1
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Spain
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With one month left, the side coached by Luis de la Fuente still need to be considered as the most likely candidate to win the tournament. Lamine Yamal, despite the recent injury, should be back on time and will try to win what would be a historical achievement for the whole country.
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2
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France
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The last dance of Didier Deschamps as the head coach. They won it in 2018, they only lost in the final in 2022 against Argentina on penalties, and there are many reasons to believe they can also make it this time. Kylian Mbappe, on the other hand, is creating a lot of issues in the last part of the season in Madrid. Will it also affect the mood in the national team?
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1
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3
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Argentina
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The 2022 world champions are still one of the best teams in the tournament, but at the same time, they won’t have the same motivations as four years ago. There is Leo Messi, that’s true, but also some young talents that want to shine, such as Como and Serie A star Nico Paz, one to watch this summer.
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1
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4
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Brazil
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If we consider Brazil among the most likely candidates to win the World Cup, a lot has to do with Carlo Ancelotti being their manager. The biggest question, with one month to go, is if Neymar Jr. will be part of the final squad or not. At least he was included in the preliminary list.
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5
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England
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The question is always the same, and this time, Thomas Tuchel is the one that has to make it happen. Will the Three Lions be able to win the first World Cup since 1966? They’ve got Harry Kane in great form as he has scored 55 goals in 49 games with Bayern Munich this season.
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6
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Portugal
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Once again all the eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo’s likely last World Cup, even if there are rumors he will also try to play in the next one, which will also be hosted by Portugal alongside Morocco and Spain.
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7
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Norway
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Watch out for them. They have already managed to knock Italy out of the World Cup (not that surprising) and have got some world-class players such as Erling Haaland and Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard.
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8
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Netherlands
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The injury of Xavi Simons was a big deal for them, but this is also a team with the right experience and talent needed to perform at the highest levels, but not having the Tottenham star at the World Cup was definitely sad news for Ronald Koeman and his staff.
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1
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9
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Germany
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This team doesn’t seem to be at the level of the past years, but never say never when it comes to Germany at the World Cup. This might also be the last tournament for some of the key players of this cycle, which can become an extra motivation.
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1
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10
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Morocco
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They were the biggest surprise of the 2022 World Cup when they only lost to France in the semifinals. This time it will be different with more pressure, especially after what happened in the AFCON final and the decision to crown them as winners of the tournament two months after losing it on the pitch against Senegal.
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11
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Uruguay
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We should all consider Uruguay as a strong team in the World Cup. They have won it four times already, two officially and twice the Olympic Games in 1924 and 1928, when the Olympic champions were considered as the world champions before 1930, when they also won the first ever World Cup.
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2
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12
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Belgium
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It feels like a transitional World Cup for the Red Devils, as some of the more experienced players such as Kevin de Bruyne or Romelu Lukaku will play alongside the young talents of the new generation.
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13
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United States
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Injuries and the form of some players are seriously affecting their chances to perform well at the World Cup. Christian Pulisic, for example, scored his last goal with AC Milan on Dec. 28 and only provided one assist in 2026. What’s going on?
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2
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14
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Turkiye
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A talented roster that can do great things at the upcoming World Cup. Players such as Kenan Yildiz can easily become the break out starts of the new tournament this summer.
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15
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Japan
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Nobody is speaking about this team, but there are several reasons to believe they can become one of the underdogs this summer.
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16
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Senegal
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They definitely want to react after the scandal of the AFCON final, and there will be less pressure considering what happened in the recent weeks between them and Morocco.
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17
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Croatia
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The last dance of Luka Modric, one of the greatest players of all time, who also played a final in 2018, only losing to France. This is a team full of experienced players that can make the difference in a tournament like the World Cup.
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18
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Colombia
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Despite a challenging group stage where they will also meet Portugal, they finished with the same number of points as Brazil and Uruguay in the qualifiers.
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10
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19
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Switzerland
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Always a solid team in the tournaments, one of those we never consider but then they are regularly playing knockout matches. We don’t have to make this mistake again.
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20
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Mexico
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The expectations are really high, especially considering we are talking about the first nation in history to host the World Cup for the third time after 1978 and 1986. However, we could already see the impact on the manager and the players and the tournament hasn’t even started yet.
