscionable neat stories? Oddsmakers surely thin toward the latter. But they're decidedly neat stories.

Group E

Odds to beforehand to knockout rounds: Spain -900 (equivalent to 90%), Germany -700 (88%), Japan +350 (22%), Costa Rica +850 (11%)

Do Spain person finishers? Even successful an epoch successful which the champion teams effort to predominate the shot much than ever before, nary 1 does it similar Luis Enrique's Spain. Barcelona teen Pedri runs the amusement with plentifulness of assistance from Manchester City's Rodri, the ageless Sergio Busquets and the other teenage Barca midfield star, Gavi. They person the shot connected a string.

They don't ever enactment the shot successful the net, however. In their archetypal 2 games astatine Euro 2020, against Poland and Sweden, they enjoyed 80% possession(!), attempted 29 shots worthy 5.4 xG ... and scored once. In the quarterfinals and semis: 70% possession, 44 shots, 4.4 xG, 2 goals. Alvaro Morata and Pablo Sarabia are coagulated attackers, but Spain deficiency the extent of elite finishing endowment that astir of the different favorites have.

play

0:45

Lionel Messi shares his thoughts connected the upcoming World Cup successful Qatar and hopes Argentina commencement the champion mode imaginable successful the radical stage.

This confusing epoch of German underachievement. From 2006 to 2016, a caller procreation of Germany players, playing a caller marque of soccer, finished 3rd oregon amended astatine six consecutive large tournaments. It was an absurd tally ... and past it precise overmuch ended. They failed to beforehand successful the 2018 World Cup, past bowed retired to England successful the Euro 2020 circular of 16. Since the Euros, they've played 3 matches against World Cup teams and drew with each three.

Looking astatine the roster, this tally of comparative mediocrity makes perfectly nary sense. They person 7 cardinal Bayern players, and Bayern are awesome! Defender Antonio Rudiger has won 2 consecutive Champions Leagues! They person immoderate of the brightest young endowment successful the crippled -- Jamal Musiala, Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz, if helium inactive counts! -- truthful is this the tourney wherever the full becomes greater than the sum of the parts again?

A custom-made acheronian equine (with a steep elevation to climb). Spain and Germany marque this an evident "Scary Bad Group." That's truly unfortunate, due to the fact that I had agelong committed to naming Group E mate Japan a acheronian equine utilizing the "I conscionable emotion this roster" principle.

- Ian Darke's World Cup prediction: Who lifts the trophy?

I conscionable emotion this roster. Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal) and Ko Itakura (Borussia Monchengladbach) are high-effort defenders with passing ability. Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt) is simply a bully attacking midfielder who is getting amended quickly. Ritsu Doan has been an important caller attacking portion for a beardown Freiburg squad. Takuma Asano (Bochum) runs himself into the crushed successful each match. Veterans Wataru Endo, Junya Ito and Takumi Minamino are inactive beardown contributors. Young attacker Takefusa Kubo is fascinating.

This Japan squad rule. But we'll spot if they tin flooded the Group of Death.

Costa Rica aren't going to marque different run, right? Eleven of the 26 players connected Costa Rica's World Cup roster are 30 oregon older, and six were connected the 2014 World Cup squad that damn adjacent made the semifinals. Joel Campbell? Still the superior extremity scorer. Keylor Navas? Still a rock-solid goalkeeper.

They're besides smoking hot. They've played 13 matches successful the past calendar twelvemonth and mislaid once. They support and defend, and they proviso Campbell with 1 coagulated scoring accidental per match. That's not going to support moving ... is it?

Group F

Odds to beforehand to knockout rounds: Belgium -900 (equivalent to 90%), Croatia -187 (65%), Morocco +225 (31%), Canada +310 (24%)

Are Belgium and Croatia aged oregon perfectly seasoned? Four years ago, Croatia made the World Cup finals with a veteran-laden squad -- 13 of 23 players were astatine slightest 28 years old, including stars similar Luka Modric (32), Mario Mandzukic (32), Ivan Rakitic (30), Ivan Perisic (29) and Dejan Lovren (28).

Modric, present 37, is inactive there. Perisic is playing astir arsenic good arsenic ever. Lovren, Andrej Kramaric (31) and Domagoj Vida (33) each took portion successful the finals and are each connected the 2022 roster. Of the 11 players who person recorded astatine slightest 325 minutes for Croatia implicit the past year, 9 are astatine slightest 27. This is simply a "Run It Back" squad that could beryllium arsenic crafty and hard to destruct arsenic ever.

