The waiting is almost over. The most anticipated FIFA World Cup in history is just two days away from kicking off. The 2022 tournament in Qatar will start at Al Khor's Al-Bayt Stadium on Sunday November 20 and will end 28 days later at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Doha on 18 December. Who will win the tournament? With plenty to discuss the Gulf News football experts get stuck in and give their predictions for the showpiece event.
See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos
Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km
Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV
#UAEnews #Qatar #WorldCup
See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos
Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km
Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV
#UAEnews #Qatar #WorldCup
Category
đź—ž
NewsTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome to Golf News kicking back. The World Cup starts on Sunday and it'll finish
00:15on the 18th of December. There's going to be 32 teams competing in the tournament. There's
00:20going to be 64 matches played over 28 days, including obviously the hosts Qatar, the current
00:27champions France and the five-time winners Brazil. Joining me to talk about the tournament
00:32is Nick, Shamsir and Shaam. Shaam, are you looking forward to the World Cup kicking off?
00:37Absolutely, I mean it's been four years so I just can't wait for the World Cup to start.
00:43Nick, what do you think? Looking forward? We were just talking before we started,
00:47we were saying it was 100 days. It felt like just a day ago when the countdown clock started.
00:51It starts on Sunday. Excited? Yeah, very much, particularly the England Monday match
00:58that kicks it off. One of my favourites, or the favourite for me, but it's so unusual
01:06being at this time of the year. Normally in the summer we've had friendlies, so suddenly from
01:12two weeks ago I was at a Champions League match, Chelsea, so it's come very quickly,
01:17very excited and I'm not sure how we're all going to watch four matches a day, but I can't wait.
01:23I think I know one person who can squeeze four matches a day. Shamsir,
01:26our football guru expert. You looking forward to it, Shamsir?
01:30Yeah, man. The biggest sporting event in the world, you know, like wow. It's a festival,
01:34man. We're all going to watch all the games, you know, no matter what work you are doing.
01:38You have to keep following this because this happens once in four years and it's
01:42a festival, man. I'm already in the mood. It's going to be epic because the thing is that it's
01:48happening in the mid-season, which has never happened before and we don't know what's going
01:52to be and it's in Qatar, the weather, all these things could be part of it and it's going to be
01:58fascinating. Nick, as Shamsir just said, it's going to be happening in the middle of the season.
02:03All the leagues around the world have been delayed for the next four or five weeks.
02:06That's all taking a break. The World Cup is taking centre stage. How is that going to affect
02:11the league, do you think, once they resume? Well, basically, I did a bit of research.
02:17134 Premier League players are playing in the World Cup but some clubs have only got two players
02:27in the World Cup. Let me have a look at my homework. Man City have 16 plays in the World Cup,
02:36Wolves have five and even your Everton, Imran, have four. I think there's virtually a pre-season
02:45for the rest but what are the other Premier League players going to be doing when they're
02:49all at the World Cup? James Milner's in town playing golf a bit and around the DP World
02:53Tour Championship here in Dubai but it's the first time ever. We don't really know what's
02:58going to happen but hopefully my team Wolves, hopefully bottom of the table, it'll start afresh
03:04with a new manager and we'll start climbing that table. Shamsir, he mentions a lot of players
03:10going to be missing. Obviously from Arsenal as well, currently top of the table, they're going
03:13to be missing a lot of players. Your boys Chelsea, there's a lot of players out there but unfortunately
03:17for France, Kante, I know you love the boy, he's not going to be playing. How do you think France
03:22are going to do? Are they going to be able to defend their title without Kante, without Pogba
03:26and without Fofana at the back as well? They're a bit depleted, aren't they? They are a bit depleted
03:31because it's not the same France that you have seen in 2018. When we're going to
03:37the 2018 World Cup, we all knew France were the favourites. You ask 10 guys, 9 out of 10
03:43will be saying France are going to lift it because they were super talented. The score depth was
03:47immense but even this year, the score depth is good, good enough. But the thing is that
03:53they aren't playing like a team like before. They have issues over there and over-cautious
03:58approach from Deschamps is going to make an issue out there. And the thing is that, like what you
04:02said, the N'Golo Kante and Paul Pogba are like huge misses for them. Because the problem is that
04:08Deschamps have a lot of trust in these senior players. And they have quality in-depth in midfield
04:15like Camo Wingas and Choumeny are there who are playing for Real Madrid and they have won the
04:20Champions League recently. Choumeny just came into the summer and he just slotted that Real
04:24Madrid midfield like he was there for ages. So, the quality is there. But the thing is that,
04:29is there unity enough to win the tournament again? And you know the curse of the champions
04:34is there ever since 2002, which is started by the French team only. Because after winning the
04:391998 World Cup, they got out from the group stages in 2002. Then the winners from 2002,
04:45then only the Brazil had that… Only for the European teams, I think that problem is there.
