Innehållsförteckning för World Cup Preview 2022 från FourFourTwo UK

In 2012, Sepp Blatter was adamant. “The World Cup is played in June and July,” he said. A decade later, here we are on the eve of the first ever winter tournament, stepping into the unknown. If Blatter’s promise of keeping the World Cup in summer didn’t pan out, how about another from Greg Dyke? In 2013, the FA chairman set two targets. “The first is for the England team to at least reach the semi-finals of Euro 2020, the second is for us to win the World Cup in 2022,” he said. Last summer, the first aim was surpassed – now it’s time for Gareth Southgate’s side to match the Lionesses and win the trophy. Will they? Time will tell. As for Wales, after successive appearances at the Euros,…

Portsmouth made a solid start to the League One season, unbeaten in nine games. How pleased were you? Credit firstly to all of the players, for being relentlessly consistent. We came together quite late in pre-season – you always like to have the squad together from the beginning of the summer, but that wasn’t possible. The players were very adaptable and they took on a lot of ideas in a short period. As a manager you try to earn time – it’s probably the only profession where you have to win to earn time to do your job successfully. That’s the nature of management. We have a nice blend. We’ve got 12 players in the squad who are 21 and under – Dane Scarlett (on loan from Spurs) and Josh…

HANNIBAL MEJBRI BIRMINGHAM LOWDOWN An attendee of France’s feted Clairefontaine academy, Mejbri dazzled in Monaco’s youth sides and joined Manchester United aged 16. The playmaker was handed a Premier League debut in 2021 by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, then impressed new boss Erik ten Hag during pre-season and switched to St Andrew’s on loan. By the summer, the Paris-born schemer had already won 16 caps for Tunisia, where both of his parents were born. HIGHLIGHT Two man-of-the-match displays against the UAE and Egypt led Tunisia to the final of the 2021 Arab Cup. Presumably he celebrated his international breakthrough with some fava beans and a nice Chianti… DID YOU KNOW? The Blues’ Twitter unveiling saw Mejbri superimposed into the prison cell scene from 1991 classic Silence of the Lambs, starring Anthony…

THE PLAYERS LOUNGE JOE COLE ILIE DUMITRESCU RYAN NELSEN NIALL QUINN You made your World Cup debut against Sweden in 2002, replacing Darius Vassell. Tell us about that moment… It was really hectic. You come on and it’s so fleeting. It was brilliant to get on the pitch. At a World Cup, you can feel the importance of the game. I can still picture every touch and it was like, ‘Wow, I’m playing at a World Cup’. It was the culmination of a lifetime dream. It goes by quickly, as you’re in the moment, but that summer gave me wonderful memories. You started for England at the 2006 World Cup. People said their ‘Golden Generation’ should go on and win a major tournament. Was it difficult dealing with that pressure?…

Few individuals have had a wide-ranging football career like yours – do you consider yourself to have been a better player, boss or chairman, having performed all three roles at Sunderland? Well, I’ll immediately rule out my managerial career, if indeed you can count it as a career. I sacked myself after just a handful of games. Without ever diminishing what I achieved as a Sunderland player, I’m probably prouder of what I achieved as chairman. I had to learn on the job very quickly. I remember my first day in the job, I was never off the phone to shareholders trying to get our consortium up to 90 per cent, and lawyers in London trying to thrash out all the legal complexities. That was on top of training the…

01 WINTER WONDERLAND World Cup time normally means barbecues, heat stroke and cold ale. This year, it’s more of a blanket and cocoa vibe – it’s going to be strange putting on your big coat for the fan park, but with the final on December 18, the festivity factor is going to transform the month into SUPERCHRISTMAS. Let’s make a snowGareth, kids! 02 THE MASCOT A truly brilliant effort: he’s been compared to a ghost or even a stingray, but is actually a footballmad little scamp in a traditional Qatari headscarf named La’eeb (right). That translates as ‘super skilful player’ – odd given his lack of feet, but good luck to the lad. You do you, mate. 03 THE BALL Adidas’ Al Rihla Pro sphere (above) is inspired by dhow…

