World Cup Betting UK

Group winner:

England won the group.

To qualify:

England and USA qualified.

Group winner:

Argentina won the group.

To qualify:

Argentina and Poland qualified.

Group winner:

France won the group.

To qualify:

France and Australia qualified.

Group winner:

Japan won the group.

To qualify:

Japan and Spain qualified.

Group winner:

Morocco won the group.

To qualify:

Morocco and Croatia qualified.

Group winner:

Brazil won the group.

To qualify:

Brazil and Switzerland qualified.

Group winner:

Portugal won the group.

To qualify:

Portugal and South Korea qualified.

10am - Group A: Senegal - Netherlands
1pm - Group B: England - Iran
4pm - Group A: Qatar - Ecuador
7pm - Group B: USA - Wales

10am - Group C: Argentina - Saudi Arabia
1pm - Group D: Denmark - Tunisia
4pm - Group C: Mexico - Poland
7pm - Group D: France - Australia

10am - Group F: Morocco - Croatia
1pm - Group E: Germany - Japan
4pm - Group E: Spain - Costa Rica
7pm - Group F: Belgium - Canada

10am - Group G: Switzerland - Cameroon
1pm - Group H: Uruguay - South Korea
4pm - Group H: Portugal - Ghana
7pm - Group G: Brazil - Serbia

10am - Group B: Wales - Iran
1pm - Group A: Qatar - Senegal
4pm - Group A: Netherlands - Ecuador
7pm - Group B: England - USA

10am - Group D: Tunisia - Australia
1pm - Group C: Poland - Saudi Arabia
4pm - Group D: France - Denmark
7pm - Group C: Argentina - Mexico

10am - Group E: Japan - Costa Rica
1pm - Group F: Belgium - Morocco
4pm - Group F: Croatia - Canada
7pm - Group E: Spain - Germany

10am - Group G: Cameroon - Serbia
1pm - Group H: South Korea - Ghana
4pm - Group G: Brazil - Switzerland
7pm - Group H: Portugal - Uruguay

3pm - Group A: Netherlands - Qatar
3pm - Group A: Ecuador - Senegal
7pm - Group B: Wales - England
7pm - Group B: Iran - USA

3pm - Group D: Australia - Denmark
3pm - Group D: Tunisia - France
7pm - Group C: Poland - Argentina
7pm - Group C: Saudi Arabia - Mexico

3pm - Group F: Croatia - Belgium
3pm - Group F: Canada - Morocco
7pm - Group E: Costa Rica - Germany
7pm - Group E: Japan - Spain

3pm - Group H: South Korea - Portugal
3pm - Group H: Ghana - Uruguay
7pm - Group G: Cameroon - Brazil
7pm - Group G: Serbia - Switzerland

3pm - Netherlands vs USA (Match 49)
7pm - Argentina vs Australia (Match 50)

3pm - France vs Poland (Match 51)
7pm - England vs Senegal (Match 52)

3pm - Japan vs Croatia (Match 53)
7pm - Brazil vs South Korea (Match 54)

3pm - Morocco vs Spain (Match 55)
7pm - Portugal vs Switzerland (Match 56)

3pm - Croatia vs Brazil (Match 58)
7pm - Netherlands vs Argentina (Match 57)

3pm - Morocco vs Portugal of 56 (Match 59)
7pm - France vs England (Match 60)

7pm - Argentina - Croatia (Match 61)

7pm - France - Morocco (Match 62)

3pm/15:00 - Bronze Medal game = Croatia - Morocco

3pm/15:00 - World Cup Final = Argentina - France

Ecuador could be a real team for the neutrals, as they scored as many goals as Argentina in qualifying, with 4-2 and 6-1 wins over Chile and Colombia highlights of their qualifying campaign. Bets on plenty of goals are therefore definitely smart, with the Ecuadorians’ defence being a definite question mark. Likely to fight Senegal for the second qualifying place.

• Star Player - Enner Valencia
• Manager - Gustavo Alfaro
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage (2014)
• Expected result - Group stage

Ecuador World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Moises Ramirez (Indepediente del Valle)
Hernan Galindez (Aucas)
Alexander Dominguez (Liga de Quito)

Defenders:

William Pacho (Royal Antwerp FC)
Felix Torres (Santos Laguna)
Robert Arboleda (Sao Paulo)
Jackson Porozo (Troyes)
Diego Palacios (Los Angeles FC)
Xavier Arreaga (Seattle Sounders)
Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen)
Angelo Preciado (Gent)
Pervis Estupinan (Brighton)

Midfielders:

Jeremy Sarmiento (Brighton)
Romario Ibarra (Pachuca)
Ayrton Preciado (Santos Laguna)
Angel Mena (Leon)
Gonzalo Plata (Valladolid)
Carlos Gruezo (Augsburg)
Jhegson Mendez (Los Angeles FC)
Alan Franco (Talleres)
Jose Cifuentes (Los Angeles FC)
Moises Caicedo (Brighton)

Forwards:

Kevin Rodriguez (Imbabura SC)
Djorkaeff Reasco (Newell's Old Boys)
Michael Estrada (Cruz Azul)
Enner Valencia (Fenerbache)

In many other groups Senegal would be an underdog to reach the knockout stages, but in group A there’s a good chance the Sadio Mane- and Kalidou Koulibaly -led Africans will end up advancing. Qatar and Ecuador should be wins for the “Lions of Teranga”, and even a group win could be possible with an upset against the Netherlands.

• Star Player - Sadio Mane
• Manager - Aliou Cissé
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage
• Expected result - Round of 16

Senegal World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)
Alfred Gomis (Stade Rennes)
Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers)

Defenders:

Youssuf Sabaly (Real Betis)
Formose Mendy (Amiens)
Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea)
Ismail Jakobs (Monaco)
Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig)
Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiakos)
Fode Ballo Toure (AC Milan)

Midfielders:

Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur)
Moustapha Name (Pafos FC)
Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City)
Mamdou Loum (Reading)
Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest)
Pape Gueye (Olympique Marseille)
Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton)
Krepin Diatta (Monaco)
Pathe Ismael Ciss (Rayo Vallecano)

Forwards:

Ismaila Sarr (Watford)
Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich)
Ilimane Ndiaye (Sheffield United)
Nicolas Jackson (Villareal)
Bamba Dieng (Olympique Marseille)
Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor)
Boulaye Dia (Salernitana)

The Netherlands make their return to the World Cup after their disastrous qualifying campaign for the 2018 tournament. The high-flying Dutch averaged over 3 goals per game in qualifying, and have not lost since Louis van Gaal returned to the helm.