04:51Brazil just got out in the group stages in 2006. But the champions in 2006, they got out in 2010
04:56group stages. 2010 champions got out from the 2014 group stages. 2014 champions got out from
05:02the 2018 group stages. Can France stop that hoodoo? That is the thing that is… But the squad is
05:09immensely talented. The individual brilliance is there. But like what? In 2018, Mbappe was an
05:15unknown entity. But not anymore. People know how he's going to play. And the front three, even the
05:21Griezmann, Benzema and Mbappe, they haven't played a lot of football together. These kind of things
05:27could be pivotal in their title charge. So, I don't think France is going to keep the World Cup.
05:36So, Nick, what did I tell you about Shamsour? He's our own little stater.
05:40He is. You are right.
05:42Sam, simple question. Who is going to win the World Cup?
05:47For me, there can be only one team. And it's going to be Brazil. I know they are perennial
05:52favourites. And I have backed them every single year. Because I am a huge Brazil fan. So, that
05:57doesn't change. Who is the better team? Like Shamsour said last time, we know France is going
06:02to win. But I still continue to back Brazil. So, that's not going to change this year. Not just that.
06:08Brazil has got a much better team. Earlier, it used to be just Neymar. And the rest of the team
06:13plays around him. Now, Neymar is just one of the boys. And you have a fabulous bunch of talent
06:19there. And a whole lot of guys. Especially youngsters like Vinicius and Rafinha. A whole
06:25lot of guys. In fact, Tite will have a big trouble in choosing the frontline alone. Like, how do you
06:33put together from the super-talented guys, how do you put together four teams and four guys in
06:37the middle? It will be a 3-0-7 formation, Sham. Seven strikers up front, three at the back.
06:45And just bypass the midfield. Yes, I think you could be a bit right. I know you said it simply
06:51because Tite prefers a high-pressing game. And much of the game would be played off France. So,
06:58I think they would have packed the midfield and France. But the only thing I suspect there is
07:04the defence. A little bit of… You have Thiago Silva at 37. A bit of ageing there. Ageing player
07:11there. And you know, they could be a step slower. And that kind of thing could get punished in a
07:17tournament like the World Cup. That's my only worry. But otherwise, Brazil has the team to win.
07:24Brazil has the team to win. Right, Nick, look, Argentina are going to be relying probably on
07:29one man. We know who that is. And Portugal are going to be relying on one man too. Do you think
07:33one man, Ronaldo and Messi, obviously, can make a big difference in the tournament?
07:39Yeah, if you look history, Maradona arguably carried
07:45Argentina to the World Cup in the mid-80s with the Hand of God match that some of us remember.
07:52No, I think team ethic, momentum. I can't see these days one individual carrying it,
07:58even if it's Messi or Ronaldo. I can think maybe a team ethic of… And I'll pick England. A bit
08:07worried about Harry Kane. Let him stay fit. But England, unusually, they're low expectations from
08:16the nation. Normally, we go in, we say we're going to win. We've had a poor run, losing to
08:20Hungary and drawing against Germany. So I think it's all about momentum. If we start well, get
08:28through the group, then we build. Just a bit worried about Brazil. They've won seven on the
08:33trot and haven't lost for 15. So, you know, my tip is England. A nice team performance and let's
08:41build the momentum over the four weeks ahead. Nick, you mentioned Maradona there. I was lucky
08:47enough to speak to Peter Shilton just the other day and he still doesn't like Maradona very much.
08:54Let's just put it there. All right, guys. Dark horses. We have to have a quick mention. I thought
08:58that Senegal had a very good chance. But now, with the news that Mane is going to miss the World Cup,
09:03I don't think they are. Who, Shamsher, is your dark horse? Who do you think can get at least to
09:07the quarter-final stage of the tournament? I think Uruguay have got a definite chance to get
09:13into the quarter-finals or something. Because they have a new coach, Diogo Alonso. And you know
09:19what happened in the qualifiers. They were just about to get knocked out. And Oscar Tabarres,
09:24the 15-year-old… Not the 15-year-old. He's like 70-plus. But he was there for 15 years and he got
09:29sacked. And Diogo Alonso came. And they are an unknown entity now. People don't know what
09:36formation they are going to play. How are they going to play. But they have some crazy players
09:42in the midfield like Roger Pentecourt, Fede Vardes. Then the old guards like Luis Suarez and
09:48Cavani. And even the young blood like the chaotic striker, Darwin Nunes. They can bring up surprises.
