The countdown is on, and the excitement continues to build for Canadians as it is just two months until they will get to see their country compete in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
This year’s edition of the competition is extra special for many of the Maple Leafs, as it will be the first time that they can appear at the major finals for 36 years after the last qualifying back in 1986, while it will also be an opportunity for the team to show that they are a force to be reckoned with ahead of the 2026 edition of the competition that they are set to co-host with the USA and Mexico.
Nonetheless, many will be interested in what the team is able to do on the pitch this winter when the competition in Qatar takes place, and with that in mind, let’s try and predict what will happen once the tournament gets underway in November.
Canada placed in a tough Group F draw.
The Group Stages of the 2022 FIFA World Cup were drawn some time ago. Therefore, Canada have had sufficient time to prepare for the minimum of three upcoming games that they are scheduled to play while out in the Middle East.
Indeed, the Maple Leafs have been placed in Group F, where they will need to navigate an extremely tough three games to try and progress to the competition’s knockout stages.
John Herdman’s team will have hoped for an easier draw, especially after being placed alongside Belgium, Croatia, and Morocco. According to the current FIFA World Rankings, Canada currently holds a ranking of 43rd in the list of nations, the lowest of each of the teams in the group.
Belgium are currently ranked the second-best in the FIFA standings, while Croatia – the 2018 FIFA World Cup runners-up – are ranked 15th, whereas Morocco are ranked 23rd. Naturally, while this may scare Canada a little, we all know that football is a sport that can only be won on the pitch and not on paper, therefore some will suggest that the rankings are meaningless in one way or another.
Is there reason to be optimistic about Canada’s chances?
Some may suggest that there is reason to be optimistic about Canada’s chances at the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup, especially given the reasons we had outlined before at the very beginning of this article.
Remember, this is the first major finals that the team will be participating in since 1986, therefore there will be many that will feel that the pressure is off the side to achieve anything. This could then benefit the players and the squad, as others may underestimate them, potentially leading to the Maple Leafs providing everyone with a shock out in Qatar.
Indeed, some will be fancying the side to cause the three other teams in their group a little given their unknown status and the fact that the pressure is off, which could then lead to those interested placing bets on the matches to be played.
There are already a number of online sports betting sites available for the World Cup group stages presenting odds across various markets for the matches that Canada will play as a minimum in this year’s tournament.
While some of them may not appear to be that favorable, there will be some punters who will be tempted given the factors already outlined and the fact that other nations may take them lightly when they ought not to.
How will Canada do in Group F?
With that all said and done, many will be wondering how well Canada will do in Qatar this winter and whether they will be able to qualify from Group F and progress as far as possible in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Realistically, it is perhaps easy to suggest that the Maple Leafs will not be advancing because of the sheer quality they will come up against in the three games to be played. We have already mentioned the FIFA World Rankings, however you have to just take a look at the players that each nation boasts in order to question Canada’s chances.
If you continue to check out the latest sports headlines, you might see that Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku are threats to continue to be wary about, while Croatia boast stars including Real Madrid’s Luka Modrić and Tottenham Hotspur’s Ivan Perišić as well as many other talented players.
Morocco might be a game that the Canadians can potentially win, although there is no denying that they are going to have to be at their very best if they are to be able to get a positive result and perhaps give themselves a chance of qualifying.
Nonetheless, as mentioned throughout the article, there is every chance that things work out for Herdman’s side of talented players – with the likes of Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David already proven stars in Europe’s game. If they get chances to make a difference, they could be enough to secure a win.
As football fans will know, it only takes one chance to score a goal and one goal can be enough to secure all three points or even progress in the final stages of the tournament.
Final Thoughts
There is no denying that this year’s 2022 FIFA World Cup is one that is extremely exciting and is expected to provide the world with some of the best football. Canada will be a part of that for the first time in almost four decades, and there will be many that will be hoping that they can create a little bit of history while in Qatar and on the field.
While the jury perhaps remains out regarding the likelihood of them qualifying, there is no reason why they simply can not, either, especially if they are able to put on a number of impressive performances when the pressure is off.