With not too many star names to rely upon, a run up to the semi-finals might be unlikely, but this Dutch team definitely have what it takes to destroy teams weaker than them, so high-scoring matches in the group stage can be expected for bettors.

• Star Player - Virgil van Dijk
• Manager - Louis van Gaal
• Last World Cup finish: 3rd (2014)
• Expected result - Quarter-finals

Netherlands preliminary World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Remko Pasveer (Ajax)
Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord)
Andries Noppert (Heerenveen)

Defenders:

Daley Blind (Ajax)
Nathan Ake (Manchester City)
Matthijs de Ligt (Bayen Munich)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Jurrien Timber (Ajax)
Tyrell Malacia (Manchester United)
Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen)
Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan)
Stefan de Vrij (Inter Milan)

Midfielders:

Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)
Kenneth Taylor (Ajax)
Xavi Simons (PSV Eindhoven)
Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta)
Davy Klaassen (Ajax)
Marten de Roon (Atalanta)
Steven Berghuis (Ajax)

Forwards:

Memphis Depay (Barcelona)
Luuk de Jong (PSV Eindhoven)
Steven Bergwijn (Ajax)
Wout Wegohorst (Besiktas)
Noa Lang (Club Brugge)
Vincent Janssen (Royal Antwerp)
Cody Gakpo (PSV Eindhoven)

England come into the World Cup with sky-high expectations like usual, but recently form has eluded the Three Lions, culminating in the 0-4 drubbing at home against Hungary in June. However, with the recent Euros and last World Cup bringing 2nd & 4th place finishes, anything less than a spot in the semi-finals would be considered a disappointment.

Much will depend on whether Gareth Southgate’s men are able to solve the goalscoring problems that have plagued them in the year leading up to the tournament. Harry Kane has been on too heavily, but if he can bring his qualifying form (12 goals in 10 games) to Qatar, it just might be coming home…

• Star Player - Harry Kane
• Manager - Gareth Southgate
• Last World Cup finish: 4th
• Expected result - Semi-finals+

England World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Nick Pope (Newcastle United)

Defenders:

John Stones (Manchester City)
Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Eric Dier (Tottenham)
Conor Coady (Everton)
Kieran Trippier (Newcastle)
Ben White (Arsenal)

Midfielders:

Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)
Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City)
Mason Mount (Chelsea)
Conor Gallagher (Chelsea)
James Maddison (Leicester City)
Declan Rice (West Ham)

Forwards:

Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Raheem Sterling (Chelsea)
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Jack Grealish (Manchester City)
Callum Wilson (Newcastle)
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Wales have been handed a fairly favourable draw at this World Cup, and with a fully-firing Gareth Bale progression to the knockout stages is definitely a possibility. Holding Belgium to a draw at home in qualification was impressive, and they managed to edge out Ukraine for a place in these finals at the playoffs. England v Wales is always a cracker, and plenty of goals are usually expected in games involving the Red Dragons.

• Star Player - Gareth Bale
• Manager - Rob Page
• Last World Cup finish: Quarter-finals (1958)
• Expected result - Round of 16/Group stage

Wales World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Wayne Hennessey (Nottingham Forest)
Adam Davies (Sheffield United)
Danny Ward (Leicester City)

Defenders:

Ben Davies (Tottenham)
Connor Robers (Burnley)
Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest)
Chris Gunter (AFC Wimbledon)
Ethan Ampadu (Chelsea)
Chris Mepham (Bournemouth)
Joe Rodon (Tottenham)
Tom Lockyer (Luton Town)
Ben Cabango (Swansea City)

Midfielders:

Joe Allen (Swansea City)
Harry Wilson (Fulham)
Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City)
Aaron Ramsey (Nice)
Jonny Williams (Swindon Town)
Joe Morrell (Portsmouth)
Dylan Levitt (Dundee United)
Matthew Smith (MK Dons)
Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield)

Forwards:

Gareth Bale (Los Angeles FC)
Daniel James (Leeds United)
Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest)
Mark Harris (Cardiff City)
Kieffer Moore (Bournemouth)

USA didn’t cover themselves in glory while qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, barely making it straight through to Qatar. However, a favourable group draw sees them with a good chance of advancing, and their game with Wales will most likely be crucial in determining the second team to make the playoffs.

• Star Player - Christian Pulisic
• Manager - Gregg Berhalter
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in Round of 16 (2014)
• Expected result - Round of 16/Group stage

USA World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Matt Turner (Arsenal)
Sean Johnson (New York City)
Ethan Horvath (Luton Town)

Defenders:

Sergino Dest (AC Milan)
DeYandre Yedlin (Inter Miami)
Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach)
Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
Tim Ream (Fulham)
Shaq Moore (Nashville SC)
Aaron Long (NY Red Bulls)
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic)

Midfielders:

Tyler Adams (Leeds United)
Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders)
Yunus Musah (Valencia)
Weston McKennie (Juventus)
Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo)
Kellyn Acosta (Los Angeles FC)
Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United)

Forwards:

Christian Pulisic (Chelsea)
Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund)
Josh Sargent (Norwich City)
Haji Wright (Antalyaspor)
Tim Weah (Lille)
Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders)
Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas)

Iran are on paper the weakest team in Group B, but don’t count them out! Dragan Skocic’s men took top spot in qualifying in a group with South Korea, so upsets in at least single games are definitely possible, even if getting to the playoffs seems like a long shot. Defence is the Iranian’s strong suit, with only 3 goals conceded in 10 qualifying games.