Belgium, meanwhile, are conscionable arsenic aged and inactive trying to scope the promised land. Of their apical 16 players implicit the past year, 12 are astatine slightest 29. Belgium's aureate procreation -- Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard, et al -- reached the quarterfinals of 4 consecutive large tournaments and took 3rd successful the past World Cup, but it feels similar this is the past accidental astatine thing adjacent greater for a while. They've remained reliant connected Jan Vertonghen (35) and Toby Alderweireld (33) successful defense, and losses usually stem from antiaircraft breakdowns. Over the past 4 calendar years, they've mislaid 7 matches; those losses featured 19 goals allowed.

To adjacent scope the finals, Belgium mightiness person to bushed Spain oregon Germany successful the circular of 16, past England oregon France successful the semis. The roadworthy to a blessed ending for the "Golden Generation" is simply a unsmooth one.

play

1:04

Gab & Juls wonderment if 2022 is yet the twelvemonth for Belgium's "golden generation" to travel good.

Morocco vs. the sum of their parts. Two things person defined caller Moroccan football: high-end endowment and a deficiency of tourney success. Achraf Hakimi (PSG) and Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern) are among the astir breathtaking and versatile full-backs successful the game. Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea) is simply a cranky creator. Forward Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla) isn't acold removed from a 24-goal play successful LaLiga. But they haven't made adjacent the semifinals of the Africa Cup of Nations since 2004.

The 2018 World Cup was their archetypal successful 20 years, and they earned 1 constituent successful 3 matches. This is an enigmatic squad with loads of imaginable and a minimal way record.

The commencement of the communicative for Canada. Few planetary teams cognize themselves similar Canada. They were blessed to springiness teams the shot if asked; relying connected the ridiculous velocity of players similar Alphonso Davies (Bayern), Jonathan David (Lille) and Tajon Buchanan (Club Brugge), and the creativity of Davies and Stephen Eustaquio (Porto) to make beardown counter-attacking opportunities. It earned them their archetypal World Cup bid since 1986. They don't person the pieces to run good from behind, but they are assured and susceptible of making sound with the close crippled state.

The champion part: Davies, David and Buchanan are each 23 and under. They're going to beryllium astatine this for a while.

Group G

Odds to beforehand to knockout rounds (per Caesars Sportsbook): Brazil -1200 (equivalent to 92%), Switzerland +105 (49%), Serbia +125 (44%), Cameroon +300 (25%)

What weaknesses mightiness Brazil have? The numbers emotion Brazil. The sportsbooks emotion Brazil. The eyeballs emotion Brazil. They've mislaid erstwhile successful the past 3 calendar years. They person Neymar, Real Madrid's Champions League-winning Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, Tottenham's Richarlison and Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus (and Manchester United's Antony if healthy) successful a loaded attack.

- Vickery: World Cup imagination and Pele's Brazil extremity grounds loom implicit Neymar, volition helium seizure both?

Brazil commencement the tourney astatine the beforehand of the pack, successful different words. But the World Cup is acold excessively random for immoderate azygous squad to beryllium a "them vs. the field" benignant of favourite -- they're inactive much apt to autumn abbreviated than win. And if they so autumn short, it astir apt starts astatine the back. They're inactive incredibly reliant connected 38-year-old skipper Thiago Silva astatine center-back, not to notation defense-minded midfielders similar Casemiro (30), Fred (29) and Fabinho (29).

For each of the young attacking vigor they bring to the table, a likewise speedy onslaught could marque their defence look slow. It hasn't happened successful a portion -- they've played 9 matches successful the past twelvemonth and allowed conscionable 3 goals -- but that doesn't mean it can't.

play

0:57

Gab & Juls explicate what we tin expect to spot from Neymar and Brazil astatine the 2022 World Cup.

A large accidental for Serbia and Switzerland. As is the lawsuit with astir airy heavyweight European teams, some Serbia and Switzerland are blessed with plentifulness of breathtaking endowment that plays for large clubs -- Serbia person forwards Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus) and Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) and midfielder Filip Kostic (Juventus); Switzerland person seasoned midfielders Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) and Denis Zakaria (Chelsea), defender Manuel Akanji (Manchester City), guardant Breel Embolo (Monaco) and astir 17 beardown goalkeepers.

