The 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup kicks off this weekend after an estimated 3.57 billion people watched the 2018 tournament, including 1.12 billion people watching France winning over Croatia in the championship final.

The sport comes into this weekend looking to shake off the rust from the Covid-19 pandemic but facing heavy international scrutiny for the location of this World Cup–and since this is FIFA we’re talking about–criticism for almost everything they do from top to bottom.

Where: State of Qatar

FIFA chose Russia, then Qatar for the recent World Cups. Where will it be next, North Korea? Actually, the 2026 tournament will be held in North America (start getting emotionally ready now) but I’m sure FIFA at least gave Kim Jong-un a call.

The criticism with Qatar started instantly from the moment the country was involved in the bidding process in November 2009.

Of course corruption was involved with the winning bid, that comes with the territory. Further, the climate, strict social guidelines, poor accommodations for visiting fans, and really gross negligent human rights abuses with the migrant workers tasked with building the infrastructure for the tournament have also been widely criticized for years.

Within a decade, Qatar have bought PSG, joined the F1 calendar, and hosted the World Cup in one of the most egregious sportswashing examples today. 

It’s reported that nearly 7,000 workers have died during the process (to say nothing of the terrible living conditions for these workers) plus Qatar is spending $220 billion (more than 4 times the cost of the previous 8 World Cups COMBINED) to put this all together. Even ex-FIFA employees have come out and said this was a bad idea, so you know it’s really, really bad.

When: Sunday, November 20th through Sunday, December 18th

Since the average highs in Qatar hover close to 110 degrees during the summer, and FIFA didn’t want to compete closer to the Beijing Olympics last winter, the decision was made for this to be a fall World Cup. The temperatures will now be a much more manageable high 70’s and high 80’s for the duration of the tournament.

Qatar originally wanted to build 12(!) stadiums to use for the World Cup and fairly swiftly had to backtrack off that expectation (even with slave labor!) with the added worry of possibly moving some games to neighboring Arab countries due to the size and scope of hosting the tournament on a tiny ~4,500 square mile peninsula. But, we have 8 stadiums ready to host the tournament:

Lusail Stadium – 80,000 (World Cup Final venue)
Al Bayt Stadium – 60,000
Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium – 40,000
Al Janoub Stadium – 40,000
Al Thumama Stadium – 40,000
Education City Stadium – 40,000
Khalifa International Stadium – 40,000
Stadium 974 – 40,000

Truthfully, Stadium 974 is pretty cool. It’s made of 974 shipping containers and can be dismantled and set up somewhere else once the tournament is completed. No word where it will be moved, though. Maybe it should travel every 4 years to each new World Cup?

Television: Fox, Fox Sports 1, and Telemundo

Fox won the English language rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups for $400 million a pop, and even picked up an extension to carry the 2026 World Cup, as well. Telemundo is paying even more at $600 million per tournament for the Spanish language television rights.

FULL WORLD CUP TV SCHEDULE CLICK HERE

In the United States, 35 of the games will air on Fox while the other 29 games will air on FS1. Additionally, every match will stream live from the Fox Sports App.

Who’s (Not) Here

Every 4 years there are a handful of nations who really feel the burn of missing out on the World Cup. Look no further than Italy who came into UEFA qualifying as a Pot 1 team and had just won the 2020 European Championship. The Azzurri drew 4 times in group play, dropped down to the playoffs, and famously lost 1-0 to North Macedonia to get knocked out of the World Cup. Big ouch.

Here are the FIFA world rankings for some of the high profile countries who will not be making it to Qatar:

Italy (6)
Colombia (17)
Peru (23)
Sweden (25)
Ukraine (27)
Chile (29)
Nigeria (32)
Russia (33)
Austria (34)
Egypt (39)
Scotland (40)
Norway (42)
Turkey (45)

*Russia finished 2nd in Group H during qualifying but were then suspended from participating in the World Cup following the invasion of Ukraine. Putin & Co. appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but were turned down. 

Erling Haaland (Norway), Mohamaed Salah (Egypt), Luis Diaz (Colombia), David Alaba (Austria), and Federico Chiesa (Italy) and are some of the famous names to be missing out on the tournament.

The Groups

Pot 1 teams: Qatar, Brazil, Belgium, France, Argentina, England, Spain, and Portugal.
Pot 2 teams: Mexico, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Uruguay, Switzerland, USA, and Croatia.
Pot 3 teams: Senegal, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Serbia, Poland, South Korea, and Tunisia.
Pot 4 teams: Cameroon, Canada, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Wales, Costa Rica, and Australia.

Group A is matched up with Group B for the round of 16.