STAR PLAYER Akram Afif makes things happen for Qatar – his forward partner, Almoez Ali, broke records with nine goals in their historic 2019 Asian Cup win, but the creative smarts came from Afif and his 10 assists. Naturally a winger, the 25-year-old roams the final third looking for space, and Qatar are relying upon his instinctive relationship with Ali. THE MANAGER Since 2017, Qatar’s players have reacted so well to Felix Sanchez and his forward-thinking, hands-on approach that the expected arrival of an elite coach – many suspected Pep Guardiola, who’d played in the country – was never on the cards. Sanchez, a former Barcelona youth coach himself, progressed through Qatar’s age groups with this squad. Qatar have been waiting for this moment since December 2010. No nation has…

STAR PLAYER Moises Caicedo hasn’t looked back since making his debut against Argentina two years ago – he’s the heartbeat of everything good about this Ecuador team. Caicedo, 21 by tournament kick-off and a star in South America long before excelling for Brighton this season, can make Manchester United regret pulling out of a £4.5m deal 18 months ago. THE MANAGER Gustavo Alfaro was a pragmatic departure from the ill-fated flamboyance of predecessor Jordi Cruyff, who left in 2020 having not held a single training session. After a long career coaching clubs in his native Argentina, including Boca Juniors, this is the 60-year-old’s first taste of international football and he aims to put defence first. Highly unfancied when the qualifiers began, Ecuador swept to their fourth World Cup finals with…

After Pele’s goal knocked Wales out of the 1958 World Cup quarter-finals in Sweden, star defender Mel Charles arrived at Swansea station and was asked by the ticket collector if he’d been on holiday. Every four years for six decades hence, even this humble homecoming was mere fantasy. Wales are back, fired by self-belief. Fans and players share an emotional connection. Yma O Hyd, Dafydd Iwan’s early-1980s folk song, was adopted by supporters and squad alike, until Iwan was tearfully performing ahead of the World Cup play-off backed by a choir of 32,000. “Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth, ry’n ni yma o hyd.” “Despite everyone and everything, we’re still here.” Still, qualifying is old (bucket) hat for Cymru these days. A third qualification across four tournaments, followed by positive Nations…

Argentina have the same problem at every World Cup. Too many attackers leads to a Frankenstein’s monster of a tactical plan to accommodate each forward. There follows a collision of individual stars, which reverberates throughout the dressing room. Cue soul-searching, and repeat. The build-up for Qatar 2022 has been refreshingly different. Argentina arrive at peace, with high hopes but low levels of pressure. Finally ending the 28-year wait for a major title with the dream scenario of beating Brazil, in Brazil, in the 2021 Copa America Final avenged two previous generations of players dismissed as losers. From 2004 to 2016, La Albiceleste reached four Copa America finals and a World Cup showpiece – they lost them all, each defeat more traumatic than the last. Last year’s triumph sparked the start…

STAR PLAYER Christian Eriksen will be hugely motivated for this World Cup, after highlighting it as the main target in his first public interview after his heart stopped beating at Euro 2020 last summer. It’s a miracle he is playing at all, yet his early-season form for Manchester United has even suggested he can again be the magician he was at Tottenham. THE MANAGER Kasper Hjulmand is a national hero, having guided Denmark to the Euro 2020 semi-finals. Players praise his style of football, tactical flexibility – he switches regularly from a 4-3-3 to a back three – and man-management, and as the team continues to perform, the 50-year-old has piqued the interest of several European heavyweights. With Christian Eriksen back in action, Denmark head to Qatar determined to take…

STAR PLAYER Ajdin Hrustic is a prodigiously talented attacking midfielder who helped Eintracht Frankfurt to win last season’s Europa League before making a deadline-day move to Hellas Verona. The 26-year-old has a wicked left foot as well as the skill to beat an opponent and create a chance, and he netted the crucial play-off winner against the UAE. THE MANAGER As Guus Hiddink’s assistant during Australia’s fine 2006 World Cup run to the last 16, Graham Arnold also served as caretaker coach for the failed 2007 Asian Cup campaign. He earned a second stint in 2018 after excellent spells with Central Coast Mariners and Sydney FC, and took Australia to Qatar, though his stubborn pragmatism has its critics. In recent times, Australia have made heavy weather of reaching the World…

