BarcelonaThe World Cup in Qatar will go down in history for the millions spent on state-of-the-art stadiums that, once the event is over, will be underutilized, as well as the death of thousands of precarious workers and the dubious democratic guarantees of the host country. But it will also be remembered for being the first championship in history to be played in the middle of the season, with the players at full competitive pace. Up to 32 teams — 13 from Europe, 8 from America, 5 from Africa, 5 from Asia and 1 from Oceania — will focus the attention of the entire planet in four weeks that will last four years.
The Brazil of Tite and Neymar presents few fissures
Experienced centre-backs, rocky midfield and powder in attack
Two decades after their last success in Korea and Japan (2002), the most decorated team in the history of the World Cup arrives at the meeting in Qatar full of arguments. Tite, the trainer of the canarinha since 2016, he has at his disposal the best set of strikers in the entire competition. He has summoned no less than nine, with Neymar and Vinícius at the head and Barça’s Raphinha as a first-order shocker. Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and the promising Martinelli will also add firepower and magic to an attack that is missing two regulars from recent years such as Coutinho and Firmino. In the middle of the field, the muscle of Casemiro and Fabinho will alternate with the fantasy of Lucas Paquetá and Bruno Guimarães, while in defense and in goal Tite will be able to turn to specialists who are used to performing in the best European clubs. Under the posts, Alisson comes out ahead of Ederson, and in the central axis Militão and Marquinhos promise to form one of the most solid duos of the tournament.
A renewed Argentinian team at the service of Leo Messi
None of the midfielders who went to Russia will repeat in Qatar
The illusion, color and liturgy will always accompany the selection albiceleste in what will be Leo Messi’s fifth and (probably) last World Cup also to Qatar, where the former player, who will be 36 years old in June, wants to embrace the glory that German Mario Götze denied him with a goal in the extra time in the 2014 final at Maracanã. The big difference in relation to previous World Cups will be on the grass, where the Rosario star will exploit the new complicities that led him to win the Copa America last year. A proof of this generational relief is that none of the Argentine midfielders who will play this championship were part of the list of four years ago in Russia. The batch of Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernández and Rodrigo de Paul has dethroned that of Lucas Biglia, Enzo Pérez and Éver Banega. Of course, in defense the government of the veteran Nicolás Otamendi is maintained and in attack, despite the irruption of the young Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez, Ángel di María retains all the leading role. Lionel Scaloni leads a team with a luxury soloist – Messi – and who has solidarity as a flag.
Luis Enrique flows to ‘the red one’
Spain promises to “give jobs” from the Asturian slate
As in the summer Euro 2021, the main star of the Spanish national team will sit on the bench and wear long trousers. Luis Enrique Martínez will direct his first World Cup with a group that compensates for its forcefulness in the areas with a very defined game plan. Captained by Sergio Busquets, the sole survivor of the glory achieved in South Africa (2010), the national team will face the powerful Germany – another aspirant for the title – in the group stage and promises to “give work” if is able to enter the final rounds. It will be a fun team to watch, full of youngsters eager to eat the world – Pedri, Gavi, Ansu Fati and Nico Williams – and with little Madrid presence: only Dani Carvajal is the starter.
Absences and possible revelations from the World Cup in Qatar
Italy will watch it from home for the second time in a row
Yes, the reigning European champion and four-time world champion will once again follow a World Cup on TV, which demonstrates the competitiveness of European football, which awards selections such as the Belgium of Balaguerí Robert Martínez, Serbia of Dragan Stojković, Croatia of Luka Modric and Robert Lewandowski’s Poland – all present in Qatar – above the historical weight of the blue Team. Nor does he fail at the meeting with France, who will defend the title won four years ago with Kylian Mbappé in full form, Karim Benzema very fresh and a very gifted defense, but a midfield with little experience. Three-quarters of the same happens to England, runner-up in Europe and eternal contender who pulls bearded men like Bellingham and Gallagher to add talent to the core.
The one in Qatar will be the last World Cup for Cristiano Ronaldo, Dani Alves and Luis Suárez, the latter referring to a Uruguay in which Fede Valverde and Darwin Núñez will play a key role. Among the African teams, Mané’s Senegal and the always colorful Morocco will look for the label of revelation team. And as for the Asians, apart from the weak hosts – trained by a Catalan, Félix Sánchez -, the competitive South Korea and Japan will be hard to crack.