Who will win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar? From Erling Haaland to Lionel Messi, from Robert Lewandowski to Gianluigi Buffon, some big names in football have delivered their predictions, with Brazil, Argentina and France as the main contenders.
Messi: «Brazil, France and England a little above»
«Whenever we talk about the candidates (for the title), we talk about the same teams. If I have to put a few above the others, I think Brazil, France and England are a bit above the restsaid Lionel Messi in an interview published Monday by the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol). “But a World Cup is so difficult and so complicated that anything can happen“, he nuanced.
Haaland: «Brazil, Argentina, France and possibly England»
For Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, who will watch the World Cup on television for lack of qualification from Norway, “the favorites should be Brazil, Argentina, France and possibly England». «I can’t single out one, because there are so many good teams.»
Lewandowski: «Messi’s Argentina is one of the favorites»
«Messi’s Argentina is one of the favorites to win the World Cup“Launched Robert Lewandowski in a recent interview with the Spanish daily Marca. They haven’t lost in around thirty matches, they’re playing well and you can see they’re a good team. They have a game plan, which they all apply together. But for the Polish star of FC Barcelona, Germany and Spain can also do well.I believe that the Spaniards, even if they have a lot of young players, remain among the favorites to win the World Cup. They could reach the semi-finals or the final: they have been playing well for two years and they have potential.»
As for German coach Hansi Flick, whom he knew at Bayern Munich, “he’s an incredible coach and with him the Germans can do great things in this World Cup.»
Desailly: «If France breaks the negative spiral…»
For former French defender Marcel Desailly, 1998 world champion, the defending French team retains its chances of retaining the trophy. “If she breaks the negative spiral, it is obvious that she is one of the favorites. Brazil, which plays more on an individual note than collectively, will be very strong. Argentina, too. No South American team has won since 2002. They will want revenge. The English are perhaps a little too soft. The Netherlands and Spain are developing a good game. There are quite a few very solid teams. But France remains favorite“, he confided in a recent interview with AFP.
Cafu:The perfect moment for Brazil»
Cafu, captain of world champion Brazil in 2002, hopes to see South American nations reclaim the planet after two decades of European supremacy. “The World Cup in Qatar is a great opportunity to break European dominance“, he told AFP. “Now is the perfect time for Brazil to break the curse and win the title. Argentina and Seleção are the two favourites. On the one hand, Brazil are coming off a very good season with great performances, on the other, Argentina also have a very good team.“
Buffon: Argentina and Brazil, “too strong»
“Argentina and Brazil, I see them as too strong”Italian international goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon told AFP. “Individually, France seems to me the only European nation that can compete, but as a team I don’t know… France, a bit like Italy, sometimes gets lost and doesn’t achieve the results it wants. could get. And maybe Belgium, because I like Courtois a lot“, explained the 2006 world champion.
Eto’o: “Cameroon will win the final»
Former striker Samuel Eto’o, who has become president of the Cameroonian Federation, predicts a 100% African final… while the nations of Africa have never done better than the quarter-finals at the World Cup. “ Cameroon will win the 2022 World Cup final against Morocco“Launched Eto’o with his usual aplomb, in an interview broadcast by the organizers. “Over the years, African teams have gained more and more experience, and I think they are ready not only to participate in a World Cup, but also to win this competition.”