Germany are genuine challengers again, even if the later Jogi Löw years aren’t yet fully forgotten. Peak Germany, this is not – a Nations League defeat to Hungary highlighted that – but it is a more competitive side than was on show at Euro 2020. Under 57-year-old Hansi Flick, the squad feels more balanced, and that famous ruthlessness has returned. Perhaps the best indication of their turnaround came after a muted 2-0 win against Liechtenstein in Flick’s first match in charge: Germany won the home game two months later 9-0 in Wolfsburg. In personnel terms, Jonas Hofmann is the headline story. The Borussia Monchengladbach winger has become integral at the grand age of 30 and has proved surprisingly versatile, even as a goalscoring right-sided wing-back. A historic run of four…

When Roberto Martinez succeeded Marc Wilmots, the Euro 2016 victim of Hal Robson-Kanu’s Cruyff turn and Sam Vokes’ towering header, Martinez’s message was simple: with this group of players, Belgium could win the World Cup. His intent resonated with the Belgian FA’s hierarchy, and the Spaniard led the Red Devils to third place in 2018 with a dazzling display against Brazil. The 1-0 semi-final defeat to eventual champions France prompted Belgium to play more reactively at Euro 2020, their low defensive block intended to make them tougher to beat while also masking an ageing backline. Belgium choked against Italy in the quarters. No team has won an international tournament with such an old defence – even older now – except maybe Italy themselves. Facing them at Euro 2020, Martinez waited…

STAR PLAYER Yann Sommer was Switzerland’s hero at Euro 2020, saving Kylian Mbappe’s penalty as the Nati beat France. The 33-year-old is ageing well at Borussia Monchengladbach – strong Bundesliga performances this term include a record 19 saves in a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich – and he recorded six clean sheets in eight World Cup qualifiers, too. THE MANAGER Murat Yakin won 49 Swiss caps as a defender before coaching Basel to two Super League crowns and two Champions League wins over Chelsea. Last year, he cheerfully sent 9.3kg of thank-you chocolates to Northern Ireland after their draw with Italy sent the Azzurri into the World Cup play-offs – where they’d lose – and Switzerland to Qatar. Well, they finally did it. At Euro 2020, Switzerland won a knockout match…

STAR PLAYER Lyon’s Karl Toko Ekambi scored five goals at this year’s AFCON, the only goal as Cameroon beat the Ivory Coast to top their World Cup qualifying group ahead of the Elephants and a decisive last-gasp play-off winner against Algeria. The 30-year-old is the first name on the team-sheet, even ahead of captain Vincent Aboubakar. THE MANAGER In 2016, Rigobert Song suffered a brain aneurysm and a two-day coma. The near-death experience changed his outlook. His laid-back style has led critics to say he isn’t suitable for the role – he received it on orders of the nation’s president, Paul Biya – but the 46-year-old ex-defender, Cameroon’s record cap-holder, does inspire his troops. This will be Cameroon’s eighth World Cup finals – two more than any other African country…

STAR PLAYER Who could it be but Asia’s biggest footballing star, Son Heung-min? If Son plays well then South Korea have a chance of doing well, but there is huge pressure on the Spurs star, which has sometimes shown when playing for his country. The 30-year-old skipper can be guilty of trying to do too much and must trust in his team-mates a bit more. THE MANAGER Paulo Bento has been in place for over four years but has yet to really convince. Efforts to get his team playing from the back don’t look to have worked, at least against stronger opposition. A poor 2019 Asian Cup, losing to Qatar, followed by average World Cup qualification and worrying warm-up results are not alleviating those doubts at all. Only Brazil, Germany,…

When did you find out that you’d be coming on for Mat Ryan – Australia’s captain and No.1 – if June’s play-off against Peru went to a shootout? About six weeks prior. I’d worked with Australia’s goalkeeping coach, John Crawley, at club level and we often talk. At the end of a phonecall, he said, “Get ready to save a penalty, mate”, then hung up. I told my wife – she said, “Maybe you’re coming on if there’s a shootout?” The idea got padded out once I was in camp for the play-offs. And you had to keep it a secret? [Laughs] Yeah, that was tough! I had to tell someone in the camp, so my team-mate, Joel King, knew – and my mum knew and my wife knew –…

