World Cup 2022--It's Getting Real
I was a fresh college graduate in the summer of 2010, sending out career applications and facing adult life, when the FIFA World Cup came along. At that time, I didn’t watch soccer. I didn’t play it, either. But my love for sports and interest in other cultures and languages drew me into watching that summer, and it had a tremendous impact on me. The packed stadiums, spine-tingling anthems, sudden-death games and monumental goals captured my imagination, all the way to the championship match where Spain defeated the Netherlands in overtime.
And thus, a love affair was born…
By 2014, I was living on my own, and I feasted on the World Cup. I watched every game I could (even at work), and dragged my best friend to Buffalo Wild Wings to spend an afternoon watching the finale in which Germany beat Argentina.
In 2018, that best friend and I were roommates, and, once again, I was obsessed, watching at every opportunity. I even hosted a watch party at our apartment that Sunday morning when France beat Croatia to win the Cup.
Heck, the following summer, I was invested as I had ever been in the big tournament—only, this time, it was the Women’s World Cup.
To be clear, I didn’t watch soccer at any point during the nine years I just chronicled…except during the World Cup. That changed a few months after USA’s powerful women’s team defeated the Netherlands in July ’19 to hoist the Cup; I caught an English Premier League game on TV by chance, started watching regularly, and it has since become one of my top sports interests—right up there with futbol americano and March Madness. These days, I could tell you almost as much about the Premier League or La Liga as I could about the NFL.
Soccer – called “football” by most of the world – is a world unto itself, an all-consuming passion in which teenagers become adored professionals and poor kids from third-world countries end up multi-millionaires in places where they don’t even speak the language. It’s a world in which white-collar Japanese businessmen, penniless African orphans, middle-aged pub-going Brits, and college girls all recognize and celebrate one thing above all:
GOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL
The World Cup comes around every four years (the women’s comes the year after the men’s in each cycle). World Cup 2022 is going to be held in Qatar—in the winter, no doubt to avoid brain-blistering summer temperatures in that region. Countries around the world have spent months gathering their most talented natural born sons – who can play for professional “club teams”, like Manchester United or LA Galaxy, anywhere in the world – and going through qualifying tournaments around the globe.
The tournament starts with eight groups containing four teams apiece. The teams in the group will all play each other, with the top two teams from each group advancing into the knockout stage of 16—in other words, a “Sweet Sixteen”. Then it will progress to eight, four, two, and, finally, one.
The group stage is where the journey to the Cup begins, though, and the qualified teams were arranged into groups yesterday. (Unfortunately, COVID and the Russia/Ukraine conflict have prevented a few final spots being filled. **Please continue to pray for the Ukraine. It’s all most of can do, but I believe that it matters.**)
World Cup 2022 is 233 days away, with the first matches set to be played on November 21. That’ll be the holiday season, yes, but I, for one, will be checking scores and catching games whenever I can. Until then, all I have are these groups, and all I can do is imagine how things will play out once the first ball is kicked…
GROUP A
Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Netherlands and Senegal are the favorites to advance, the former finishing second and third in 2010 and 2014, respectively, and the latter having recently been crowned champions of Africa. Ecuador could push them – smaller South American countries have had charmed runs in the tournament before – and Qatar, in its first-ever World Cup, could get a boost from the huge turnout it should have in its home country.
GROUP B
England, Islamic Republic of Iran, United States of America, TBD (Wales, Scotland, or Ukraine)
England should be favorite. I mean, it’s England and “football”! Plus, England reached the semifinals of the last World Cup and came achingly close to winning this past summer’s European championship (EUROs). The US Men’s National Team (USMNT) missed the 2018 tournament, but has bounced back with a promising young team boasting several world stars. Iran has proven a tough out in these tournaments before, not to mention they’re neighbors with Qatar, so its every game should be packed. Finally, the Russia/Ukraine war has prevented the final round of qualifying from reaching its conclusion. In June we should know who the fourth team will be. Wales and Scotland have recent tournament experience and would set up all-UK battles with England, and if it’s Ukraine—how could you not root for them?
GROUP C
Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Argentina won the South American championship this past summer, plus it could be global superstar Lionel Messi’s last hurrah. A traditional heavyweight, Argentina will be expected to top the group. Poland boasts another one of the world’s biggest stars—goal-scorer extraordinaire Robert Lewandowski. Mexico traditionally makes it out of the group stage, setting up what could be a fascinating battle for second. Saudi Arabia shouldn’t be discounted, considering this is its second-straight World Cup and it’s close enough to home that Saudi fans should be able to pour in.
GROUP D
France, Denmark, Tunisia, TBD (Australia, Peru, or United Arab Emirates)
France won the World Cup in 2018. It’ll be keen to hang onto the trophy—and to save some face after a disappointing EUROs. It’ll be interesting to see whether the highly-touted French can charge deep into the tournament as expected. It’ll have to contend with Denmark, which reached the EURO semifinals as a celebrated underdog. These two are the clear favorites—it’ll be interesting to see whether Tunisia or any of the teams vying for the fourth place spot can challenge them.
GROUP E
Spain, Germany, Japan, TBD (Costa Rica or New Zealand)
Germany has won the World Cup four times, but is coming off an awful showing in 2018 and an underwhelming EUROs. If they play anything like their historical selves, though, the Germans could win the group and go a long way. Spain, Cup winner in 2010, was one of the surprise teams of the EUROs last summer, charging to the semifinals with a team of exciting up-and-comers. Japan has the capacity to surprise—it nearly made a deep run four years ago before a last-second loss to Belgium. Either Costa Rica or New Zealand will have a chance in this group—when last seen in the World Cup, Costa Rica was predicted to finish last in the group…and ended up in the quarterfinals! This group looks like two teams penciled into the next round, but you can never tell.
GROUP F
Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Croatia and Belgium are heavy hitters, the two finishing second and third in the 2018 tournament, respectively. Both are loaded with stars who play in Europe’s top proving grounds. Canada hasn’t played in the World Cup since 1986, but it’s back with a young team full of exciting talent. And Morocco made its way back to the World Cup from a very competitive North African region. This group looks like Experience vs. Youth, Known vs. Unknown, and it will be very competitive.
GROUP G
Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Brazil is the only country that has featured in all 22 World Cups, and has won it the most times—five. It’s favored to do so again, so failure to get out of the group would be unthinkable. Switzerland is coming off a charmed run in the EUROs, so they’ll be full of confidence, but it won’t come easy, as it has a dicey history with Serbia in big tournaments. Cameroon is a traditional African powerhouse who will have its say as well. Three teams fighting for second—or so it would seem…
GROUP H
Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, Korea Republic
This group has everyone talking. Portugal is packed with stars, led by the great Cristiano Ronaldo. Uruguay has won the tournament twice and features several household names. Korea stunned Germany at the last World Cup and is led by one of the Premier League’s finest goalscorers. Ghana are a traditional heavyweight, and it’ll be extra motivated given that it lost one of the most famous games in World Cup history to Uruguay back in overtime in 2010. This is gonna be the popcorn group, folks. Enjoy!
Alas, World Cup 2022 doesn’t get underway until November 21. But, even though it’ll be the height of winter and the holiday season, I can’t wait until they let the games begin.
