With the 2022 World Cup less than a month away in Qatar, teams are making their final preparations before flying to the desert to claim the world’s biggest sporting championship.
According to the sports betting site, Vegas Insider, Brazil and France lead all World Cup countries, and with betting lines set to open on the action, die-hard and hungry soccer fans are ready to bet a record amount of money ranging from USD to Turkish Lira, in hopes to securing a big payday of their own.
Which team will hoist the famed Coupe du Monde, let’s find out!
Brazil (+400): Thanks to being loaded with talent such as Neymar Jr., Fernando Gabriel Jesus, Jose Vinicius Junior and Pedro, the yellow-clad Selecao look primed to claim Brazil’s tournament record sixth title. If there is a golden opportunity for an otherwise underachieving side to reclaim their glory, it is the Samba Kings.
France (+600): The only country that can rival Brazil in talent, as well as being one of the few countries to have a head-to-head edge vs. Brazil, the defending World Cup champions boast a high-scoring trio of their own in the form of Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezzman and Karim Benzema.
While not having the same edge as the ’18 club, and looking relatively flat in EURO 2020, France will need to find a way to dominate and control the action from the midfield due to the loss of N’golo Kante.
Argentina (+650): It’s now or never for Lionel Messi. Arguably this generation’s greatest and most influential soccer player ever, Messi has won just about everything a player can want.
Four European titles, seven Ballon d’Or awards, ten La Liga titles and a club-record 35 trophies at the club level. A Copa America title in 2021 and an Olympic gold medal in Beijing at the international level for his country are all impressive.
But the one glaring omission from his otherwise spotless resume: A FIFA World Cup title.
In a country that still celebrates his idol, Diego Maradona, if Messi cannot win in Qatar, he will forever live in the shadow of Maradona in his own country forever.
Dark Horse: Belgium (+1400): Whole other countries such as England (+700), Spain (+800), Germany (+1000), Netherlands (+1200) and Portugal (+1400) having better odds—and arguably better talent—there is just something about the Red Devils that is hard to ignore.
Some say that this is the last chance for the “Golden Generation” of Belgian futbol, one cannot help but ignore world-class strikers such as Romelo Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Dries Mertens and Eden Hazard.
Can boss Roberto Martinez finally get the most out of the ’22 side and finally get them over the knockout round hump in Qatar?