Harry Kane remembers the day he won the World Cup Golden Boot with mixed emotions. It will forever be one of his proudest possessions, but there’s a tinge of regret in where he was when he won it. That day, Kane had dreamed of being inside Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, playing in the World Cup final. Instead, he was nearly 2,000 miles further west. “Winning the Golden Boot was incredible but it was a strange feeling, because we’d gone out of the tournament and were so disappointed about that,” he explains to FourFourTwo. “We had just landed back in England when the World Cup final was on. I wasn’t watching it – I was driving back to London from Birmingham. I started getting texts through that said, ‘Congratulations, you’ve won the…

KASPER SCHMEICHEL MAN CITY TO NOTTS COUNTY | 2009 £1,000,000 PEDIGREE The son of Manchester United icon Peter, Schmeichel rose through City’s ranks before being loaned out to Darlington, Bury and Falkirk. At 20, the Dane returned to Eastlands and made seven top-tier outings for Sven-Goran Eriksson at the start of the 2007-08 campaign, saving a Robin van Persie penalty at Arsenal. Joe Hart’s emergence limited his chances, though – loans at Cardiff and Coventry followed. THE SITUATION After their 2009 takeover by Munto Finance, fourth-tier County were ready to flash the cash. Sven was hired as director of football and recruited Schmeichel within a month for a club-record £1m – a staggering sum of money for a goalkeeper in League Two. GOOD VALUE? Sven’s star signing was stunning between the…

THE GAFFER BOBBY ROBSON “My easiest decision – a lovely, lovely man, who always believed in me. He got the best out of his players on both the club and international scene, and twice went close to winning the World Cup.” THE SUBS 01 RAY WILKINS 02 GLENN HODDLE 03 PETER BEARDSLEY PETER SHILTON “When I joined the England squad in 1985, Peter was already an icon – he had an aura. A superb communicator and shot-stopper – it’s mad to think that without Ray Clemence, he’d have surpassed 200 caps. In training, his preparation and attention to detail was ahead of its time.” GARY STEVENS “We had a great partnership on the right for Everton, Rangers and England – I’d say it was almost telepathic. He was a top athlete, fast, and…

For a footballing powerhouse such as the Netherlands, the eight years since 2014 have felt like an eternity. When Robin van Persie, Daley Blind and Gini Wijnaldum struck to beat hosts Brazil 3-0 in the 2014 World Cup third-place play-off, you’d have got a good price on the Dutch having to wait until 2021 for their next major tournament. Failing to qualify for either Euro 2016 or Russia 2018 reflected a deep Dutch footballing malaise. Qualification for Qatar 2022 wasn’t plain sailing, either. It began with a 4-2 defeat in Turkey in March 2021 and, after victories against minnows Latvia and Gibraltar, a frustrating Euro 2020 – totally outplayed by the Czechs in the last 16 – gave the Oranje an uphill task to avoid further calamity. Frank de Boer…

STAR PLAYER Christian Pulisic’s five goals made the difference in qualifying – now it’s time for Captain America, who made his debut aged 17 in 2016, to add consistency. The Chelsea winger couldn’t establish himself under Thomas Tuchel, leading to tongue-in-cheek suggestions that American Todd Boehly fired Tuchel to raise his nation’s hopes in Qatar. THE MANAGER Part of the USA’s quarter-finalists in 2002, Gregg Berhalter cut his coaching teeth in Sweden with Hammarby, then back home at Columbus Crew. He has trusted in youth since his start in December 2018, jettisoning older stars Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley in favour of a high-tempo system. It won the USMNT the 2021 Gold Cup. In 1950’s ‘Miracle on Grass’, the USA inflicted the most shocking World Cup defeat in England’s history.…

STAR PLAYER Sardar Azmoun’s January move to Bayer Leverkusen has yet to bring fireworks but he remains Iran’s brightest star, even when searching for his best form. The 27-year-old has hit 41 goals in 65 matches for his nation – only the legendary pair of Karim Bagheri and Ali Daei have been more prolific. He is a classy and elegant penalty-box predator. THE MANAGER Carlos Queiroz led Iran from 2011 to 2019, taking Team Melli to two World Cups, but the Portuguese veteran’s sensational return – after failing to take either Colombia or Egypt to Qatar 2022 – divided opinion in Iran, being applauded enthusiastically by some and criticised heavily by others. The 69-year-old will be in the spotlight. Making a fifth appearance in the last seven World Cups with…

