10 talking points for the FIFA World Cup
With the FIFA World Cup starting in just a number of days, football fans and pundits are eagerly discussing how the tournament will play out. There are plenty of questions heading into the tournament, but what are the key talking points?
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| Photo: The Evening Standard. |
The reigning champions still have one of the most talented squads in football, but their form in the past year has been nothing short of disappointing. They just scraped clear of relegation in the UEFA Nations League, picking up just five points from six games, including two losses against their group rival Denmark. This begs the question of whether France can break the recent ‘champions curse’ in the tournament which has been seen at recent tournaments.
In the last three World Cups, the defending champions have all exited at the Group Stage. In fact, since 1990, only Brazil have made it past the quarter-finals as defending champions. There is no question that France have a talented enough squad to be a contender to win in Qatar, and a favourable group of Tunisia, Australia and Denmark should see comfortable qualification.
The experience of the 2018 championship winning squad has been added to with some of the finest young players on the planet that will be making their major tournament bows, including Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni. Failure to succeed may see the end of Didier Deschamps tenure as manager.
4) 4. Will Belgium’s ‘golden generation’
finally deliver?
However, the so called ‘golden generation’ of Belgian football has not yet delivered with their best performance coming at the 2018 World Cup when they were beaten by France in the semi-finals. The spine, albeit an ageing one, is still there for the ‘golden generation’ and this tournament feels like the last chance for Belgium’s superstars to perform on a global stage. Their group could prove a tricky one, with 2018 finalists Croatia looking to replicate their performance, alongside talented Morocco and Canada sides meaning that Belgium’s qualification into the knockout stages is not a certainty. However, if Roberto Martinez can get The Red Devils firing, then you could be looking at outside bets for tournament winners.
5) 5. Can Gareth Southgate get The Three Lions roaring?
Since his appointment in 2016, Gareth Southgate has transformed England from tournament flops to genuine contenders. In his two major tournaments in charge, he has taken The Three Lions to a semi-final and a final, which has fans dreaming of glory in Qatar. However, recent form has left much to be desired with a disappointing Nations League performance including a 4-0 loss at home to Hungary leading to relegation from League A.
Questions about Southgate’s management style have been in discussion for a while now, but there is no doubt about England’s squad depth and ability. In attack, they have the 2018 World Cup Golden Boot winner in Harry Kane, flanked by some of the best young talent in world football. This could be the tournament we see Jude Bellingham star in midfield. England’s performance at this tournament will decide Southgate’s future as manager.
6) 6. Will an African nation make history?
To date, the furthest an African nation has reached in a World Cup is the quarter-final stage with the last time being Ghana’s agonising loss to Uruguay in 2010. This tournament’s hopes lie in Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia.
Many have been talking about the strength of Senegal’s squad, littered with world class talent throughout including: Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gueye and Sadio Mane. Their run to the quarter-finals in 2002 came as a shock to all, but a run like that this time seems much more feasible. Their group is winnable, facing two of the lowest ranked sides in the tournament in Qatar and Ecuador alongside an inexperienced Netherlands.
The other African nations have not had the draw be as kind to them, with Morocco arguably in the strongest position to qualify out of the group. Nonetheless, this could be the time we see Africa represented in the final four of the tournament.
7. Which team will spring the biggest surprise?
Every World Cup, a team exceeds all expectations placed on them. In 2018, Croatia defied odds to reach the final, with Costa Rica reaching the quarter-finals in 2014. This time around, a number of nations are well positioned to perform better than expected.
Wales have qualified for their first World Cup since 1958, with the nation no stranger to major tournament success most notably reaching the semi-finals in Euro 2016. They fear no one, taking points recently off of Belgium and comfortably beating Austria and Ukraine to reach the tournament. Their clashes in Group B should be enthralling to watch, especially that crunch tie with England.
Similarly, Canada are returning to the World Cup after a long absence with their place this year coming as a surprise even to their own FA. They topped North American qualifying with the exciting frontline of Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David and Kyle Larin hoping to make an impact against Belgium, Morocco and Croatia. Serbia may also spring a surprise in a group which they could make it out of.
8) 8. Will a winter World Cup have an effect on
the domestic season?
This tournament is history-making for a number of reasons, mainly the fact it is a winter World Cup. The biggest leagues across the world are taking a break to accommodate playing time, squeezing their schedules in the New Year. We have already seen the hectic schedule change, with UEFA tournaments being played in two weeks blocks, rather than every fortnight as they usually would. The question is, when players return to their clubs, will fatigue set in?
After a ‘normal’ World Cup, there is at least a month period for players to recuperate before club football starts again. This is not the case this time. The second half of domestic seasons may start to see the effects of a World Cup being played in the middle of the season.
9. Will the heat play a factor in the football played?
Awarding the hosting rights to a Middle Eastern country has presented FIFA with unique challenges never seen before. The main issue is the desert temperatures would mean if the tournament was played in its usual June/July slot then players would be playing in 50-degree heat. Moving it to winter makes the temperature more bearable but will still be in the mid to high 30s at kick-off. Those players and nations taking part that are more accustomed to a blisteringly hot climate may benefit from the unusual climate to some. Qatar have assured fans and players that all stadiums will be air conditioned but there will be an advantage to those used to it.
1 10. How will Qatar respond to human rights
issues?
The choosing of Qatar as hosts of the tournament was controversial enough just on the fact that they had no footballing infrastructure. To build everything that is required to host a World Cup, it has been widely reported that Qatar have used migrant workers building in unsafe conditions, leading to the deaths of many.
On top of that, the Gulf State has strict anti-gay laws in place, with anyone protesting their law being arrested. The first arrest has already been made for protesting, with British LGBTQ+ activist Peter Tatchell staging a one man protest in Doha, challenging the country’s treatment of LGBTQ+ people. If large numbers of fans are arrested for protesting, there will surely be backlash from other nations. The Qatari Government have stated that everybody is welcome for the tournament, but those attending must obey the country’s laws.