A favourable World Cup draw can be the difference between winning and losing the competition outright. Some countries are favoured, while others have to fight it out in the so-called groups of death that have been present in the competition since the very beginning. This year, Spain and Germany are grouped together, while Belgium and Croatia are grouped together elsewhere. These four teams are all expected to reach the group of 16 stage, but one slip up can mean that they go home. Brazil and Portugal, however, have secured very favourable groups.
The rest of this article will discuss which teams set to compete in the 2022 World Cup have benefitted the most from the World Cup draw.
Teams benefitted the most from the World Cup draw:
- Brazil – favourites to win group G (Odds: 1.42)
- Portugal – favourites to win group A (Odds: (1.44)
- Netherlands – favourites to win group H (1.60)
Favourites and odds compiled by the experts at:: My Betting Sites Canada
The rest of this piece will focus on discussing how each team has benefitted as much as they have:
1. Brazil
Brazil have been given some of the shortest odds (which indicates high probability) on bookmakers in Canada for winning their respective group. This paints quite the picture, as the rest of the teams that comprise this group can be referred to as a stable of dark horses. Switzerland, and Serbia will most likely be battling it out for the second Round of 16 place, with Cameroon looking to cause upsets wherever they can.
While Group G will witness some serious showdowns, there is no doubting that Brazil are favourites to get the better of the rest of the teams they’ve been grouped with. For the first time in what feels like over a decade, Brazil are well covered on every part of the pitch.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus is a player believed to light up the competition, while in midfield the partnership Fred and Casemiero has become that of legend, and defensively, the combination of Thiago Silva and Marquinhos will ensure a layer of security that has been missing for some time.
Brazil have been favoured by the draw, as while they may have some tricky customers, they haven’t been grouped with another so-called footballing superpower.
2. Portugal
All that talk of dark horses with the section on the Brazil feels a little like it was a nice transition into talking about the dark horses of the 2022 World Cup. Portugal has some phenomenal players to call upon for the competition, even though it could be argued that some of them are either injured or out of form.
Cristiano Ronaldo has proven time and again that he is able to rise to the occasion, and the superstar’s support crew is unlike Portugal has ever seen before. In attack, the likes of Diogo Jota, Joa Felix and Bernardo Silva can provide. In midfield, Renato Sanches and Bruno Fernandes can create magic, while a back line with the likes of Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo can be called upon. There is no shortage of talent in the Portuguese line up.
With this in mind, it feels somewhat clear that the World Cup draw favoured the Portuguese. The group also (Group H) consists of Uruguay, a team that shouldn’t be taken lightly, as well as Ghana and Korea Republic.
3. Netherlands
The Dutch have enjoyed some favourable results lately, and their group, that consists of Qatar, Ecuador, and Senegal, shouldn’t give them any issues. The Dutch are the team that have been given the shortest odds to win their group when compared to other forecasting group winners, which indicates high expectations for them to be successful.
No one’s doubting the Dutch, though. Virgil van Dijk at centre back, Frenkie de Jong in the midfield. The Dutch have a fantastic spine, and have a number of other players that have been performing above and beyond the high expectations saddled on them.
The team that is likely to give Netherlands a few headaches are the Senegalese, who have a number of big names at their disposal. Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly and Yves Bissouma will all be available for Senegal at the World Cup, however it is expected of the Dutch to make light work of this next best team. Qatar and Ecuador don’t quite match Netherlands in terms of quality.
And what about Canada?
Canada is in for a tough World Cup, and one could say that the draw has not particularly favoured them. They’ll be competing in a group with Belgium, Croatia and Morocco, all teams that have higher FIFA rankings than them.
The Canadians can however hold onto hope, as the Belgians are renowned for coming up short at the World Cup, along with the fact that African teams have historically struggled at the competition. If Canada is able to pull together some new perfect performances, and other teams in the group fall short, they may just be in with a shot.
Conclusion
Brazil, Portugal, and Netherlands are all countries that have been favourably grouped. They are all expected to win their groups comfortably, and as long as no footballing disasters happen, many expect them to. Canada, however, have been dealt a tougher hand, and would do exceptionally well to progress.