STAR PLAYER We’re running out of superlatives to describe Robert Lewandowski. There was a concern that the 34-year-old’s move to Barcelona might see his form dip, but Lewy has begun Camp Nou life with the vigour and aplomb for which he is renowned – and then a little extra. Bavaria’s loss is Catalonia’s gain, and Poland hope to benefit from it. THE MANAGER It’s been a rollercoaster 2022 for Czeslaw Michniewicz, who took over from Flamengo-bound Paulo Sousa in January. Since then, he’s led his country to qualification and to their heaviest defeat since 2010, also threatening to sue a journalist for bringing up his alleged links to a corruption scandal that plagued the Polish game in the 2000s. Busy. For the first time in history, Poland have qualified for…

The France team that lifted the World Cup in Russia were a paradox. Overly defensive, said the detractors – yet they set a record tally of 11 goals in the knockout phase, including four in the final. Unnecessarily cautious, carped the critics – yet here’s Benjamin Pavard, dashing up from right-back to score FIFA’s Goal of the Tournament in a nonsense 4-3 win over Argentina. The idea that Les Bleus’ 2018 vintage lacked an identity is wrong – their identity was simply to win. Moulded in the likeness of serial winner Didier Deschamps, their manager, they were a chameleon-like side, adopting the right strategy on a game-by-game basis to progress through the rounds. Since that glorious day in Moscow, there has been the disappointment of an unexpectedly early Euro 2020…

STAR PLAYER Defensive midfielder Wataru Endo makes Japan tick. In each of the past two seasons, the 29-year-old has made more tackles in the Bundesliga than any other player, and his leadership skills have earned him the Stuttgart armband – unusual for an Asian player in one of Europe’s major leagues. If Endo plays well, Japan play well. THE MANAGER Hajime Moriyasu has bossed the national team since 2018, having previously led Sanfrecce Hiroshima to three J.League titles. He is often criticised for his cautiousness – the Olympic team’s failure to reach last year’s final on home soil being cited as one example – but a more conservative approach could work well against Spain and Germany. Japan are old hands now: this is their seventh successive World Cup finals. The…

STAR PLAYER Keylor Navas is a living legend in Costa Rica. Widely considered to be the best goalkeeper in CONCACAF history, the Ligue 1, La Liga and three-time Champions League winner has almost single-handedly put his country on the footballing map. The 35-year-old’s experience is crucial if they are to even dream of making it out of a tough group. THE MANAGER Luis Fernando Suarez received a new four-year contract in August as reward for guiding a third nation to the World Cup, after unexpected qualifications for Ecuador in 2006 and Honduras in 2014. As a strong, defensive-minded tactician who demands discipline and makes his teams hard to beat, the Colombian veteran thrives as the underdog. Costa Rica’s run to the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals will probably end up as…

STAR PLAYER When representing his national team, Achraf Hakimi has licence to pop up all over the pitch and use that extra lung he is rumoured to have – he’s played as a left or right full-back and even on the wing at times. With scarce striking options, Morocco rely upon Hakimi – 24 in November but with 50 caps already – to create chance after chance. THE MANAGER Walid Regragui is the prototypical new breed of African coach: young, media-trained, player-friendly and an ex-international with valuable playing experience in Europe. The 46-year-old, who clinched the CAF Champions League with Wydad in May, is a rising star; positive results at Qatar 2022 could eventually take him back to European football. Unity over discipline. That was the crux of the decision…

Brazil haven’t taken on European opposition since a March 2019 friendly against the Czech Republic. The last time they went this long without meeting a rival from Europe was before the 1954 World Cup. The anomaly has brought questions at nearly every press conference and, for a while, served to downplay the team’s record-breaking qualifying form. The Selecao won 14 of 17 games (the clash against Argentina that was abandoned for COVID-19 shenanigans was ultimately cancelled), racking up 40 goals and conceding just five. But such is the excitement around Brazil now, the mood has drastically altered. Essentially, the fixture list quirk is Europe’s loss. They have no idea about what’s coming for them. For most of the road to Qatar 2022, Brazil resembled a pragmatic outfit who lacked their…