• Star Player - Ehsan Hajsafi
• Manager - Dragan Skocic
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage
• Expected result - Group stage

Iran World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Amir Abedzadeh (Ponferradina)
Payam Niazmand (Sepahan)
Hossein Hosseini (Esteghal)
Alireza Beiranvand (Persepolis)

Defenders:

Ehsan Hajisafi (AEK)
Milad Mohammadi (AEK)
Sadegh Moharrami (Dinamo Zagreb)
Majid Hosseini (Kayserispor)
Mortza Pouraliganji (Persepolis)
Shoja Khalilzadeh (Al Ahili SC)
Hossein Kananizadegan (Al Ahli SC)
Abolfazl Jalali (Esteghal)
Ramin Rezaeian (Sepahan)

Midfielders:

Saman Ghoddos (Brentford)
Ali Gholizadeh (Charleroi)
Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Feyenoord)
Mehdi Torabi (Persepolis)
Vahid Amiri (Persepolis)
Rouzbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal)
Ali Karimi (Kayserispor)
Ahmad Nourollahi (Shabab Al Ahli)
Saeid Ezatolahi (Vejle Boldklub)

Forwards:

Mehdi Taremi (Porto)
Karim Ansarifard (Omonia)
Sardar Azmoun (Bayer Leverkusen)

2022 will likely be the last World Cup that Argentina will have Lionel Messi in their ranks, and the former best player in the world will be doing everything he can to emulate Diego Maradona and lift the World Cup for the South Americans.

Only a victory in group C is to be expected, but with offensive star power like this their offence has been slightly lacklustre in recent times. Facing tough defences in this group, surprise draws or even defeats aren’t out of the question, but winning the group should still be a formality.

• Star Player - Lionel Messi
• Manager - Lionel Scaloni
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in Round of 16
• Expected result - Quarter-finals

Argentina World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
Geronimo Rulli (Villareal)
Franco Armani (River Plate)

Defenders:

Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon)
Cristian Romero (Tottenham)
German Pezzella (Real Betis)
Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla)
Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid)
Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United)
Juan Foyth (Villareal)
Marcos Acuna (Sevilla)
Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica)

Midfielders:

Leandro Paredes (Juventus)
Guido Rodriquez (Real Betis)
Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)
Alexis MacAllister (Brighton)
Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla)
Enzo Fernandez (Benfica)
Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid)

Forwards:

Lionel Messi (PSG)
Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
Angel Di Maria (Juventus)
Paulo Dybala (AS Roma)
Julian Alvarez (Manchester City)
Joaquin Correa (Inter Milan)
Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina)

Mexico will live and die with their defence in Qatar, as they only conceded more than once on two occasions across 14 games in qualifying. However, the offensive stars of qualifying teams like Canada and the USA pale in comparison to the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi at these finals, but a place in the last 16 is definitely a possibility.

• Star Player - Andres Guadardo
• Manager - Gerardo Martino
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in Round of 16
• Expected result - Round of 16/Group stage

Mexico World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Guillermo Ochoa (Club America)
Rodolfo Cota (Leon)
Alfredo Talavera (Juarez)

Defenders:

Jesus Gallardo (Monterrey)
Gerardo Arteaga (Genk)
Cesar Montes (Monterrey)
Hector Moreno (Monterrey)
Johan Vasquez (Cremonese)
Nestor Araujo (Club America)
Jorge Sanchez (Ajax)

Midfielders:

Luis Romo (Monterrey)
Orbelin Pineda (AEK Athens)
Edson Alvarez (Ajax)
Luis Chavez (Pachuca)
Erick Gutierrez (PSV)
Charly Rodriguez (Cruz Azul)
Hector Herrera (Houston Dynamo)
Andres Guardado (Real Betis)

Forwards:

Rogelio Funes Mori (Monterrey)
Henry Martin (Club America)
Uriel Antuna (Cruz Azul)
Roberto Alvarado (Guadalajara)
Raul Jimenez (Wolves)
Alexis Vega (Guadalajara)
Hirving Lozano (Napoli)

Poland live and die at the hands of Robert Lewandowski. If he is firing like during their qualifying campaign (9 goals in 9 games), they could sneak through the groups, but otherwise things will get tough, although the Poles did get a total of 30 goals in 10 games for qualifying, which is very impressive considering 21 of those were not from their leading striker.

• Star Player - Robert Lewandowski
• Manager - Czeslaw Michniewicz
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage
• Expected result - Round of 16/Group stage

Poland World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus)
Lukasz Skorupski (Bologna)
Bartlomiej Dragowski (Spezia)

Defenders:

Nicola Zalewski (AS Roma)
Mateusz Wieteska (Clermont)
Jakub Kiwior (Spezia)
Artur Jedrezejczyk (Legia Warsaw)
Robert Gumny (FC Augsburg)
Kamil Glik (Benevento)
Matty Cash (Aston Villa)
Bartosz Bereszynski (Sampdoria)
Jan Bednarek (Aston Villa)

Midfielders:

Szymon Zurkowski (Fiorentina)
Piotr Zielinski (Napoli)
Sebastian Szymanski (Feyenoord)
Damian Szymanski (AEK Athens)
Michal Skoras (Lech Poznan)
Grzegorz Krychowiak (Al-Shabab)
Jakub Kaminski (Vfl Wolfsburg)
Kamil Grosicki (Pohon Szczecin)
Przemylaw Frankowski (Lens)
Krystian Bielik (Birmingham City)

Forwards:

Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
Krzysztof Piatek (Salernitana)
Arkadiusz Milik (Juventus)
Karol Swiderski (Charlotte FC)

Saudi Arabia were the surprise package of their qualifying group, edging out Japan and Australia for top spot. However, at the World Cup finals group C will most likely be too much for them, and betting on the Saudis is tough to advise, especially since they have trouble scoring. Bets on clean sheets for their opponents could be a smart course of action.