09:54And why I am saying a South American club team… The thing is that, even I believe, this World Cup
09:59is for South America. One of the countries from South America is going to win it. One thing is
10:04that the weather could help them out. Even though the A's are there in the stadium. But weather
10:08could help. And the other thing is that, the last time when it was played outside the Europe,
10:12in South Africa, it was won by Spain. But then, other than that, when it was in Asia,
10:17Korea, Japan, it was won by Brazil. So, that is one part. And the other thing is that the
10:21informed teams… One is Brazil and the other one is Argentina. Argentina are unbeaten in 35 games.
10:26You can't really look out… Yes, what you said is that they are relying on Messi. But it's not
10:31only Messi for them. There is a team around Messi now. They are supporting Kass for Messi. And they
10:36are playing as a unit. And that could be… Yeah, go ahead.
10:39Sure. Sorry, just one point. Just to jump in about the Messi. I was lucky to go watch the
10:43Argentina against the UAE friendly at the Moabin Zayed Stadium just last week. And the way Messi
10:48was playing that game, as we all know, he's been doing it for the last five years. A very withdrawn
10:52role. And you know, flits and flits of skills. But those old meandering runs aren't there anymore.
10:58He doesn't do that anymore at all. He really doesn't beat many players anymore either.
11:01What they really do rely on him are the dead ball situations. And that alone could possibly get
11:06Argentina… Well, obviously through the group. They've got Saudi Arabia, Poland, I think is it
11:11Mexico in their group. They should top that group. But Messi of old, he just isn't that sort of
11:16player anymore. And Shaam also, we've been seeing that with Ronaldo at Man United. He's not really
11:21been involved too much. How do you think… It's probably his last World Cup. Can he have a big say?
11:26No, not at all. Not even… I think we might see a very pale shadow of Ronaldo. Simply because
11:33Ronaldo is somebody who relies on speed. I mean, his darting runs into the box is what really
11:39gives him an edge. And he is a guy whose fitness level actually keeps him at a very high stand-off
11:46game. He doesn't have the trickery or the ball skills of Messi. So, which is why I don't think
11:54Ronaldo will not be much of an influence like Messi in this World Cup. Despite the age, I think
12:00Messi will do far better than Ronaldo at this World Cup.
12:08When it comes to the score depth, Portugal has got immense score depth. All around the pitch,
12:13they have quality. They have world-class players all around the pitch. You know,
12:17they have immensely talented players who are playing in the Premier League, in the La Liga,
12:21playing in the Champions League. The experienced players are so much. And they have got the
12:25correct blend of youth and experience. So, when you just look at the score alone,
12:29Portugal and Brazil should be the favourites for the tournament. But score depth won't win
12:33you the tournament. You need to have the unity. You need to have the chemistry.
12:37Portugal's players, Nick, are all from Wolves.
12:41Right, Nick. Who's going to win the golden boot, Nick? This is the final question before we wrap
12:45up today. Yeah. Good question. Harry Kane. Harry Kane. You heard it here first.
12:50Harry Kane. He's trusted. He's up for it. He's our captain. I say Harry Kane golden boot.
13:01Harry Kane never lets England down. We know he is the go-to man.
13:06Shamsi, who do you think can propel a team all the way to the final and lift up that trophy?
13:13I think it's going to be Lotharo Martinez for Argentina. He's going to rack up the goals for
13:17them. Yeah, good shout. And one more thing for the dark horses. I just want to mention one more
13:24team. It's Serbia. Denmark aren't in the dark horses anymore. They're a good side. Serbia are
13:29going to make some surprises this year. Serbia and Uruguay are my favourites.
13:32That is a strong team, Shamsi. Definitely. I wouldn't be surprised if they get out of the group,
13:37get out into the last 16, quarter-finals possibly up to there.
13:41Sharm, any final thoughts? Who do you think is going to pick up the golden boot?
13:45Who do you tip to do well?
13:47I don't tip it. I mean, I wish Neymar could do it simply because this could be… He said that
13:52this could be his last World Cup. So, he has a point to prove. I think if he wants to be considered
13:59as one of the best players of this era, he needs to make an impact in the World Cup. And this is
14:04probably his last chance. A golden boot would ensure that he is remembered.
14:10All right, guys. We're all looking forward. The World Cup kicks off finally in Qatar on Sunday.
14:15It's going to be a superb tournament. I can just see it. There will be plenty of thrills and spills.
14:20We'll be back daily to bring you updates about what's going on. In the meantime,
14:23head to golfnews.com for all the latest news and reviews and videos and follow us on all
14:27our social media channels. Thanks to my guests and we will see you very soon.