FIFA World Cup 2018 – the most celebrated, international football event in the world, has now narrowed down its roster of 32 qualifiers. The three and a half months of nerve-wracking football matches has come to an end and we’re only counting down the months until the beginning of World Cup season.
Fans find it difficult not to speculate which national team will hold the FIFA World Cup trophy. That’s why we’re here to give you the lowdown of this year’s top 10 national teams’ ranking.
Teams Most Likely to Win the World Cup in Russia
No. 10 – Croatia
Croatia may be beaten by Portugal at Euro 2016 round of 16, but they are certainly one entertaining team. Many viewers felt dismayed when they lost the game.
No. 9 – England
Although the news of Brit fans boycotting the World Cup in Russia surfaces in every [British] news outlet, England is still one of the top contenders in the prestigious football tourney. They have a new manager under former midfielder Gareth Southgate.
No. 8 – Belgium
Belgium is known to have guts and talents when it comes to football, but their upsetting loss at Euro 2016 led to the dismissal of their former head coach Marc Wilmots. Moving on to Roberto Martinez, they began qualifying and winning matches. Belgium isn’t weak but they are certainly one team to watch out for.
No. 7 – Uruguay
With still 6 games to go, Uruguay was able to secure 23 points, which made them a strong contender in World Cup 2018. Having Edinson Cavani in the team makes the Uruguayan professional footballers a team to beat. The said national team has a lot of grit in the midfield with strong central defense. On top of that, the team has the best strikers in Europe’s most popular football clubs.
No. 6 – Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo is definitely one of Portugal’s pride and glory. With him joining the national team, it’s no surprise that they can have a hand in the finals. They can’t seem to be the top pick among the European teams, so their Manager Fernando Santos need to correct his team’s problems before reaching Russia for the World Cup. It’s also notable that they beat France last summer, but we’ll see how it goes this coming June.
No. 5 – Spain
Spain has a new manager under Julen Lopetegui and this paved way to a much more invigorated Spain national team. In the recent past, Spain has made defensive plays, which made other teams to score in the matches difficult.
No. 4 – Argentina
One may remember Argentina as the team that did their best, but wasn’t enough. They’ve been harbouring the second spot in Copa Americana twice and once in the World Cup. Although their performance at CONMEBOL didn’t exactly translate well into victory, they have coach Edgardo Bauza who molds the players to become the deadliest team to beat in Russia World Cup. After all, they have Lionel Messi.
No. 3 – France
Les Bleus lost the final game in Euro 2016, but this hurdle only made them a lot stronger. More and more French footballers are showing undisputable talent under the management of Didier Deschamps. France showed an early qualifying formation, securing 10 points out of 12. They beat Sweden and Netherlands with the help of Antoine Griezmann.
No. 2 – Brazil
Tite (real name Adenor Leonardo Bacchi), former football player and manager of Brazil national team, took over in June 2016. The switch from former manager made Brazil won 6 games in CONMEBOL qualifiers. They defeated Argentina and Ecuador with a 3-0 score. With the team composing of Neymar, Willian, Philippe Coutinho, and Gabriel Jesus, any team sent in the World Cup should be scared of Brazil.
No. 1 – Germany
Winning the 2014 World Cup still puts Germany as a favorite in this year’s World Cup. Many predictions point to Germany as still the ultimate team to beat. In 2014, Die Mannschaft is the first European team to win the football tournament in South America, leaving Argentina and Brazil speechless. They won 4 out of 4 games in the World Cup qualifying games. It’s an easy choice for Germany to be predicted as 2018 World Cup champions because of their history and undeniable ability to work under pressure.