• Star Player - Salman Al-Faraj
• Manager - Hervé Renard
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage
• Expected result - Group stage

Saudi Arabia World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Mohamed Al-Yami (Al-Ahly)
Nawaf Al-Aqidi (Al-Nassr)
Mohamed Al-Owais (Al-Hilal)

Defenders:

Saud Abdulhamid (Al-Hilal)
Mohammed Al-Breik (Al-Hilal)
Sultan Al-Ghanam (Al-Nassr)
Hassan Tambakti (Al-Shabab)
Abdullah Madu (Al-Nassr)
Abdulelah Al-Amri (Al-Nassr)
Ali Al-Bulaihi (Al-Hilal)
Yasser Al-Shahrani (Al-Hilal)

Midfielders:

Hattan Bahebri (Al-Shabab)
Salem Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal)
Abdulrahman Al-Aboud (Al-Ittihad)
Nasser Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal)
Abdullah Otayf (Al-Hilal)
Sami Al-Najei (Al-Nassr)
Abdulelah Al-Malki (Al-Hilal)
Mohamed Kanno (Al-Hilal)
Ali Al-Hassan (Al-Nassr)
Riyadh Sharahili (Abha)
Salman Al-Faraj (Al-Hilal)

Forwards:

Nawaf Al-Abed (Al-Shabab)
Firas Al-Buraikan (Al-Fateh)
Saleh Al-Shehri (Al-Hilal)
Haitham Asiri (Al-Ahly)

The reigning World Cup champions France are yet again one of the favourites to win the tournament, and they are still coached by the legendary Didier Deschamps who took them all the way last time. A star-studded squad from top to bottom, anything other than a run to at least the semi-finals will be considered a major disappointment across the channel.

• Star Player - Kylian Mbappe
• Manager - Didier Deschamps
• Last World Cup finish: Champion
• Expected result - Final+

France World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Hugo Lloris (Tottenham)
Steve Mandanda (Rennes)
Alphonse Areola (West Ham)

Defenders:

Raphael Varane (Manchester United)
Dayout Upamencano (Bayern Munich)
William Saliba (Arsenal)
Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)
Jules Kounde (Barcelona)
Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool)
Presnel Kimpembe (PSG)
Theo Hernandez (AC Milan)
Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich)

Midfielders:

Adrien Rabiot (Juventus)
Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid)
Jordan Veretout (Marseille)
Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid)
Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille)
Youssouf Fofana (AS Monaco)

Forwards:

Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
Olivier Giroud (AC Milan)
Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig)
Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich)

Australia underwhelmed in qualifying for Qatar, only managing a playoff spot from their group with 4 wins from 10 games. Even their playoff wins against UAE and Peru were tight affairs, and advancing from group D seems nigh-on impossible. A couple of blowout results could sadly also be possible for the Aussies.

• Star Player - Mat Ryan
• Manager - Graham Arnold
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage
• Expected result - Group stage

Australia World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers:

Matty Ryan (FC Copenhagen)
Danny Vukovic (Central Coast Mariners)
Andrew Redmayne (Sydney FC)

Defenders:

Thomas Deng (Albirex Niigata)
Bailey Wright (Sunderland)
Kye Rowles (Hearts)
Harry Souttar (Stoke City)
Fran Karacic (Brescia)
Joel King (OB)
Aziz Behich (Dundee United)
Milos Degenek (Columbus Crew)

Midfielders:

Aaron Mooy (Celtic)
Riley McGree (Middlesbrough)
Cameron Devlin (Hearts)
Keanu Baccus (St Mirren)
Ajdin Hrustic (Hellas Verona)
Jackson Irvine (St Pauli)

Forwards:

Craig Goodwin (Adelaide United)
Garang Kuol (Central Coast Mariners)
Mitchell Duke (Fagiano Okayama)
Jason Cummings (Central Coast Mariners)
Jamie Maclaren (Melbourne City)
Martin Boyle (Hibernian)
Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City)
Awer Mabil (Cadiz)

Denmark will be relatively happy with their group draw for the 2022 World Cup, as they have shown proficiency in demolishing weaker teams in their qualification campaign. Getting the better of Australia and Tunisia convincingly is therefore on the cards, but France will likely be too much, leading to a tough last 16 opponent and a likely exit.

• Star Player - Christian Eriksen
• Manager - Kasper Hjulmand
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in Round of 16
• Expected result - Round of 16

Denmark World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Kasper Schmeichel (Nice)
Oliver Christensen (Hertha Berlin)

Defenders:

Simon Kjaer (AC Milan)
Andreas Christensen (Barcelona)
Daniel Wass (Brondby)
Victor Nelsson (Galatasaray)
Jens Stryger Larsen (Trabzonspor)
Rasmus Kristensen (Leeds United)
Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace)
Joakim Maehle (Atalanta)

Midfielders:

Christian Eriksen (Manchester United)
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham)
Thomas Delaney (Sevilla)
Mathias Jensen (Brentford)

Forwards:

Martin Braithwaite (Espanyol)
Andreas Cornelius (Copenhagen)
Jonas Wind (Vfl Wolfsburg)
Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford)
Kasper Dolberg (Sevilla)
Jesper Lindstrom (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Andreas Skov Olsen (Club Brugge)

Tunisia are big underdogs in group D, and they had perhaps the easiest route to the finals out of all the African countries, only needing to beat Mali in the final round. Two clean sheets against them along with only 2 conceded in 6 group stage matches could mean that sneaking a draw is possible, but any win at Qatar 2022 would be a big surprise.

• Star Player - Youssef Msakni
• Manager - Jalel Kadri
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage
• Expected result - Group stage

Tunisia World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Aymen Mathlouthi (Etoile Sahel)
Mouez Hassen (Club Africain)
Bechir Ben Said (US Monastir)
Aymen Dahmen (CS Sfaxien)

Defenders:

Montassar Talbi (Lorient)
Yassine Meriah (Esperance)
Ali Maaloul (Al Ahly)
Wajdi Kechrida (Atromitos)
Bilel Ifa (Kuwait SC)
Nader Ghandri (Club Africain)
Mohamed Drager (FC Luzern)
Ali Abdi (Caen)
Dylan Bronn (Salernitana)

Midfielders:

Elyas Skhiri (FC Cologne)
Ferjani Sassi (Al Duhail)
Hannibal Mejbri (Birmingham City)
Aissa Laidouni (Ferencvaros)
Ghaylane Chaalali (Esperance)
Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Esperance)

Forwards:

Naim Sliti (Al Ittifaq)
Youssef Msakni (Al Arabi)
Taha Yassine Khenissi (Kuwait SC)
Wahbi Khazri (Montpellier)
Issam Jebali (Odense)
Seifeddine Jaziri (Zamalek)
Anis Ben Slimane (Brondby)

Spain are one of the bookies’ favourites to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and for good reason. Qualifying was a breeze for the Iberians, and the team went on a run of just 1 defeat (2-1 away to France) in their last 12 before Autumn. The lack of star players, especially on the striker front could be a problem, but Barcelona’s young Ansu Fati could be the answer, and Pablo Sarabia’s and Alvaro Morata’s records are decent for their country.