STAR PLAYER Luis Suarez’s return to his beloved Nacional to prepare for this World Cup started with a social media hashtag, and before long, Uruguay president Luis Lacalle Pou was suggesting Suarez could be useful in parliament to unite the warring parties. His country simply wants their leading marksman, now 35, to be fit for his final World Cup. THE MANAGER Diego Alonso has previously coached Uruguayan giants Penarol, two clubs in Paraguay and two in Mexico, winning the CONCACAF Champions League with Pachuca in 2017 and again with Monterrey two years later. Once also the first manager of David Beckham’s Inter Miami, the 47-year-old has led his country with impressive intensity. There’s one single rule in World Cup history: don’t write off Uruguay. The 1930 and ’50 world champions…

Like the 2022 hosts, the trio have never played in a senior men’s or women’s World Cup, with their men’s teams ranked 87th, 97th and 134th respectively by FIFA. It’s a different story in the women’s game. Zambia booked their place by finishing third at the Africa Cup of Nations, while the Philippines reached the last four of the Asian Cup alongside China, South Korea and Japan, ensuring they’ll all be at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand which runs from July 20 to August 20, 2023. England are the bookies’ second favourites, behind the USA. North Korea, ranked 10th in the world, won’t be there after COVID travel restrictions in the secretive country prompted their withdrawal from the Asian Cup. That meant Vietnam, who lost in the quarterfinals,…

When Harry Maguire felled Jamal Musiala to give Germany a penalty in England’s final game before the World Cup, he knew what was coming. After an ascent that saw the centre-back capture the hearts of a nation – becoming an English cult hero at the 2018 World Cup, then earning a place in UEFA’s Team of the Tournament at Euro 2020 – things have been altogether rockier for him in recent times. After he was dropped by Erik ten Hag at Manchester United in August, following a lengthy period of criticism for his club performances, debate raged as to whether Maguire should be dropped by England, too. When Germany were awarded their penalty, more negative headlines were inevitable. He has had to somehow try to shrug it all off. “I’m…

Karim Benzema has had to wait a while. Eight years, to be exact. Not since July 2014 has the Real Madrid striker played at the World Cup, in a 1-0 quarter-final defeat to eventual champions Germany (top right). No one, especially not the man himself, thought it would take so long for his next appearance in the globe’s biggest tournament. Benzema’s six years away from the French national team, after the Mathieu Valbuena sex tape scandal, meant that he missed out on two major finals with Les Bleus – the Euro 2016 defeat to Portugal on home soil, then the biggest triumph of all, at the 2018 World Cup against Croatia. Without him, Didier Deschamps’ side flourished, more often than not. It looked like Benzema would never be back –…

Having helped Blackburn to finish sixth in your first full Premier League campaign in 2005-06, you must have thought English football’s not so hard? I arrived at Ewood Park at a great time. They were on an upward trajectory and the gaffer, Mark Hughes, was very good to me. The club was run well, so it was a fun period. We had players like Tugay – he could literally play with a cigar in one hand, the game was that easy. Brad Friedel was a superb goalkeeper, Morten Gamst Pedersen was outstanding and Robbie Savage brought the energy – he couldn’t lift a weight in the gym, but was never afraid to fight. Craig Bellamy was brilliant as well. They don’t make personalities like these any more. I thought, ‘I’ll…

The 2022 World Cup might be the most controversial in the tournament’s history – and that’s before a ball has been kicked. Plenty has been said about Qatar since they were awarded hosting rights 12 years ago, but that won’t stop 32 teams going all out to make their countries proud. In this preview we take an in-depth look at each of the competing nations, cast our eye over the challengers for the Golden Boot, and assess the young stars ready to shine. It may be freezing outside, but the action promises to be red-hot – enjoy the World Cup, and FourFourTwo’s essential guide to the tournament. WANT MORE? FIND US HERE… FourFourTwo.com @FourFourTwo @FourFourTwoUK FourFourTwo FourFourTwo…

01 ANTONIO MATEU LAHOZ The colourful Spaniard is particularly unpopular at Manchester City, having disallowed Leroy Sane’s goal and sent off Pep Guardiola in City’s Champions League quarter-final loss to Liverpool in 2018. Lahoz “likes to feel different,” seethed Pep. “When everybody sees things, he’ll see the opposite.” Big fan. 02 STEPHANIE FRAPPART Frappart may sound like an elaborate French coffee, but she is in fact the first woman to officiate men’s Ligue 1, Champions League and World Cup qualification fixtures. Will she be the first ever female ref at the finals? She’s got competition: FIFA have also picked Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga and Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita this year. 03 MICHAEL OLIVER Meek-looking Oliver is a trailblazer: the youngest Premier League debutant, as a 25-year-old in 2010, later turned the mild-mannered…

