We had to wait a little longer than usual, given the atypical scheduling compared to previous tournaments, principally due to the host location and regional climate. But now the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is finally upon us, bringing with it lots of hype and excitement, as we anticipate what promises to be a thrilling competition.
When looking at the predictions of the oddsmakers, three teams are valued head and shoulders above the rest, although this also underlines the advice offered by betting experts at SBO. They have taken a more analytical view of how to get the best World Cup betting odds, focusing on discussion of the most popular outright markets, combined with reviews for the leading online bookmakers.
This would certainly suggest there is plenty of value still to be found, as odds can vary significantly from one betting site to the next, making it worthwhile comparing the options available. Some are offering additional promotions, which may be worth additional consideration, as we look at the three teams tipped to perform at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Brazil
They are the most successful nation in World Cup history, which is largely why Brazil are habitual favourites heading into any World Cup tournament, including the upcoming competition in Qatar. But despite their standing in the global game, the Brazilians haven’t savoured the taste of World Cup victory for some time now, achieving their most recent success at the 2002 tournament.
For one of the most powerful nations in the sport, that’s quite a significant amount of time to go without lifting the trophy. Since that historic fifth World Cup triumph, Brazil has largely underperformed and failed to meet their expectations. Brazil reached the quarter-finals in 2006 and 2010, before being spectacularly drubbed 7-1 by Germany in 2014, at the tournament they hosted. In 2018, Brazil once again fell short in the quarter-finals.
Nevertheless, there is a growing sensation that at the 2022 World Cup, the current crop of Brazilian superstars will finally deliver, based upon their excellent form over the last couple of years. They broke the points record in South American qualifying, registering 45 points after winning 14 and drawing 3 of their games, whilst also scoring 40 and conceding just 5 goals. If they can maintain that level of performance, Brazil are favourites for good reason.
Argentina
While the vast majority of oddsmakers fancy Brazil, there is a growing consensus of opinion that their strongest rivals will be Argentina, who have strong World Cup ambitions of their own. Just to add some extra spice to their desire for success, this will also be the last time we’ll see Lionel Messi playing at a major tournament, having announced his decision to retire from international football after the 2022 World Cup.
But what makes the challenge of Argentina even more compelling, their form and results have been spectacular in the last few years. Indeed, they haven’t lost an international fixture since July 2019, when the Albiceleste side was beaten by Brazil in the 2019 Copa America semi-finals. Since then, Argentina has gone 35 games unbeaten, which includes beating Brazil in the 2021 Copa America final, putting them ever closer to establishing a new international record.
Italy currently holds the record with 37 games unbeaten between 2018 and 2021, making their failure to reach the 2022 World Cup even more of an anomaly. Argentina will play a friendly the United Arab Emirates, before taking on Saudi Arabia in their opening 2022 World Cup game, which could see them equal the unbeaten record. Next comes Mexico and Poland, by which time the Argentine selection could have written its place in the history books.
France
As the reigning World Cup champions who swept to glory in 2018, the ambition for France is none other than back-to-back triumphs, even if doing so could prove monumentally challenging. Indeed, only two nations have managed to achieve this feat, the first being Italy in 1934 and 1938, followed by Brazil in 1958 and 1962. But having become one of the strongest World Cup nations over the last three decades, the French will fancy their chances.
The main problem France will need to overcome is recent form, which hardly spectacular for a team considered to be World Cup contenders. Their UEFA Nations League campaign was awful, to put it mildly, winning just one of their six games, drawing two and losing three. This raised serious doubts about their World Cup ambitions, especially losing twice against Denmark, who also feature in their group at the tournament in Qatar.
Notable injuries may also hamper the plans of head coach Didier Deschamps, although France do boast a profound pool of talents to choose from, which could help him overcome the loss of key midfielders like Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante. Watching their progress will certainly be interesting, as regardless of being touted as one of the favourites, they could just as easily find themselves eliminated by the group stage.
