The world’s best arrive in Russia with only one goal: world domination, writes WADE PRETORIUS in SoccerClub magazine.
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Say what you like but there are just five teams that can actually consider themselves serious candidates to lift the most prized possession in world football. Brazil, Argentina, Spain and France are the only nations capable of holding reigning champions Germany to account in Russia.
While the mind games will be immense before the war of attrition takes place across Russia, most coaches have assessed the playing fields and realised that not all 32 teams arrive as equals.
‘Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Germany and France are the favourites to win the World Cup,’ says the Portugal coach Fernando Santos.
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A frank assessment from the man who guided his country to European glory in 2016. ‘Then we have other candidates who want to get as far as they can, and win the tournament if possible. Portugal are in this second group.’
What then for France? ‘We are not at the same level as Germany, Spain and Brazil – yet,’ says Didier Deschamps. ‘We may not control all our games with the same authority but still, we have a strong and competitive team with great potential.’
And those are the thoughts of a coach who can count on Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar and Raphael Varane to complement his Premier League stars that include Manchester United duo Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial, who will star in Deschamps’ squad alongside Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris this European summer.
If the French boss considers his star-studded side inferior to Germany, then what chance do Japan, Uruguay, Colombia and even England have this time around?
Germany remain the team to beat and have produced an incredible run of form since losing to Deschamps’ France in the semi-finals of Euro 2016. Unbeaten since then, Joachim Low’s side will have to not only perform at their best but also avoid the developing bogey of teams that crash out when their crown was being defended. France, Italy and Spain have all failed to deliver anything near a repeat performance four years after reaching the pinnacle.
With Santos’ words in mind, many of the 32 teams will consider advancing from the group stages a success, and should they manage to dump out a favourite, that’ll be just the icing on the cake.
There is a storyline around every corner with hosts Russia looking to avoid embarrassment, Iceland looking to take their giant-killing habits to the global stage, Africa looking for their first semi-finalist and 31 teams looking to spoil Germany’s party.
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The World Cup is also about how effective Cristiano Ronaldo will be as he attempts to drag Portugal along, while Lionel Messi gives it one last go with Argentina. England’s raucous fans are likely to write their own headlines but Gareth Southgate will be hoping his team will write some positive ones of their own.
It’s a global party where everyone is invited – to watch, at least – as the distractions of love, religion and politics are cast aside and replaced by adoration for the beautiful game. Records, hearts and the strongest defences were made to be broken, and after a month only one nation will survive the onslaught and be swamped with adulation.
Who will it be? Only time will tell …
– This article first appeared in the June issue of SoccerClub magazine
Photo: EPA/ANTONIO LACERDA