01 GAVI SPAIN Age 18 Position Midfielder Spain’s real-life regen revolution continues – after an 18-year-old sprite named Pedri played a crucial role in La Roja’s run to the Euro 2020 semi-finals, now it’s the turn of another Barcelona midfielder, this time named Gavi. You can probably guess the key elements of his game – pass and move, it’s La Masia groove – but he’s also a terrier in winning back the ball, and it’s hard to wrestle it off him in the first place. Gavi turned 18 only recently and yet, remarkably, he has already reached 50 appearances for Barcelona and double figures with the national side. 02 JOSKO GVARDIOL CROATIA  Age 20 Position Defender Gvardiol, like Gavi, was on the shortlist for France Football’s 2022 Kopa Trophy –…

STAR PLAYER Sadio Mane remains the totem, a striker of rare poise, intelligence and pace. In a year that has seen his global appeal grow more than ever, the Bayern Munich forward’s humility and simplicity remain impressively unchanged. For all of the 30-year-old’s star power, he speaks only when he has to, and prefers to lead by example. THE MANAGER Calm dignity, as opposed to tactical wizardry, has earned Aliou Cisse the respect of his players and the Senegalese FA alike – few African nations stick with a coach for seven years. The former Birmingam and Portsmouth midfielder brought his country their first AFCON title earlier this year; now they’re expected to spearhead Africa’s charge in Qatar. Africa’s best team over the past 18 months head to Qatar possessing a…

We go again. Season One in 2018 saw the ascent of the most likeable England team for a generation, then last summer’s Season Two ended with an inevitable tearjerker. The 2022 World Cup concludes the Gareth Southgate trilogy – the tease has been largely triumphant, but will the reveal turn to tragedy? The lead characters are set in stone. Everyman striker Harry Kane is still the defining, steely line-leader, alongside speedy sidekick Raheem Sterling who silenced his critics during Euro 2020. The supporting cast of Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Reece James and Mason Mount have each developed nicely, while Declan Rice is now deemed one of Europe’s most outstanding dynamic midfielders. In the Mickey Rourke ‘faded glamour’ role, Harry Maguire, John Stones and Jordans Pickford and Henderson are…

STAR PLAYER Guillermo Ochoa, El Tri’s star in the past two World Cups, is still going strong aged 37. Despite a couple of difficult domestic seasons with America, his international form has never wavered. Mexico’s hopes depend on Ochoa pulling off more miracles like his incredible Gordon Banks-esque save from Neymar in 2014’s 0-0 draw against Brazil. THE MANAGER Having arrived with the sort of aura to be expected from a former Barcelona boss, Gerardo Martino began with an 11-game unbeaten streak. Three defeats to arch rivals USA in 2021 – in the Gold Cup final, CONCACAF Nations League final and World Cup qualifying – have clipped his wings, but his players appear to like him, which helps. Ageing, frayed at the edges, but providing comforting familiarity, Mexico are the…

STAR PLAYER Highly decorated winger Salem Al Dawsari, who won the 2021 AFC Champions League MVP award after leading Al Hilal to a second continental title in three years, has spent the majority of his playing career with the Saudi giants, bar a brief loan spell at Villarreal. The 31-year-old netted a late winner against Egypt at the last World Cup. THE MANAGER Herve Renard is well regarded and has pedigree after leading Morocco to a first World Cup in 20 years in 2018. The suave 54-year-old is also the only manager to win the Africa Cup of Nations with two different countries (Zambia and Ivory Coast). He took this job in mid-2019 and led a strong qualifying campaign with a tactically flexible approach. The Green Falcons have proved there’s…

STAR PLAYER A generational North African talent who never quite made it to Europe, Youssef Msakni has been Tunisia’s attacking heartbeat for a decade. It isn’t easy to tame ‘The Mongoose’, with his knack for scoring crucial goals. He missed Russia 2018 with a knee injury but will be in familiar surroundings here, after a decade of playing his club football in Qatar. THE MANAGER Jalel Kadri is one of two coaches at this World Cup (the other being Canada’s John Herdman) who was never a professional footballer. The 50-year-old’s pragmatic style as interim boss earned Tunisia a finals berth and himself the full-time job, and he is likely to take instruction from above in picking a squad and accommodating experienced pros. Tunisia are the flyweights who just love to…