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2
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21
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Sweden
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They qualified in the playoffs after Graham Potter took over and managed to make it despite not winning a single game in their qualifying group. Masterclass.
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1
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22
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Ecuador
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Five goals conceded in 17 played in the qualifiers. Darkhorse?
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1
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23
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Iran
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Every single day, there are news and updates on what might happen to them this summer. The reality is that they are a good team, but they are overshadowed by the current events.
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1
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24
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Canada
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They were lucky Italy failed to qualify again for the World Cup, otherwise their group stage could look much worse. There are now also doubts about Alphonso Davies as he suffered another injury and it’s not clear if he will be fit for the tournament.
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1
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25
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Austria
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Ralf Rangnick’s project has started to take shape and this is only the first step.
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1
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26
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Egypt
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They never won a match at the World Cup and it’s now time to change this number. Mo Salah will lead his teammates and will try to change the history of his country at the World Cup.
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1
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27
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Scotland
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Same group with Brazil and Morocco, not an easy one but they have got Scott McTominay, a player who can make the difference at this level.
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28
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Korea Republic
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Same group with Brazil and Morocco, not an easy one but they have got Scott McTominay, a player who can make the difference at this level.
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2
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29
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Czechia
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Twenty years after their last World Cup, they are back after winning a spot in the playoffs.
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30
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Tunisia
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Their record in the qualifiers? How about 22 goals scored, none conceded, nine wins and one draw. Some material to consider them a possible outsider.
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1
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31
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Cote d’Ivoire
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Speaking of great defense, they haven’t conceded a single goal in the qualifiers. They will need the same level in the summer.
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1
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32
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Ghana
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A historical team for the World Cup that also had a nice run in the qualifiers but they will need to face England and Croatia in the group stage. Unlucky.
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3
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33
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Qatar
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They were also lucky to avoid Italy in the group stage and they will also have more experience compared to the past edition, the first time they played at their home World Cup.
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34
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Saudi Arabia
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What happened here? Their manager, Herve Renard, the one who led the team at the World Cup in 2022 when they also won against Argentina, parted ways and they appointed Georgios Donis as the new manager. Not a good sign.
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4
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35
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Paraguay
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First time they are at the World Cup since the 2010 edition, when they also managed to draw against Italy in the opening match of the tournament.
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1
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36
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Bosnia-Herzegovina
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They eliminated Italy in the playoffs, a big reason to consider them as a threat to make noise. They can be a challenging outsider in the group with Canada, Switzerland and Qatar.
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37
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Australia
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In the last edition, they only lost to Argentina in the round of 16 and they have experience when it comes to the World Cup.
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38
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Algeria
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In a group with Jordan, Austria and Argentina, they can definitely hope for a spot in the round of 32.
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39
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Jordan
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First time they will play at the World Cup and there are very low expectations around them. This is why I think they will do great.
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40
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South Africa
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First time in the history of the tournament that the opening match won’t be a new one, as they will meet Mexico as it happened in 2010 when they were the ones hosting the tournament. The beauty of the World Cup.
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41
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Iraq
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The last time they played at the World Cup was Mexico 1986 and they can make history this time.
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42
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Haiti
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First time at the World Cup since 1974 and they will meet Brazil, Morocco and Scotland in the most challenging group stage. Being lucky is another thing.
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43
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Panama
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The last time they met England, they lost 6-1 at the 2018 World Cup. They will face them again, hoping to do better.
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44
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Cabo Verde
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They are already a great story of soccer and nothing will ruin it.
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45
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Uzbekistan
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Do you know that their manager is former 2006 World Cup winner and Ballon d’Or winner Fabio Cannavaro? I’m still asking myself why.
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46
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DR Congo
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The last time they participated at the World Cup the country had another name (Zaire) and it was one of the most memorable stories of the World Cup.A team to watch.
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47
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New Zealand
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Playing in the same group with Belgium, Iran and Egypt doesn’t give them too many chances to score points.
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48
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Curacao
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Dick Advocaat is back and will become the oldest manager in the history of the tournament. What a story.
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