Facing Germany in their group isn’t ideal, but a deep run is still to be expected. Their material might not necessarily be enough for gold, but Luis Enrique has instilled a great system, and it’s not too long since they beat Germany 6-0 in the Nations League in late 2020!

• Star Player - Pedri
• Manager - Luis Enrique
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in Round of 16
• Expected result - Semi-finals+

Spain World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao)
David Raya (Brentford)
Robert Sanchez (Brighton)

Defenders:

Aymerick Laporte (Manchester City)
Jordi Alba (Barcelona)
Pau Torres (Villareal)
Hugo Guillamon (Valencia)
Eric Garcia (Barcelona)
Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid)
Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Midfielders:

Gavi (Barcelona)
Sergio Busquets (Barcelona)
Rodri (Manchester City)
Koke Resurreccion (Atletico Madrid)
Pedri Gonzalez (Barcelona)
Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Carlos Soler (PSG)

Forwards:

Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid)
Ansu Fati (Barcelona)
Marco Asensio (Real Madrid)
Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig)
Pablo Sarabia (PSG)
Yeremi Pino (Villareal)
Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
Ferran Torres (Barcelona)

Germany qualified for the 2022 World Cup with flying colours winning their admittedly super-easy group with a goal difference of 36-4 in 10 games. Recent matches this summer against heavyweights like Italy, England and the Netherlands have brought 1-1 draws and a 5-2 win, so the Germans are definitely picking up form at the right time.

Major tournaments are usually the bread and butter of Germany teams, and the battle for top place in Group E with Spain could be crucial to avoid tough opponents in the round of 16. Expect goals galore and a possible deep run, maybe even all the way!

• Star Player - Manuel Neuer
• Manager - Hans-Dieter Flick
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage
• Expected result - Semi-finals+

Germany World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)

Defenders:

Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
Niklas Sule (Borussia Dortmund)
Christian Gunter (Freiburg)
Armel Bella-Kotchap (Southampton)
Lukas Klostermann (RB Leipzig)
David Raum (RB Leipzig)
Thilo Kehrer (West Ham)
Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund)
Matthias Ginter (Freiburg)

Midfielders:

Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City)
Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich)
Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich)
Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich)
Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Mario Götze (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund)
Jonas Hofmann (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Forwards:

Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund)
Kai Havertz (Chelsea)
Niclas Fullkrug (Werder Bremen)
Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund)

Japan will have read the names of the teams in their World Cup group with horror. Not being the force they once were, edging out Spain or Germany for a spot in the knockout stages will be a tough task. The Japanese’ strongest aspect is their defence, but against world class players even that won’t be enough.

• Star Player - Maya Yoshida
• Manager - Hajime Moriyasu
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in Round of 16
• Expected result - Group stage

Japan World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Daniel Schmidt (Sint-Truiden)
Shuichi Gonda (Shimizu S-Pulse
Eiji Kawashima (Strasbourg)

Defenders:

Maya Yoshida (Schalke 04)
Hiroki Ito (Stuttgart)
Ko Itakura (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
Hiroki Sakai (Urawa Red Diamonds)
Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield Town)
Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Frontale)
Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo)
Shogo Taniguchi (Kawasaki Frontale)
Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal)

Midfielders:

Ritsu Doan (Freiburg)
Takumi Minamino (Monaco)
Gaku Shibasaki (Leganes)
Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad)
Hidemasa Morita (Sporting Lisbon)
Wataru Endo (Stuttgart)
Junya Ito (Reims)
Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Dusseldorf)
Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton)
Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Yuki Soma (Nagoya Grampus)

Forwards:

Takuma Asano (Bochum)
Daizen Maeda (Celtic)
Ayase Ueda (Cercle Brugge)

Costa Rica were the final CONCACAF team to make it to the 2022 World Cup finals after a playoff victory against New Zealand, but unfortunately their qualifying run was rewarded only with a group of death. A group stage exit is all that can be expected, but keep in mind that the team did top a group with Italy, England and Uruguay at the 2014 tournament, so anything can always happen at the World Cup!

• Star Player - Bryan Ruiz
• Manager - Luis Fernando Suárez
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage
• Expected result - Group stage

Costa Rica World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers:

Keylor Navas (PSG)
Patrick Sequeira (Lugo)
Esteban Alvarado (Herediano)

Defenders:

Daniel Chacon (Colorado Rapis)
Ronald Matarrita (Cincinnati)
Carlos Martinez (San Carlos)
Kendall Waston (Deportivo Saprissa)
Francisco Calvo (Konyaspor)
Bryan Oviedo (Real Salt Lake)
Oscar Duarte (Al-Wehda)
Keysher Fuller (Herediano)
Juan Pablo Vargas (Millonarios)

Midfielders:

Bryan Ruiz (Alajuelense)
Youstin Salas (Deportivo Saprissa)
Yeltsin Tejeda (Herediano)
Brandon Aguilera (AD Guanacasteca)
Alvaro Zamora (Deportivo Saprissa)
Roan Wilson (Grecia)
Gerson Torres (Herediano)
Douglas Lopez (Santos de Guapile)
Anthony Hernandez (Puntaneras)
Jewison Bennette (Sunderland)
Celso Borges (Alajuelenese)

Forwards:

Joel Campbell (Leon)
Johan Venegas (Alajuelense)
Anthony Contreras (Herediano)

The free-scoring Belgians are looking to go better in 2022 than their 3rd place finish last time out, and this will most likely be the final tournament of their golden generation. Kevin De Bruyne, Eden & Thorgan Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and the rest of the gang lit up their qualifying group, averaging more than 3 goals per game.

