For the History Books

The World Cup is in full swing, and it’s been a great start to the tournament. Everyone is scoring, and the underdogs have been competing really well. Tuesday can’t come soon enough for me. For the first time in 40 years, Iraq will be playing a match in the World Cup. Exciting games coming, and more teams to keep an eye on…

Spain

What a team. The favorites for many people to win the whole thing. As I mentioned before, I think they are going all the way to the final and they have all the tools to do that. Incredible youngsters mixed with some excellent experienced players, a tried and trusted coach who’s already won a major tournament with them, great team chemistry and incredible versatility in every position. Really, the one thing that could work against them is that the majority of the squad is still very young. This is why I have them getting to the final but being just shy from winning it all. But this Spain team will win a World Cup, if not this one, then 2030 or 2034. One player I will be keeping an eye on this campaign who isn’t really being highlighted is Gavi. If Spain reach far this tournament, Gavi will have a key role. I don’t expect him to start any games, but having an all round midfielder who is excellent at pressing, positioning, ball winning and aerial duels on your bench is going to make a huge difference, especially deeper into the tournament. Gavi is not only good off the ball, he is a great passer, can carry the ball out of pressure well and has an eye on goal. Spain’s midfield is even scarier than the one that won the last euro with the addition of Gavi and the likes of Zubamendi, Pedri and Olmo all being better than two years ago. And of course, there is also… Lamine Yamal in attack. 

Egypt

What an interesting dynamic the Egyptian National team has with their fans. The controversy follows Mo Salah on the National level no matter what he does. There is a lot to be said about Salah and his relationship with Egyptian supporters but it’s always been interesting to me to see how the longer Salah stays in England, the less him and Egyptian supporters seem to understand one another. With that being said, I hope this tournament mends some of those misunderstandings. If Egypt is to go beyond the group stage, Salah’s legacy with Egypt will be looked at a lot more favorably. It seems incongruent to be looked at as an idol and at the same time be seen as someone whose job is unworthy of respect, but alas, that is the paradox of Mo Salah and Egyptian fans. I think Egypt can qualify out of their group and hope that they do. 

France

The French come into this tournament as one of the heavy favorites, as has been the case for the past two World Cups. On paper, no one has as much talent on their roster than the French team. Their attacking options this time around are just absolutely ridiculous. Any of their forwards would start for any other team in the tournament. With that being said though, I have a feeling France might underperform this World Cup. Didier Deschamps, in my opinion, has stayed one tournament too long. France did not perform in the last Euros and were lucky to reach the Semis. Deschamps is a manager who doesn’t take many risks, and that has worked for them in the past. But with this being his last tournament, and with him having so many egos and talent to have to navigate, especially upfront, I think things might get a bit out of control. Deschamps is going to try his best to keep all of the talented attackers he has happy and feeling important, which will most likely mean playing with four attackers. Olise and Doue on the wings, Dembele as a 10, with Mbappe playing as a striker. This means you are only starting with two real midfielders, which will leave you exposed. France’s midfield is only okay compared to the names they have everywhere else on the pitch. Tchouameni and Rabiot are solid, but they will need a third midfielder to help them control the game as neither of them is particularly good in possession. If France want to go far this World Cup, Deschamps will have to drop one of the attackers to the bench and have a third midfielder instead. Warren Zaïre-Emery might be one to keep an eye on if France is to go far this tournament, he could add the balance needed. France have a tough group, and that might be helpful for them to know their weaknesses early on in the tournament. 

Iraq

We are in the World Cup for the first time in 40 years! My sister and I were talking about how wild it is that the last time Iraq was at the World Cup, our parents had not even met yet. Look, reaching the World Cup is achievement enough for us so I don’t have any expectations going into this campaign. We have a really tough group, so the only thing that I would love to happen for us is to score a goal. If we are able to score a goal this tournament, there is nothing else I want from this team. It’s really important in these tournaments to have a world class goalkeeper, so I hope whichever goalkeeper Graham Arnold chooses to go with is able to find the form of his life. The team looks solid, the chemistry is there, Graham Arnold is doing a great job with what he has and everyone seems to be on the same page. I am not expecting us to get any points from this group, but I do think we will have a solid showing and I cannot wait to witness it all. Step aside Haaland and Mbappe, Aymen Hussein is the star of this group.

Argentina

The team I am predicting to win the whole thing again. I’m surprised that people are not talking about Argentina enough. I feel like because they have Messi, people overlook how good of a team they actually are. Of course, Messi had a huge role to play when they won last time around and he is four years older now, but the core of this team is still not to be underestimated. First off, Lionel Scaloni is criminally underrated. Not only has he brought an incredible winning mentality to this team, he is also a master tactician. Scaloni knows exactly what strengths he has at his disposal and he is able to utilize those strengths to the maximum. He sets up his team based on who he’s playing against but there is always a core identity the team plays with, a perfect recipe for success in the modern game. And then you have some key players who are all better than they were four years ago. Players like Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez, Latauro Martinez, Romero all have more experience and can step up even more this time around. You also have some exciting additions coming into the team like Nico Paz and Gianluigi Simeone who can make an impact in the latter stages when you need something new and unpredictable. Also, I will die on this hill, but Rodrigo De Paul is such an underrated gem. In these kinds of tournaments, there is nothing more important than a player who will give you a 7/10 no matter the game. It’s always been strange to me that people minimize his role to being just Messi’s friend when he’s a perfect box-to-box midfielder to have in this team. It’s not about having the most talent, it’s about having the right mix of players for a versatile team, and that’s what Scaloni has. And of course, to top it all off, you have Messi. Who, albeit is almost 39, knows that he is almost 39. Messi has not denied that he’s aging and has continuously adapted his game to the fact that he’s older. Messi and Scaloni both understand that Messi’s role in the team will be different, which means that he could still have a big impact. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Messi rested and his minutes being managed to maximize his impact. This team knows how to win, and they will be a difficult team to play against regardless of how far they go. 

These previews keep getting longer, but that’s all I have for this one. A really promising start to the tournament so far from a footballing side, let’s hope we keep getting great games. As always, thank you for reading, I’ll be back again soon!