One month from Thursday, a controversial World Cup will grab our attention. On Nov. 20, a soccer ball will roll at the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar. The next day, the USMNT returns to the World Cup. Lionel Messi will play the following day. Unpredictability will last a month.
Soccer is inherently unpredictable, and this World Cup is hard to anticipate. It’s a midseason tournament, so injuries are likely. It’s also a meeting of opponents who may feel foreign to each other.
COVID-19 and their new Nations League have limited the 13 European competitors since the last World Cup. Many of the favorites will come to Qatar without having faced opponents from South America or Asia.
Unfamiliarity and absence of cross-reference points make 2022 World Cup predictions tough. This month, millions will try. If you want to participate, wager, or simply show off your knowledge, use this instructions. We ranked 32 teams. Group-by-group primer on important storylines, players, and potential World Cup results.
Group A, World Cup 2022
- Netherlands -750, Senegal -135, Ecuador +100, Qatar +425
- Netherlands -200, Senegal +360, Ecuador +600, Qatar +1100.
Next: Qatar is a mishmash of naturalized foreigners and forgettable veterans and the worst squad in their own tournament. They performed well at the 2019 Asian Cup and 2021 Gold Cup. Are they embarrassed? Will Qatar’s years of soccer spending, much of it to avoid embarrassment, pay off? (Of note: South Africa was, on paper, also the poorest team at its World Cup in 2010. It beat France with four points.
Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly, Moisés Caicedo, Frenkie de Jong, Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)
Most likely outcome: Dutch quality jumps to the top of the group. Ecuador and Senegal, after struggling through their first two games, duke it out on the last matchday for a position in the knockouts. Ecuador’s ability to rectify its attacking ineptitude will determine the outcome, and recent experience is frightening. La Tri has scored twice in five games.
Likely result: The flip side of Ecuador’s helplessness is ugly and effective combativeness. Senegal plays more conservatively than expected. Netherlands lacks a reliable striker. These three may make mucky soccer and bring each other down. Some could lose to Qatar. Any of them could win with five points.
The Dutch will survive a low-scoring group. Ecuador draws with the favorites to take second place. Qatar doesn’t score.
Henry Bushnell predicts Group A’s 2022 World Cup outcome for Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports/Michael Wagstaffe
Henry Bushnell predicts Group A’s 2022 World Cup outcome for Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports/Michael Wagstaffe
Group B, World Cup 2022
- England -3000, U.S. +100, Wales +115, Iran +400.
- England -350, U.S. +550, Wales +600, Iran +1800.
Next: Iran is the World Cup’s most complicated story. The country is protesting. Most players support the people, especially Iranian women fighting for their rights. They play for a soccer federation that has tried to muzzle them and has ties to Iran’s authoritarian regime. Oh, and they can beat the U.S. and advance from this group.
Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Yunus Musah, Gareth Bale, Mehdi Taremi (Iran)
England waltzes through a vanilla bunch. The U.S. recovers from a terrible September to pass Wales and Iran for second place.
Likely result:
American players, coach, and media claimed following April’s World Cup draw that Iran is an unknown quantity and hence dangerous. Iran is a known quantity… and hazardous. Under a coach familiar with American and English soccer, Carlos Queiroz, the Iranians will play a 4-1-4-1 and break through a talented striker (Taremi) and winger (Alireza Jahanbakhsh). Six points will progress them.
Probable outcome
Henry Bushnell predicts Group B’s 2022 World Cup outcome for Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports/Michael Wagstaffe
Henry Bushnell predicts Group B’s 2022 World Cup outcome for Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports/Michael Wagstaffe
Group C, World Cup 2022
- Argentina-1600, Mexico-115, Poland-110, Saudi Arabia+650 to progress.
- Argentina -250, Mexico +450, Poland +500, Saudi Arabia +1800.
Next: Messi’s last World Cup. This is his best Argentina team. Done.
Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Robert Lewandowski, Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, Edson Alvarez (Mexico)
Argentina tops the group likely. Mexico-Poland decides second place. If it ends in a tie, the group becomes a two-part contest: Who can keep Argentina at bay and who can ruthlessly pound Saudi Arabia?
More likely-than-you-think outcome: None. Boring. Mexico hasn’t reached its 2019 peak under Gerardo “Tata” Martino. El Tri is better than Poland, but neither will beat Argentina.
Mexico wins Matchday 1 and advances.
Henry Bushnell predicts Group C’s 2022 World Cup outcome for Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports/Michael Wagstaffe
Henry Bushnell predicts Group C’s 2022 World Cup outcome for Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports/Michael Wagstaffe
Group D, World Cup 2022
- France-1600, Denmark-200, Australia+275, Tunisia+300 to progress.
- France -275, Denmark +275, Australia +1400, Tunisia +1800.
Next: France is a shambles. 2010 Italy, 2014 Spain, and 2018 Germany all lost in the group stage. Les Bleus, the tournament’s most talented team, won’t follow in their treacherous footsteps, but… who knows?
Kylian Mbappé, Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba, Aurelien Tchouameni, Christian Eriksen (Denmark)
France dominates, Denmark finishes second, while Australia and Tunisia don’t contest.