Group A

Group of Death Rating: 1/5
Game to Watch: Ecuador vs. Senegal

How bad is Qatar at soccer? During the 2018 Asian Football Conference qualifying they only won 2 out of 10 games and had the 2nd fewest points from the 12 teams competing. The Dutch have a cake-walk through the group stages.

Senegal (knocked Egypt out of qualifying 3-1 on penalties) are a solid CAF team while Ecuador surprised people in grabbing the last CONMEBOL qualifying spot.

Group B

Group of Death Rating: 2/5
Game to Watch: United States vs. England

Iran breezed through qualifying and may be the 2nd best Asian team in the tournament. They won’t be a major push over but we can expect some good old fashioned international rivalry when they face the United States. However, if the Americans beat Wales in the opener that last group game with Iran may not matter.

***USMNT Group Stage Schedule***
November 21st vs. Wales 2:00 PM ET – Fox/Telemundo
November 25th vs. England 2:00 PM ET – Fox/Telemundo
November 29th vs. Iran 2:00 PM ET – Fox/Telemundo

England has seen a resurgence in their team making it to the Euro final in 2020 but didn’t win any of their games this summer during Nations League play. However, the November 25th game versus the United States should be an absolute banger with as huge of an impression on social media as any game during the group stages.

Hulk Hogan America GIFs | Tenor

PSA: Group B is matched up with Group A for the Round of 16. The winner of Group A will play the runner-up of Group B and the winner of Group B will play the runner-up of Group A. That’s a very friendly draw for America due to Qatar being a pot 1 team as tournament hosts. If the USA advance they’d likely face Netherlands, Senegal, or Ecuador. 

Group C

Group of Death Rating: 3/5
Game to Watch: Mexico vs. Poland

If Leo Messi wins the World Cup, Argentina may separate from South America continent and slide into the South Atlantic Ocean due to the weeks of rumbling joy. And the team comes into the World Cup as hot as anyone in the world.

Mexico finished 2nd in the CONCACAF qualifying just ahead of the United States, but in recent meetings the Americans have the upper hand including winning the 2021 Gold Cup and Nations League finals last year.

Group D

Group of Death Rating: 2/5
Game to Watch: France vs. Denmark

The defending World Cup Champion French open up with an easier but tricky group. Les Bleus crashed out of the Euro’s via penalties by Switzerland in the round of 16 and haven’t looked great in Nations League games in the run up to Qatar, but were absolutely fine during World Cup qualifying.

Keep an eye out for Denmark being a giant killer. They beat France recently back in late September and have a great mix of veteran leadership and young talent. Tunisia is one of the best Arab teams and will be a pain in the ass.

Look at all the color. 

Group E

Group of Death Rating: 4/5
Game to Watch: Spain vs. Germany

Germany may rue the day they dropped down into pot B and were placed in the same group as Spain . During the last World Cup the Germans flopped hard in their title defense finishing last in their group stage division. Spain didn’t do much better losing in penalties to Russia in the next round. There is tons of pressure for both countries with massive expectations.

Costa Rica was on fire during qualifying while Japan has made it through the group stage in 3 out of the last 5 World Cups. This is a very difficult group and could get very chaotic.

Group F

Group of Death Rating: 2/5
Game to Watch: Croatia vs. Canada

Belgium’s “Golden Generation” are no longer young pups and have been knocking on the door to major trophies (made the quarterfinals at the 2014 World Cup and finished 3rd in the last World Cup) without any glory. Now they are placed in a group with 2018 WC runner-up Croatia, plus a feisty Canadian team.

This is Canada’s 2nd World Cup appearance and first since 1986. They were very strong during qualifying topping the CONCACAF section while beating the United States 2-0–they’ll be a non-blue blood team to watch.

Group G

Group of Death Rating: 3/5
Game to Watch: Switzerland vs. Serbia

Cameroon, Switzerland, and Serbia are all competitive enough that this group could get really interesting. Serbia won their group in qualifying (over Portugal) and Switzerland did the same (over Italy). Cameroon is a step below but looked strong during CAF qualifying.

Tournament favorite Brazil better be on their game right away. They dominated during CONMEBOL qualifying (undefeated in 17 games with 14 wins) but haven’t won a trophy in 3 years with their last World Cup title coming in 2002.

Group H

Group of Death Rating: 3/5
Game to Watch: South Korea vs. Uruguay

Portugal always punch above their weight with the 2016 Euro and 2019 Nations League trophies in their cabinet from recent competitions. They’ve never finished higher than 3rd at the World Cup though, and you wonder how the status of captain Cristiano Ronaldo in club life (bickering with Manchester United over his role and future) is going to affect this team.

