After 92 years, the FIFA World Cup has broken with tradition. While we’ve become familiar with the contest playing out across the summer months, the 2022 tournament in Qatar will be very different.
The 22nd edition of the world’s biggest soccer tournament will run from November to December. While there are still one or two qualifying places up for grabs, the majority of slots have been settled and it’s a good time to look at the teams in contention.
Dates and Format
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will get underway on November 21st this year. Around four weeks later, the final will determine the winners on December 18th. 32 teams will take part and, in the initial stages, there will be eight groups of four nations.
Each side will play each other once and, at the end of that sequence, the top two teams in each section will progress to the knockout stage. Commencing with the Round of 16 and ending with the final itself, the action continues right up until December 18.
A thrilling month of international football is in prospect but who are the teams in the frame for glory in 2022?
The Favorites
According to football sportsbooks linked to Sbo.net, Brazil are the favorites to win in Qatar. They are multiple World Champions but haven’t enjoyed quite so much success in this tournament in recent years.
Defending Champions France are close behind while other teams at the top of that outright winner market include England, Spain, Argentina and Germany.
There is some international football to play between now and the start of the tournament. Those odds are subject to change and, if there are any amendments, Sbo.net will bring these to their readers.
While on the website, there will be news items, sportsbook reviews and opinion articles from around the football world. There’s lots of information there and it’s also possible to test out that knowledge by signing up with one of the many companies listed.
Each sportsbook is taking on new customers subject to eligibility and a simple, secure sign-up process. When complete, many operators list a generous welcome promotion to get that account started.
Strong infrastructure is provided by high levels of security, a range of deposit and withdrawal options plus helpful customer service. Once playing regularly, customers can also access a range of other sports while additional benefits may include in-play betting, a mobile app and additional promotions.
Anyone betting on the 2022 World Cup will want to follow this site but who are the other teams in contention?
The Chasing Pack
Not all of those 32 countries will stand a chance of lifting the World Cup trophy. There are some ‘minnows’ of the global game included in the mix, but others are more worthy of consideration.
Euro 2016 Champions Portugal will be confident of going deep into the tournament and Cristiano Ronaldo and his men head up the chasing pack. Teams with similar odds to the Portuguese include Belgium, the Netherlands, Croatia and Uruguay.
Shocks in world football are rare. Greece’s victory at Euro 2004 is the exception that proves the rule, but few are expecting an upset in Qatar. It’s likely that we’ve already mentioned the winners of the 2022 World Cup but who will it be?
Verdict
Brazil may be the favorites but they will need to improve on their recent record at World Cups. The team hasn’t won this tournament since 2002 and this bunch of talented individuals needs to get better as a unit.
France will be strong once again and the defending champions may well be the team to beat. That team ethic is much more evident in a squad that has consistently challenged for trophies across a number of years.
England may also be a threat. The team that reached the semifinals at Russia 2018 subsequently made it to the final of Euro 2020. This is a young and improving squad and many expect them to go one better in 2022.
A number of additional teams will be hopeful of competing in Qatar but the three nations at the top of the outright winner market are likely to be the strongest when the tournament comes around.