A decent shout to win the World Cup this year, betting on “over” markets is definitely the play for Belgium. Their defence isn’t the fastest, so conceding quite a bit on the counter is also a possibility.

• Star Player - Kevin De Bruyne
• Manager - Roberto Martínez
• Last World Cup finish: 3rd
• Expected result - Semi-finals+

Belgium World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg)
Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge)

Defenders:

Toby Alderweireld (Antwerp)
Wout Faes (Leicester)
Arthur Theate (Rennes)
Leander Dendoncker (Aston Villa)
Zebo Debast (Anderlecht)
Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht)

Midfielders:

Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
Youri Tielemans (Leicester)
Timothy Castagne (Leicester)
Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund)
Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund)
Axel Witsel (Atletico Madrid)
Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid)
Amadou Onana (Everton)
Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge)

Forwards:

Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan)
Eden Hazard (Real Madrid)
Dries Mertens (Galatasaray)
Leandro Trossard (Brighton)
Jeremy Doku (Rennes)
Charles de Ketelaere (AC Milan)
Lois Openda (Lens)
Michy Batshuayi (Fenerbache)

After finishing 2nd at the 2018 World Cup, Croatia were handed an easy group for qualifying to Qatar. Despite topping their group, the Croatians have weakened significantly from four years ago, and although advancing from the group stages should be expected, going further will prove troublesome due to ageing star players.

For betting on Croatia you should look to their defence, who only conceded 4 times in 10 qualifying games. 1-0 wins over France and Denmark in the summer’s Nations League fixtures also showed that Zlatko Dalic’s men have still got it even in the biggest games, but the World Cup finals might be too much with the lack of goal threat and over-reliance on a 37-year old Luka Modric.

• Star Player - Luka Modric
• Manager - Zlatko Dalic
• Last World Cup finish - 2nd
• Expected result - Round of 16

Croatia World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Ivo Grbic (Atletico Madrid)
Ivica Ivusic (Osijek)
Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb)

Defenders:

Josip Stanisic (Bayern Munich)
Martin Erlic (Sassuolo)
Josip Juranovic (Celtic)
Domagoj Vida (AEK Athens)
Josko Gvardiol (RB Leibzig)
Borna Sosa (Stuttgart)
Dejan Lovren (Zenit St Petersburg)
Josip Sutalo (Dinamo Zagreb)
Borna Barisic (Rangers)

Midfielders:

Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Marcelo Brozovic (Inter)
Krijstijan Jakic (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Luka Sucic (RB Salzburg)
Nikola Vlasic (Torino)
Mario Pasalic (Atalanta)
Lovro Majer (Rennes)

Forwards:

Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim)
Ivan Perisic (Tottenham)
Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb)
Ante Budimir (Osasuna)
Bruno Petkovic (Dinamo Zagreb)
Marko Livaja (Hajduk Split)

Canada made it to Qatar by finishing top of their CONCACAF qualifying group. Their defence was especially formidable in qualifying, conceding only 0,5 goals per match. However, in group F they will face considerably more formidable opponents, and qualification to the knockout stages will be a struggle.

• Star Player - Alphonso Davies
• Manager - John Herdman
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage (1986)
• Expected result - Group stage

Canada World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

James Pantemis (CF Montreal)
Dayne St Clair (Minnesota United)
Milan Borjan (Red Star Belgrade)

Defenders:

Derek Cornelius (Panetolikos)
Joel Waterman (CF Montreal)
Sam Adekugbe (Hatayspor)
Kamal Miller (CF Montreal)
Richie Laryea (Nottingham Forest)
Alistair Johnston (CF Montreal)
Steven Vitoria (Chavez)

Midfielders:

Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)
David Wotherspoon (St Johnstone)
Ismael Kone (CF Montreal)
Mark-Anthony Kaye (Toronto FC)
Samuel Piette (CF Montreal)
Liam Fraser (Deinze)
Stephen Eustaquio (FC Porto)
Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC)
Atiba Hutchinson (Besiktas)

Forwards:

Junior Hoilett (Reading)
Liam Millar (Basel)
Tajon Buchanan (Club Brugge)
Lucas Cavallini (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Ike Ugbo (Troyes)
Cyle Larin (Club Brugge)
Jonathan David (Lille)

Morocco dominated in the CAF qualifying stage for the World Cup, scoring 25 goals and only conceding three times in the process. If the other teams in group F don’t do their preparation well they could be surprised by the Moroccans’ offensive prowess, as they scored 3 times or more in 75% of their qualifying games. However, in a group with Belgium and Croatia advancing further would be a surprise.

• Star Player - Romain Saiss
• Manager - Vahid Halilhodzic
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage
• Average amount of goals in games: Expected result - Group stage

Morocco World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (Wydad Casablanca)
Munir El Kajoui (Al Wehda)
Yassine Bounou (Sevilla)

Defenders:

Romain Saiss (Besiktas)
Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich)
Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
Jawad El Yamiq (Real Valladolid)
Achraf Dari (Stade Brest)
Badr Benoun (Qatar SC)
Yahia Attiat Allah (Wydad Casablanca)
Nayef Aguerd (West Ham)

Midfielders:

Abdelhamid Sabiri (Sampdoria)
Azzedine Ounahi (Angers)
Yahya Jabrane (Wydad Casablanca)
Bilal El Khannouss (Racing Genk)
Selim Amallah (Standard Liege)
Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina)

Forwards:

Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea)
Amine Harit (Olympique Marseille)
Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al Ittihad)
Abde Ezzalzouli (Osasuna)
Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla)
Walid Cheddira (Bari)
Ilias Chair (Queens Park Rangers)
Soufiane Boufal (Angers)
Zakaria Aboukhlal (Toulouse)

Group G’s star team is definitely Brazil, who flew through qualifying losing 0 times with a goal difference of +35. However, it’s their defence that has especially shone, with qualifying bringing 13 clean sheets over 17 games. With Neymar, Vinicius Jr and Gabriel Jesus in the team goals are always never far away, and the South Americans will be looking to improve on their quarter-final exit against Belgium in 2018.