Ghana qualified by the skin of their teeth and will be the clear body bag in this group. Uruguay are the third best South American team but did make the quarterfinals in the 2018 World Cup, falling to eventual champion France. South Korea dominated the AFC in qualifying and are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2018 where they finished 3rd in their group behind Sweden and Mexico.

Top 10 Most Important Players

Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium

Widely considered the best or most complete midfielder in the world, this could be De Bruyne’s last World Cup (he turned 31 this past summer) while in his prime and maybe Belgium’s last shot at winning it all with their current generation of top players.

Rodri, Spain

The Spanish side have a dearth of scorers. They’ll need someone like Rodri to step up and have a huge tournament from the midfield. The 26-year old is entering his prime and has been flourish in a defensive midfield position for club (Manchester City) and country.

Christian Pulisic, United States

Pulisic will look to shake off a frustrating year and lack of form with Chelsea. 

America’s great hope is praying the World Cup re-ignites his career as the 2019 move to Chelsea from Dortmund has resulted in a frustrating lack of playing time (just 415 minutes in the Premier League this season!) as he’s linked to a move to Newcastle. If this is going to be a fun World Cup for the USA surely Pulisic is going to be playing a massive role.

Leo Messi, Argentina

If Messi can play a role in bringing a World Cup to Argentina he’ll probably go down as the greatest soccer play in history with no detractors.

Neymar, Brazil

For Brazil’s standards they flopped at the last World Cup while losing in the quarterfinals. Back then, Neymar was still receiving a ton of international attention for his flopping and petulant attitude. Now 30 years old, he’s moved into a new phase of his career as a more mature player but he’s not quite the must-watch TV he used to be.

Harry Kane, England

The Spurs and English captain striker is just desperate for a trophy. He also sits just 3 goals away from breaking Wayne Rooney’s record for most scored in an England shirt. Kane also has more career decisions ahead as his contract with Tottenham has 1.5 years remaining, negotiations may begin soon, but his World Cup performance could determine some of his fate.

Kylian Mbappe, France

Few young players have been as successful as Mbappe. 

Mbappe was so successful so early in his career it’s crazy to think he’ll turn just 24 years old a couple days after this World Cup finishes. He’s also coming up on 6 full years in the French senior team! With 28 goals in just 59 caps, Mbappe is destined to become France’s all-time scorer and adding a 2nd World Cup title in the process would be otherworldly.

Leroy Sane, Germany

Three years into a move from Manchester City to Bayern Munich and Sane is finally blossoming into a consistently dangerous winger. He’ll join a very strong attacking lineup for Germany and could give the team a boost coming off their embarrassing title defense back in 2018.

Frenkie de Jong, Netherlands

The 25-year old midfielder seemed destined for superstardom after his 2019 move from Ajax to Barcelona and that steak really hasn’t sizzled. Now, he’s one of the leaders of a Netherlands squad still looking for that first World Cup and also looking to shake off missing out on the 2018 World Cup and disappointing 2020 Euro Championship.

Robert Lewandowski, Poland

Poland come in limping to the World Cup with some atrocious play during the Nations League and have historically been an also-ran in big tournaments. Lewandowski made a much-publicized move from Bayern Munich to Barcelona this past summer and could cement himself as the best pure striker of his generation with a big tournament.

Top 3 Young Players to Watch

Vinicius Junior, Brazil

Waves of talent come at you from Brazil. 

It’s weird to call Vini Jr. a young player when he is approaching 200 senior club games this season. But, this will be his first time being in the spotlight for Brazil in a major tournament. With 16 caps for the Canarinha, he’s only scored once while wearing his nation’s shirt. Surely, more goals are to come!

Pedri, Spain

The next great talent from Spain will be turning just 20 at the end of this World Cup and is completing his 3rd full season with Barcelona in addition to 14 caps with the national team. A very pacy and skilled free-roaming winger, he’s the type of talent that can take over a game. With Spain’s lack of punch up front, Pedri could be a key player to their success.

Dusan Vlahovic, Serbia

This 22-year old looks older than his age and is coming off an absolute tear with Fiorentina in Serie A scoring 38 goals for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. He’s since moved to struggling Juventus but he’s still scored 13 goals in 25 games for the Old Lady and has scored in half of his career Serbia appearances, as well.

Best Kits

Massive drama in Cameroon where their soccer federation were not happy with the contract from outfitter Le Coq Sportif and dropped the company this summer to sign with American vendor One All Sports, instead. With a battle ongoing in court, One All Sports and Cameroon only unveiled their World Cup kits on November 5th!

