As the last article in the series, I hope that this series has been informative as well as fun to read. The final two groups, G and H, are very solid groups with some of the best storylines in Qatar. Stay tuned for the end of this article for my pick to win it all.
Group G:
Brazil: Contenders
As per usual, Neymar Jr. and Brazil are a contender at the World Cup. They cruised to a qualifying spot in South America and look to continue that pace into the Round of 16. During their qualifying run, they faced Messi and Argentina and left with a 0-0 draw. Nobody is upset with a draw against the GOAT, and Brazil is no different. Their national team has a record, five, World Cups. Sadly, they have not won one since 2002 and look to put that 20-year drought to an end in Qatar. Brazil is one of the few teams in all of Qatar that could go all the way, and they are a sure shot to advance from Group G.
Image via FourFourTwo
Serbia: Contenders
This may come as a surprise to many, but Serbia is one of the best teams at the 2022 World Cup. For a team who's most well known player is Dusan Vlahovic, it is extremally crazy to see Serbia as a team with a legitimate title chance. However their qualifying reputation speaks for itself. Serbia went undefeated in qualifying, and even won 3-2 on aggregate against Portugal. They drew both Portugal and Ireland once, but won all other 6 matches. For a team that has never left pool play, Serbia looks like one of the strongest teams out there. They will advance out of pool play, but just do not have enough experience to go any farther.
Image via BBC
Cameroon: Pretenders
Cameroon had a solid qualifying run, however, their competition was just too weak to prove of any value in evaluating the team's potential. They clinched their spot in Qatar with a 2-1 victory over Algeria after drawing them 1-1 only 2 days prior. Cameroon has never advanced past the quarter-finals, and they will not even make it there this year. Cameroon will be eliminated in the group stage of 2022 World Cup, due to a lack of real competition during qualifying.
Image via Africa Top Sports
Switzerland: Pretenders
Switzerland falls short due to almost exactly the same reason as Cameroon. They played decently well throughout qualifying but failed to show dominance that will be required at the World Cup. They drew Italy twice which proves that they did not learn from their mistakes in the first match. Nonetheless, Switzerland earned their spot in Qatar. Any team that is there should be taken seriously, however, Switzerland is not good enough to advance from Group G.
Image via Sportsnet
Group H:
Ghana: Pretenders
Ghana should be thrilled to even be making the flight to Qatar. They barely scratched by in qualifying and were often fighting just to leave matches with a draw. They only beat one team both times they faced them, and that team would be Zimbabwe. Other than those two matches, Ghana did not look like a team that should be competing for an international championship. They played good enough to qualify and no better, a they even suffered a 1-0 defeat to South Africa. Their best ever run in the World Cup came in 2006 when they made it to the Round of 16. They will not even tie their record this year, as they will fall in group play.
Image via CGTN
Portugal: Contenders
Tied for the biggest storyline with that of Messi's possible retirement is that of Cristiano Ronaldo's possible retirement. They are the two greatest athletes that have ever played the great sport of soccer. Once again, having one of the greatest players on a team makes that team very likely to succeed. Portugal cruised to their qualifying spot and looked good while doing it. Aside from a fluke 2-1 loss to Serbia, Portugal looked strong managing 3-0 and 5-0 victories over Azerbaijan and Luxembourg respectively. In Ronaldo's final World Cup, Portugal seeks to win it all. Previously, their best finish was third in 1966, but in order to go out triumphantly, Ronaldo will try to lead his team to their first title.
Image via NY Times
Uruguay: Pretenders
Uruguay is not necessarily a bad team, they will just have trouble keeping up with the other teams in Group H. In qualifying, they suffered an embarrassing defeat 3-0 to Bolivia, who was playing a man down. They also lost to Argentina, but that is respectable as Argentina was the best team from South America. The loss to Bolivia is what really gave me doubts about Uruguay's ability to play at the highest level possible. They have not won a title since 1950, even though they won the inaugural event in 1930. They will not end their 72-year drought this year as they will not even leave pool play.
Image via Outlook India
South Korea: Contenders
Although they probably cannot win the World Cup, South Korea will make it out of the group stage. They earned solid wins over Syria and Iran, both were 2-0 victories. They have showed prowess on the Asian continent and are the second most solid team in Group H. They are appearing in their 10th consecutive World Cup, more than any other Asian team. Their best finish came in 2002 when they made it to the semi-finals. Although they will not repeat this feat, they will advance to the Round of 16.
Image via Sports Illustrated
As this series comes to an end, it is important to draw some conclusions from the last four weeks of articles.
The United States are not just in Qatar for participation
The two greatest players of all time could very likely play each other in the Finals
Africa does NOT have a team that could win it all
South Korea is the most dominant team from Asia over the last three decades
Now for the moment everyone has been waiting for, my pick to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is: Argentina. Messi will ride into the sunset with a World Cup trophy in one hand and the reins in his other. This World Cup will cement his legacy as the greatest of all time and no other player on the world stage right now ill be able to catch him.
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