• Star Player - Neymar
• Manager - Tité
• Last World Cup finish: Quarter-finals
• Expected result - Semi-finals+

Brazil World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers:

Alisson (Liverpool)
Ederson (Manchester City)
Weverton (Palmeiras

Defenders:

Dani Alves (Pumas UNAM)
Danilo (Juventus)
Alex Telles (Sevilla)
Alex Sandro (Juventus)
Thiago Silva (Chelsea)
Marquinhos (PSG)
Eder Militao (Real Madrid)
Bremer (Juventus)

Midfielders:

Fabinho (Liverpool)
Fred (Manchester United)
Casemiro (Manchester United)
Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)
Lucas Paqueta (West Ham)
Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo)

Forwards:

Neymar (PSG)
Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)
Antony (Manchester United)
Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal)
Raphinha (Barcelona)
Richarlison (Tottenham)
Rodrygo (Real Madrid)
Pedro (Flamengo)
Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)

Cameroon reached their 7th World Cup finals in impressive fashion, defeating an always strong Ivory Coast in the second round groups and Algeria boosted by Riyad Mahrez and qualifying top scorer (8) Islam Slimani in the third round. Group G is extremely tight behind Brazil and Cameroon could be a nice surprise shout to reach the knockouts.

• Star Player - Vincent Aboubakar
• Manager - Rigobert Song
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage
• Expected result - Group stage

Cameroon World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Andre Onana (Inter Milan)
Simon Ngapandouetnbu (Marseille)
Devis Epassy (Abha Club)

Defenders:

Christopher Wooh (Stade Rennes)
Tolo Nouhou (Seattle Sounders)
Nicolas Nkoulou (Aris Salonika)
Olivier Mbaizo (Philadelphia Union)
Collins Fai (Al Tai)
Enzo Ebosse (Udinese)
Jean-Charles Castelletto (Nantes)

Midfielders:

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Napoli)
Samuel Oum Gouet (Mechelen)
Gael Ondoua (Hannover 96)
Olivier Ntcham (Swansea City)
Pierre Kunde (Olympiakos)
Martin Hongla (Verona)

Forwards:

Karl Toko Ekambi (Lyon)
Jean-Pierre Nsame (Young Boys Berne)
Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (Besiktas)
Jerome Ngom (Colombe Dja)
Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu (Young Boys Berne)
Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)
Souaibou Marou (Coton Sport)
Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting (Bayern Munich)
Christian Bassogog (Shanghai Shenhua)
Vincent Aboubakar (Al Nassr)

Switzerland went undefeated in qualifying despite sharing a group with reigning Euro 2020 champs Italy, so big things are expected in the Alps for this year’s World Cup finals. Bets on “under” markets could be especially smart for games with the Swiss, as they only conceded 2 goals in 8 qualifying games.

The second strongest team in their group, expect Switzerland to qualify, but Cameroon and Serbia are definitely no pushovers, so bets on qualifying might not be smart.

• Star Player - Granit Xhaka
• Manager - Murat Yakin
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in Round of 16
• Expected result - Round of 16

Switzerland World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Yann Sommer (Borussia Monchengladbach)
Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund)
Philipp Kohn (Salzburg)
Jonas Omlin (Montpellier)

Defenders:

Manuel Akanji (Manchester City)
Fabian Schar (Newcastle United)
Eray Comert (Valencia)
Silvan Widmer (Mainz 05)
Nico Elvedi (Borussia Monchengladbach)
Ricardo Rodriguez (Torino)

Midfielders:

Granit Zhaka (Arsenal)
Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire)
Denis Zakaria (Chelsea)
Fabian Rieder (Young Boys)
Edimilson Fernandes (Mainz)
Ardon Jashari (Luzern)
Fabian Frei (Basel)
Michel Aebischer (Bologna)
Renato Steffen (Lugano)
Djibril Sow (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Remo Freuler (Nottingham Forest)

Forwards:

Ruben Vargas (Augsburg)
Breel Embolo (Monaco)
Haris Seferovic (Galatasaray)
Noah Okafor (RB Salzburg)
Christian Fassnacht (Young Boys)

Serbia qualified for the World Cup in impressive fashion, taking down Portugal in their group to win it and straight qualification to these finals. Group G and further advancing in the tournament will be an equally tough task, but Dragan Stojkovic’s men definitely have potential for a few upsets, especially in a tight group like this although the bookies might not favour them to progress too much.

• Star Player - Dusan Tadic
• Manager - Dragan Stojkovic
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage
• Expected result - Group stage

Serbia World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Vanja Milinkovic-Savic (Torino)
Predrag Rajkovic (Mallorca)
Marko Dmitrovic (Sevilla)

Defenders:

Srdjan Babic (Almeria)
Strahinja Erakovic (Red Star Belgrade)
Filip Mladenovic (Legia Warsaw)
Milos Veljkovic (Werder Bremen)
Strahinja Pavlovic (RB Salzburg)
Nikola Milenkovic (Fiorentina)
Stefan Mitrovic (Getafe)

Midfielders:

Darko Lazovic (Hellas Verona)
Andrija Zivkovic (PAOK)
Ivan Ilic (Hellas Verona)
Nemanja Maksimovic (Getafe)
Uros Racic (Braga)
Filip Kostic (Juventus)
Marko Grujic (FC Porto)
Sasa Lukic (Torino)
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio)
Nemanja Gudelj (Sevilla)

Forwards:

Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham)
Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus)
Dusan Tadic (Ajax)
Nemanja Radonjic (Torino)
Filip Duricic (Sampdoria)
Luka Jovic (Fiorentina)

On paper, Portugal have one of the most stacked squads at the 2022 World Cup, but betting on them to go far could be a mistake. Led by a 37-year old Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese only managed 2nd in their qualifying group behind Serbia, and needed the playoffs to make these finals.

Recently, they also lost to Switzerland in June, and although progress from group H should be almost guaranteed, form dictates that a Portuguese victory or deep run seems unlikely. Keeping clean sheets has been especially problematic for the team, but if all stars align they do have potential to even win the whole tournament.