They are besides blessed with an intriguing draw: The second-placed squad successful Group H could gully 1 of the tournament's weaker radical winners (likely either Portugal oregon Uruguay.) Switzerland came achingly adjacent to a semifinal tally successful past summer's Euros, and it wouldn't instrumentality overmuch luck for either of these teams to scope the quarterfinals if they're dialed in.

An intriguing Cameroon attack. Cameroon person 1 of the much storied histories successful African shot -- this volition beryllium their eighth World Cup quality since 1982, and they famously reached the quarterfinals successful 1990 -- but it took a shocker for them to suffice this clip around. Lyon's Karl Toko Ekambi scored vs. Algeria successful the 124th infinitesimal of their last qualification match, conscionable six minutes aft Algeria had seemingly clinched advancement with a extremity of their own.

This isn't the astir talented squad Cameroon person brought to a World Cup, but they've got conscionable capable intriguing pieces to challenge. Lyon's Toko Ekambi, Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo and Bayern's smoking-hot Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting are cardinal up front, and portion extent is problematic successful the back, they've astatine slightest got high-level players successful antiaircraft midfielder Frank Anguissa (Napoli) and goalkeeper Andre Onana (Inter Milan). It would beryllium a astonishment if they advanced, but lone truthful overmuch of one.

Group H

Odds to beforehand to knockout rounds: Portugal -600 (equivalent to 86%), Uruguay -225 (69%), South Korea +240 (29%), Ghana +280 (26%)

Portugal vs. the worst of vibes. Act I: Cristiano Ronaldo waits until Manchester United statesman to play good without him, past decides to pain each imaginable span with the nine (which inactive employs Portugal teammate Bruno Fernandes) connected his mode out the door to Qatar.

Act II: This unusual enactment betwixt Ronaldo and Fernandes.

Act III: Whatever the heck this enactment was betwixt Ronaldo and different Portuguese star, Joao Cancelo.

What's going connected present betwixt Cristiano Ronaldo and João Cancelo? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/KG6BrKbvxF

These clips, of course, deficiency loads of context. We're not successful the Portugal camp. We person nary wrong accusation arsenic to whether the Piers Morgan saga has affected anything. (And if it hasn't, past we're talking astir a squad with a ridiculous magnitude of endowment and potential.) All I'll accidental is, if we're talking astir Portugal arsenic this tournament's "Horrible Vibes Team" successful a fewer much weeks -- and each large tourney ever has 1 -- it wouldn't beryllium overmuch of a surprise.

Finishers 'R' Us. More from the "Last Dance for Aging Strikers" theme: Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are some 35 years aged and surely playing successful their last World Cup. They are among 5 Uruguay players with implicit 100 caps and 10 players aged 29 oregon older. They are a seasoned squad with a fewer key, young pieces -- forwards Darwin Nunez (Liverpool) and Facundo Pellistri (Manchester United), midfielder Fede Valverde (Real Madrid), defender Ronald Araujo (Barcelona) -- and person been successful beauteous bully signifier successful 2022.

If Portugal are successful thing little than 5th gear, Uruguay mightiness beryllium the favourite to triumph the group.

Sonny's team. Here's a amusive tie: Ronaldo's aged teammate astatine Sporting CP, Paulo Bento, could extremity up knocking Ronaldo retired if Portugal underachieve. Bento has been successful complaint successful South Korea for much than 4 years and has mislaid lone 7 of 53 matches. They mightiness not person the antiaircraft chops for a lengthy tally successful Qatar, but they person breathtaking imaginable successful onslaught acknowledgment to the operation of a face-masked Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) -- he's coming disconnected of a facial fracture -- Hwang Hee-chan (Wolves), Hwang Ui-jo (Olympiacos), Jeong Woo-yeong (Freiburg) and possibly Lee Kang-in (Mallorca.)

Ghana's adjacent generation. Like Cameroon, Ghana are a acquainted look and astonishment qualifier. They deed a dreadful tally of signifier aboriginal successful 2022, rapidly exiting the Africa Cup of Nations, but upset Nigeria to beforehand to Qatar.

Older faces similar skipper Andre Ayew (Al-Sadd), Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) and Thomas Partey (Arsenal) are inactive around, but younger stars similar Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (Freiburg) and caller nationalist additions Inaki Williams (Athletic Club) and Tariq Lamptey (Brighton) person fixed a struggling squad a boost of upside. Can caller faces assistance to supply immoderate improved results?