Logically, the Danes should be favored here. In five months, they’ve beaten France twice. They play a more adventurous style of soccer, which might help their goal differential if Matchday 2 vs France ends scoreless.
France slogs to two wins, Denmark leaps to two of its own; they draw, France drops to runner-up on goal differential and gets Argentina in a Round of 16 repeat of 2018 — with roles reversed.
Henry Bushnell predicts Group D’s 2022 World Cup outcome for Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports/Michael Wagstaffe
Henry Bushnell predicts Group D’s 2022 World Cup outcome for Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports/Michael Wagstaffe
Group E, World Cup 2022
- Spain-1200, Germany-900, Japan+300, Costa Rica+1400.
- Spain -110, Germany +110, Japan +1100, Costa Rica +4000
Spain and Germany are no longer superpowers. Both are clear contenders… Both have weaknesses, making them group-stage flops.
Pedri, Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sané, Joshua Kimmich, Daichi Kamada, and Kaoru Mitoma are players to watch (Japan)
Spain and Germany advance, and the order doesn’t matter because the runner-up could get an easier path to the semifinals.
Japan will likely unsettle Group E. It will pressure Spain and counter every German attack. It doesn’t have a star like Keisuke Honda or Shinji Kagawa, but it’s smart, intelligent, and cohesive. It may not have enough final-third bite to win many games, but it could.
Prediction: The Samurai Blue raise a racket, but Germany and Spain escape.
Henry Bushnell predicts Group E’s 2022 World Cup outcome for Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports/Michael Wagstaffe
Henry Bushnell predicts Group E’s 2022 World Cup outcome for Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports/Michael Wagstaffe
Group F, World Cup 2022
- Belgium -1000, Croatia -225, Canada +250, Morocco +250.
- Belgium -175 (+225), Croatia +900 (+900), Morocco +1100 (+1100).
Next: Canadian men’s soccer’s rise has been inspiring. Young, fun stars helped a country that has never won a men’s World Cup point top CONCACAF. Then? Semifinalists for 2018. Unimportant.
Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Luka Modric, Alphonso Davies, Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
Belgium’s standing among the sport’s elite is tenuous. Croatia’s golden generation aged. Neither will dominate this bunch like they did four years ago (and like Belgium did in 2014). They’re both weak. By a wide margin, they’re the two best teams. De Bruyne can single-handedly lead the Red Devils to seven or nine points on his day.
Likely result:
Chaos is the “probable consequence” Chaos. Jonathan David and Cyle Larin love Belgium’s weak defense. Morocco’s coaching change has reenergized them. This pod’s four teams could finish in any order.
Chaos.
Henry Bushnell predicts Group F’s 2022 World Cup outcome for Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports/Michael Wagstaffe
Henry Bushnell predicts Group F’s 2022 World Cup outcome for Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports/Michael Wagstaffe
Group G, World Cup 2022
- Odds to advance: Brazil -1400, Switzerland +115, Serbia +120, Cameroon +250
- Odds to win group: Brazil -350, Switzerland +600, Serbia +650, Cameroon +1200
Switzerland and Serbia will likely meet in an early elimination game on the final matchday – a rerun of the 2018 World Cup’s most politicized game.
Vinicius Jr., Neymar, Gabriel Jesus, Dusan Vlahovic, Breel Embolo (Switzerland)
This group’s weighting resembles Argentina’s. Brazil wins. Not Cameroon. Toss-up between the other two for one knockout-round spot.
Likely result:
Either European team might surprise Brazil and win the group. Unlikely. The Selecao are hot. Even if drawn, they won’t crumble.
Switzerland (more refined) will beat Serbia (more skilled) in the final.
Henry Bushnell predicts Group G’s 2022 World Cup outcome for Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports/Michael Wagstaffe
Henry Bushnell predicts Group G’s 2022 World Cup outcome for Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports/Michael Wagstaffe
Group H, World Cup 2022
- Portugal -700, Uruguay -190, South Korea +225, Ghana +225.
- Portugal -145, Uruguay +200, South Korea +900, Ghana +900.
Next: Cristiano Ronaldo has looked tired in 2022-23. He’s off Manchester United’s roster. Nobody wants him besides the Red Devils. Will he shine in Qatar? Will he hinder Portugal?
Joo Cancelo, Bruno Fernandes, Federico Valverde, Son Heung-Min, Mohammed Kudus (Ghana)
Portugal and Uruguay will likely be tested by South Korea but pass with B+ and B-, respectively. Their game displays a new generation and accelerates their move from old guards. Portugal is first.
South Korea can make noise if Uruguay is unprepared on Matchday 1. (Ghana can’t) A couple Heung-Min Son screamers in that opener would shift the group’s shape.
Prediction: South Koreans terrify South Americans, but favorites win.
Best online world cup betting site? OKBET got you. OKBET is a trusted sportsbook regulated under the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation. Rest assured your bets is in safe hands. OKBET is offering a 50% cashback welcome bonus and a 68% second deposit bonus. Sign up for more benefits!
Follow us for more world cup betting updates.