• Star Player - Cristiano Ronaldo
• Manager - Fernando Santos
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in Round of 16
• Expected result - Quarter-finals

Portugal World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Rui Patricio (AS Roma)
Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Diogo Costa (FC Porto)

Defenders:

Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)
Pepe (FC Porto)
Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund)
Nuno Mendes (PSG)
Antonio Silva (Benfica)
Danilo Pereira (PSG)
Diogo Dalot (Manchester United)

Midfielders:

Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Joao Mario (Benfica)
William Carvalho (Real Betis)
Vitinha (PSG)
Otavio Monteiro (FC Porto)
Matheus Nunes (Wolves)
Ruben Neves (Wolves)
Joao Palhinha (Fulham)

Forwards:

Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Andre Silva (RB Leipzig)
Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
Ricardo Horta (SC Braga)
Rafael Leao (AC Milan)
Goncalo Ramos (Benfica)

Uruguay will be battling Portugal for top spot in group H, but with their qualifying form being pretty awful and the impact of Luis Suarez waning with age even a group stage exit in a stronger group wouldn’t be a surprise.

However, with Ghana and South Korea not impressing, “La Celeste” should reach the knockouts, with a swift exit at the Round of 16 most likely to follow. Not too good attacking and defensively especially suspect, this could be a tough winter tournament for Uruguay.

• Star Player - Luis Suarez
• Manager - Diego Alonso
• Last World Cup finish: Quarter-finals
• Expected result - Round of 16

Uruguay World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers:

Sebastian Sosa (Indepediente)
Sergio Rochet (Nacional)
Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray)

Defenders:

Matias Vina (AS Roma)
Sebastian Coates (Sporting)
Martin Caceres (LA Galaxy)
Mathias Olivera (Napoli)
Diego Godin (Velez Sarsfield)
Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid)
Ronald Araujo (Barcelona)
Guillermo Varela (Flamengo)
Jose Luis Rodriguez (Nacional)

Midfielders:

Matias Vecino (Lazio)
Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)
Manuel Ugarte (Sporting)
Lucas Torreira (Galatasaray)
Nicolas De La Cruz (River Plate)
Felipe Carballo (Nacional)
Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham)
Agustin Canobbio (Athletico Paranaense)
Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Flamengo)
Facundo Pellistri (Manchester United)

Forwards:

Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)
Luis Suarez (Nacional)
Edinson Cavani (Valencia)
Facundo Torres (Orlando City)
Maximiliano Gomez (Trabzonspor)

Ghana’s route to Qatar 2022 was far from smooth, barely qualifying on equal points with South Africa from the second round and edging Nigeria in overtime in the final qualification. Despite having the likes of Andre Ayew in their ranks the "Black Stars" had trouble scoring, barely managing over 1 goal per game in their weak group, so qualifying from group H in these finals would be a huge surprise.

• Star Player - Andre Ayew
• Manager - Otto Addo
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage (2014)
• Expected result - Group stage

Ghana World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:

Lawrence Ati Zigi (St Gallen)
Danlad Ibrahim (Asante Kotoko)
Manaf Nurudeen (Eupen)

Defenders:

Gideon Mensah (Auxerre)
Abdul-Rahman Baba (Reading)
Mohammed Salisu (Southampton)
Alexander Djiku (Strasbourg)
Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo)
Daniel Amartey (Leicester City)
Alidu Seidu (Clermont)
Tariq Lamptey (Brighton)
Denis Odoi (Fulham)

Midfielders:

Thomas Partey (Arsenal)
Andre Ayew (Al-Sadd)
Daniel Kofi Kyereh (Freiburg)
Mohammed Kudus (Ajax)
Salis Abdul Samed (Lens)
Elisha Owusu (Gent)

Forwards:

Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace)
Kamaldeen Sulemana (Rennes)
Antoine Semenyo (Bristol City)
Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
Osman Bukari (Red Star Belgrade)
Issahaku Abdul Fatawu (Sporting Lisbon)
Kamal Sowah (Club Brugge)
Daniel Barnieh Afriyie (Hearts of Oak)

Despite having Son Heung-min in their ranks South Korea are definitely a more defence-minded team, going 13-3 in goals over 10 qualifying matches. Losing out to Iran for top spot in their group was a disappointment, and with this kind of form the Asians will most likely exit at the group stage. Betting on low-scoring games could be the way to enjoy South Korea games at Qatar.

• Star Player - Son Heung-min
• Manager - Paulo Bento
• Last World Cup finish: Eliminated in group stage
• Expected result - Group stage

South Korea World Cup squad

Goalkeepers:
Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk Motors)
Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan Hyundai)
Kim Seung-gyu (Al Shabab)

Defenders:

Cho Yu-min (Daejon Citizen)
Kwon Kyung-won (Gamba Osaka)
Kim Tae-hwan (Ulsan Hyundai)
Kim Young-gwon (Ulsan Hyundai)
Yoon Jong-gyu (FC Seoul)
Kim Moon-hwan (Jeonbuk Motors)
Hong Chul (Daegu FC)
Kim Min-jae (Napoli)
Kim Jin-su (Jeonbuk Motors)

Midfielders:

Lee Kang-in (Real Mallorca)
Jeong Woo-yeong (Freiburg)
Hwang In-beom (Olympiacos)
Hwang Hee-chan (Wolves)
Lee Jae-sung (Mainz)
Kwon Chang-hoon (Gimcheon Sangmu)
Song Min-kyu (Jeonbuk Motors)
Son Jun-ho (Shandong Taishan)
Paik Seung-ho (Jeonbuk Motors)
Na Sang-ho (FC Seoul)
Jung Woo-young (Al Sadd)

Forwards:

Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Cho Gue-sung (Jeonbuk Motors)
Hwang Ui-jo (Olympiacos)

There are plenty of favourites to win the World Cup in 2022, but a few names rise above all others, one of which is of course reigning champions France. The other big favourites according to the bookies are Brazil, England, Spain, Argentina, Germany and Belgium.

There will be a total of 32 teams competing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with England and Wales to root for for people from the UK. You can find the full World Cup schedule, groups & bracket from this page.

The odds of England winning the World Cup are currently (pre-tournament) sitting at around 7-8/1. These odds could of course be slashed as the tournament progresses and an English triumph seems likelier, and at the moment England is among the top 4 favourites to win it all in Qatar this winter.