Is there a more predictable international team than Spain? La Roja always qualify easily – a draw and a defeat from their eight games this time around actually represented one of their worst campaigns since Euro 92, the last major tournament they missed. They always have a gifted squad packed with elite playmakers. They always pass the opposition into bleary-eyed submission. And for four sensational years, they always won. Lifting their first World Cup trophy in 2010, between glories at Euro 2008 and 2012, was the ultimate distillation of the power of possession. The philosophy remains, even if Xavi, Iniesta & Co have departed. Twelve years on from South Africa, the only world champion left is Sergio Busquets. “He is the pillar on which both our defensive and attacking game…

STAR PLAYER Luka Modric has seen whole generations pass through Croatia’s squad since his 2006 debut – eight major tournaments and more than 150 appearances later, he has remained the sole constant. This is still pretty much his team, as even the quickest of glances reveals. A vintage maestro at 37, the captain still calls the shots. THE MANAGER Zlatko Dalic experienced success and hero worship in 2018, then humiliating losses and widespread criticism, only to emerge as the man who reunited the team after signs that complacency had taken hold in Euro 2020’s last-16 defeat to Spain. Whisper it, but lately he may even have settled on a tactical approach that suits the side best. With a healthy mixture of seasoned veterans and exciting newcomers – not all necessarily…

STAR PLAYER Bayern full-back Alphonso Davies usually features further forward for his country, and links brilliantly with Jonathan David. Aside from his world-beating speed and superb technique, the 21-year-old is a selfless team-mate – eight assists in qualifying show that he’s just as likely to set up a compatriot as he is to score himself. He’s legit. THE MANAGER John Herdman made his coaching name with the New Zealand and Canada women’s teams before joining the latter’s men’s outfit back in 2018. The County Durham native with an animated touchline demeanour has since chalked up a winning percentage of nearly 70 per cent, earning Les Rouges their best FIFA ranking in February (33). It’s been a long wait for Canadian football fans since the country’s only previous World Cup appearance.…

STAR PLAYER Dusan Tadic, who turns 34 on the day the tournament starts, is the unassuming leader Serbia need – and their best No.10 since their manager was playing. Tadic’s move to Ajax in 2018 unlocked new levels to his game; he offers world-class quality as well as experience, and Serbia would fare worse without him than without any of their stars. THE MANAGER Former playmaking great and ex-FA president Dragan Stojkovic is a cult hero for this squad, and his aura and laissez-faire approach will give his stars the freedom to shine. The 57-year-old’s adamant belief that Serbia will go far at this World Cup has enchanted the nation; look out for more bold statements, and audacious attacking XIs, in Qatar. Serbia’s qualifying rate is seriously impressive, but the…

The global perception of Portugal’s national men’s team for well over a decade has been Cristiano Ronaldo plus 10 others. It seems inevitable that Qatar 2022 will be filed in the annals of Portuguese football only under ‘Ronaldo’s last World Cup’. That is unless manager Fernando Santos can finally do something which has as yet eluded him, and turn an incredible generation of individual talents into a functioning cohesive unit. The perfect World Cup send-off for CR7 depends on those around him. Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leao, Joao Felix and Diogo Jota are all unplayable on their day, and have consistently impressed on club football’s biggest stages. But such sparkling performances have been conspicuous by their absence when the same players pull on a Portugal shirt. That they all…

STAR PLAYER At just 22, Mohammed Kudus has barely scratched the ceiling of his ability. The Premier League target is a playmaker who has discovered with Ajax this season that he’s also a false nine and a pure goalscorer, giving his managers the tricky task of working out how best to use Ghana’s brightest prospect since Kwadwo Asamoah of Juventus. THE MANAGER German-born Ghana international Otto Addo has tried to inject some efficiency into a youthfully languid Black Stars team, where Andre and Jordan Ayew are potentially alone in having World Cup experience. The 47-year-old’s strong backroom includes ex-Newcastle manager Chris Hughton and former Aston Villa midfielder George Boateng. How has the weakest Ghana team in 15 years, who finished bottom of their Africa Cup of Nations group this year…