Throughout the rest of the world Nike will supply 13 teams, Adidas 7 teams, Puma 6 teams, while Marathon, New Balance, Majid, Hummel, and Kappa each outfit 1 team apiece.

My favorite kits going into the tournament:

Senegal Home: Strong and vibrant colors on a clean white shirt, instantly recognizably African.

England Away: By far the best collared shirt in the tournament while the light blue crest looks sharp set against the red background. This makes up for an atrocious home kit from Nike.

Argentina Away: This is sharp and looks like the fire from Hades climbing up the shirt.

*Manchester accent* “Ohhh, stunning!”

France Home: A fitting and classy look for the defending champions.

Denmark Third: In collaboration with Hummel, Denmark have unveiled 3 sets of kits (red, white, and black) all with single-color logos to protest Qatar’s handling and hosting of the tournament. The black third kit, made to mourn the workers who lost their lives during construction, is amazing and will look great on the pitch.

Croatia Home: The centered badge looks great on the checkered kit.

Brazil Home: Perhaps my favorite color-scheme in all of sports, this home kit remains undefeated. The away kit is fire as usual, too.

Uruguay Away: Their home kit is a little too basic for my tastes, but Puma knocked it out of the park with this away kit. What a cool look.

Good Ball or Bad Ball?

I don’t know what kind of ancient sacrifices, voodoo dolls, or how many millions upon millions of dollars Adidas has paid to keep being the official ball of the World Cup but here we are yet again.

This year’s ball is called “Al Rihla” which Google translate is telling me means “the Journey?” Anyway, it’s pretty crazy how much science goes into these balls and Adidas has switched to a 20-panel ball (the 2018 Telstar had 6 glued panels) which is apparently getting very good reviews for its consistency and predictability.

Adidas comes with a very different ball for the tournament. 

That’s important because half of the teams will only be playing 3 games and if the ball is skittish or difficult to handle it’s a terrible look for Adidas. There were a lot of complaints back in the 2018 tournament.

I don’t mind the design, although the color does not seem to contrast enough with the white panels. Depending on the lightning, I wonder if there will be visibility issues. Adidas has actually made an orange winter ball version, but uhh, that’ll be a collector’s item only with the eastern Arabian peninsula being awfully toasty in November.

Who’s Winning?

This isn’t a competition for underdogs, at least in terms of winning it all. Back in 2018, Sweden (80-1 odds) had a run into the quarterfinals as did hosts Russia (30-1). Neither will be playing in this World Cup. Uruguay (25-1) were also a nice story in the quarterfinals before losing to France and of course Croatia (30-1) made it all the way to the final.

One Longshot to Take: USA

Yes, come on! You can read Bens’ preview of the United States Men’s National Team HERE.

At +15000 the Americans are even with the likes of Mexico and Poland with average odds compared to the entire field. I dare say the USA are trending in a good direction and much more of sound investment than either of those teams. Mexico and Poland are also in the same group and very likely one of them isn’t making it out of the group stages.

One Favorite to Pass: Spain

I was zeroing in on Germany (+1000) or Spain (+850) for this section and of course they are in the same group! I simply do not trust Spain to score goals. Diego Costa was such an important part of their 2018 World Cup before they only scored on own goal in the round of 16 while crashing out to Russia in penalty kicks. They’re going to have to scrape out of a lot 1-0 and 2-1 games with penalty kicks always on the horizon after the group stages. Plus, they left veteran keeper David de Gea (45 career caps) at home.

Winner: Argentina

Messi’s history in club football is unassailable. He’s won 11 league titles, 4 Champions League titles, in addition to about another two-dozen trophies with 487 goals and 215 assists.

He’s the all-time leading scorer for his country but has suffered a tumultuous international career where he’s retired and unretired for what feels like 7 or 8 times. However, last year’s Copa America victory has lifted a weight off Messi and been part of a 35-game unbeaten streak for Argentina, which includes a win over Italy in the Cup of Champions this past summer.

It’s the first World Cup since the death of Maradona.

Heading into the World Cup, Argentina sits at +550 odds to win it all, trailing only continental rival Brazil. La Albiceleste will play a friendly tomorrow against UAE which means if they don’t lose there and remain unbeaten in their first 2 group stage games (Saudi Arabia & Mexico) they will likely be headed into the knockout rounds of the World Cup surpassing Italy’s record unbeaten streak.

Brazil is comically loaded, as usual. But, the tournament usually dislikes a heavy favorite winning it all. This year’s EA Sports simulation–which has correctly predicted the last 3 World Cup winners–is giving us a Brazil vs. Argentina final which would be impossibly fun and spicy. I’m sure 6 trillion people would tune in to watch that.

I’m picking Argentina, just like the EA Sports’ simulation.