World Cup 2022: Group F Preview
Reigning Golden Ball winner Luka Modrić returns for one last ride with Croatia. Is the moment over for the 2018 runners-up, or can they conjure up the magic yet again?
Belgium
FIFA Rank: #2
Qualified as: 1st place in UEFA Group E
The Skinny
For nearly a decade now, football fans have heard tell of Belgium’s “golden generation.” That golden generation is mostly aged out, and the era has come and gone without any trophies to show for it. The Red Devils came closest in the last World Cup, losing narrowly to eventual champions France in the semifinals and finishing 3rd place, but otherwise were axed in the quarterfinals of the last two Euro Cups and the 2014 World Cup. Has the moment passed for Belgium, or is this last dance finally the charm?
The Best XI
When you look at the potential starters for this side, it's easy to still be optimistic about Belgium's chances in this tournament. Starting at the back, fresh off his heroic Champions League performance and Yashin Award win, Thibaut Courtois will seek to defend his Golden Glove award. Ahead of him, Leicester youngster Wout Faes could get the nod amidst three veteran defenders. Kevin De Bruyne, one of the best players in the World, will helm the midfield with the company of Leicester's Youri Tielemans and Dortmund's Axel Witsel. Up top, longtime talismanic striker Romelu Lukaku will hope to discover the form he had at Inter Milan (and last summer's Euro Cup) before his noticable slump in the '21-'22 season with Chelsea.
Canada
FIFA Rank: #41
Qualified as: 1st place in CONCACAF 3rd Round
The Skinny
After 36 years in the wilderness, Canada has returned to the World Cup for just the second time in the nation’s history. While much attention was being paid to the rise of young talent in their neighbors to the the south, Canada’s own new wave of talent led them to first place in World Cup qualifying, earning famous wins over Mexico and the U.S. in the process. Did The Canucks simply perfect the formula to win in CONCACAF, or are they built to compete on the world stage? A squad littered with European league talent, a proven manager, and recent friendly results suggest the latter.
The Best XI
With two exceptions in CF Montréal defenders Kamal Miller and Richia Laryea, Canada's ideal XI includes all European-league players. The star, of course, is Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies, but he's far from the only notable name on this list. Captain Atiba Hutchinson (Besiktas) and Stephen Eustáquio (Porto) will control the midfield, with young attacker Tajon Buchanan (Club Brugge) joining star forwards Jonathan David (Lille) and his Club Brugge teammate Cyle Larin to form a potent strikeforce.
Morocco
FIFA Rank: #22
Qualified as: Defeated D.R. Congo 5-2 on aggregate in CAF 3rd Round
The Skinny
Just like the last World Cup, Morocco has qualified for and enters the tournament as a trendy dark horse, thanks to some eye-popping talent and a stretch of really impressive results. Although The Atlas Lions (maybe I take back what I said about Tunisia having the coolest nickname?) were upset by Mo Salah’s Egypt in the quarterfinals in this year’s African Cup of Nations, they breezed through World Cup qualifying, and will be motivated to do better than their deceptive last-place finish in a razor-tight group in 2018.
The Best XI
Though they lack some of the big names (Medhi Benatia, Khalid Boutaïb) that starred in their last World Cup squad, this is still a team with some noteworthy talent. They're stocked with talent in the back, with Sevilla keeper Bounou likely to start behind a back line that features Besiktas captain Roman Saïss, Bayern Munich's Mazaraoui, West Ham's Aguerd, and of course, star fullback Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain. In attack, Bounou's Sevilla teammate Youssef En-Nesyri will be bolstered by the return of mercurial Chelsea man Hakim Ziyech.
Croatia
FIFA Rank: #12
Qualified as: 1st place in UEFA Group H
The Skinny
You could forgive Croatia if they were wondering what they did to piss off the powers that be. In 2018, they were drawn in the indisputable Group of Death. In last summer’s Euro Cup, they had to face two host nations and a plucky Czech Republic team. Now, they get placed with the World #2 and two “underdogs” that are the furthest thing from automatic wins. Still, if The Checkered Ones’ Cinderella run to the World Cup Final four years ago taught us anything, it’s that they won’t be daunted by any matchup. The question now is whether we’ll see the 2018 version of that squad, or the more mediocre version that’s showed up in each competition since.
The Best XI
This year more than ever, Croatia's hopes rest on their midfield. 2018 World Cup Golden Ball and Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modrić is still the key man, but he's not alone, as Chelsea star Mateo Kovačić and Frankfurt man Kristijan Jakić will provide ample support. Vatreni are nowhere near as deep in attack or in defense as in years past, but veterans Ivan Perisić (Tottenham Hotspur) and Marcelo Brozović (Inter Milan) should still provide stability up front, while Joško Gvardiol (RB Leipzig) and Domagoj Vida (AEK Athens) do the same at the back.
Group Prediction
Unlike in Group E, while the European teams are favored in this group too, I actually think this one is deceptively tricky. Belgium and Croatia are both super talented, obviously, but also super old, and Morocco and Canada are both sneakily talented. Talented, in fact, to an extent where I think there will be at least one surprise knockout stage berth, if not two. Of the "favorites" and the "underdogs," I think the slightly more talented sides at this point are Belgium and Morocco, and the fixture calendar sets up more kindly for the North Africans, getting Belgium second.
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