Who will win this year’s World Cup?
The debate over who will win the FIFA World Cup is well underway. Mina Rzouki, Sports Reporter for The National, breaks down the favorites and the teams to watch during the tournament.
Video Transcript
A lot of predictions out there.
and some of which, you know, I'll buy, some of which I don't at all.
Spain and France sort of clear favorites to, to a degree when I look at across the board at some of these sort of prediction markets.
Goldman Sachs have got Spain to win with a probability of 26%, France by 19%.
Calci's got both at 17%.
If you were a betting woman, who would you put your money on?
Spain.
Which, listen, I would say Spain.
I think Brazil can do something.
I think Argentina can do something.
I don't like these betting websites, because they usually go by legacy a lot.
Yeah.
That is a huge factor.
We were talking about that earlier, and that's not a good idea when it comes to World For the very reason we've just been talking about.
Exactly.
They might be going in with a lot of injuries.
These, these, these two teams are full of players who play in Europe.
Do you think anyone had it on their bingo card that Saudi Arabia would beat Argentina at the end?
No.
So this is- What a game that was or that Morocco would reach the semi-final.
Semi-finals in 2022.
So- Absolutely it's not really working on history.
Otherwise, Spain would never have been considered when they won it in 2010, because they had never won it before, so.
And I also feel like Spain, ah, aren't they sort of, you know, the proverbial sort of, you know, what do we call it?
Those who turn up, but they don't just make it.
You know, they just- What does?
Yeah.
I'm- Well, I think they've changed that reputation a bit.
I mean, look at, look, they won the Euros.
They did.
but what I would say is what was so brilliant about that side is that they had Lamine Yamal on one wing.
They had Nico Williams on the other.
Yeah.
There was just so much movement, and France really dug themselves a grave with the defensive football that they were playing.
I really hope that's not something that we're gonna see this occasion, but here's the thing, right?
Outside of Europe, whenever the World Cup's abroad, outside of Europe- Europeans don't tend to always do that well.
Yeah.
I mean, obviously Spain won it in South Africa in 2010, but this could be an opportunity for Carlo Ancelotti to do something with Brazil.
Yeah.
Although the whole Neymar thing is distracting us, and- Well, look maybe a MENA region.
Well, let's talk about the MENA region.
Look, I mean, you remind the, our, our viewers, S- Saudi beat Argentina at the beginning of the, in the opening rounds of the, of the Qatar World Cup back in 2022.
I mean, I was there.
I think you were there as well, right?
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, Doha just, it was electric.
Absolutely.
It was madness.
W- and then of course the Argentinians go on to win.
So, you know, it, these things, these crazy things do happen.
Morocco's a good team.
Like you say, they got to the semifinal back in 2022 as well.
What do you make of the teams that we've got from the region?
They're up on the, they're up on the screen for our, for our viewers.
Right.
So, I mean, you've got Jordan, right?
Debutantes.
Yeah.
So we're not expecting that much.
More importantly, they've got heavy injuries to the guys that really took them there.
And so, and now there's controversy surrounding one other as well.
then you look at Iraq, and you think, gosh, you know, the last team to qualify.
But oh my Have you seen their group?
It is the group of death.
It is genuinely the group of death.
Well, let's bring up the Iraq de- the Iraq death.
The Iraq group of death- please, on the screen so our viewers, can see that.
you of course are- Iraqi are Iraqi.
Yeah.
Yeah.
will you be supporting them, young lady?
Well, I mean, I am.
The Italians are out, and you're 100% Iraqi.
That's it, unfortunately.
Not, the Italians were, they're out, so it's all about Iraq right now.
Yeah.
Good.
And you look at that team, you've got Erling Haaland of Norway, and apparently that's the one that they're gonna target, right?
And I'm thinking, all right, th- this is the same Norway that totally trashed Italy in the qualifiers.
Yeah.
Right?
Which is why Italy eventually couldn't make it, although they, they lost it in the playoffs as well, but And then you've got France and Senegal who were effectively, African Cup of Nations winners, but then that was taken away from them, given to Morocco.
Mm-hmm.
I think Morocco.
I think Algeria could do something.
Yes.
I think they have a nice team- Yeah to be honest with you.
Yeah.
perhaps didn't do as well as they should've in the African Cup of Nations, but they've got a great player.
A beautiful 18-year-old obviously, as well as some big hitters like Riyad Mahrez.
But I think they could do something.
You never know with Egypt.
I wonder about that, but I'll be honest with you, the ones f- from the Asian side, the Saudis, the Qataris, I'm not sure.
What about Iran?
Iran has always been a very, I think it's always been probably one of the standout Asian teams- to be honest with you.
I, I would really like them to do well only because I think it'd be really interesting to watch them against USA.
Oh.
And that possi- They did, of course, back in 2022 that could be a Yeah.
And, and we had it in- A different time was it '98 as well?
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah?
Yeah.
And so I think that it would just be from a geopolitical situation like- Yeah it'd be very interesting to watch what happens.
Like they trained in Tijuana.
