“Not sure how they are going to do this year” – Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin reveals team he will support at 2022 FIFA World Cup

Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed that he is excited to see how his favorite team, Spain, fare at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The world is set to come to a standstill when the greatest sporting extravaganza, the FIFA World Cup, kicks off in Qatar on Sunday (November 20). Host nation Qatar will play the first match of the tournament, against Group A rivals Ecuador at the Al Bayt Stadium.

In an interview with Sport18, Ashwin was asked to disclose the team he supported in international football. The spinner revealed that he supported Spain, saying that he was looking forward to seeing how they performed in Qatar. He said (via NDTV Sports):

“I have always been a fan of Spain. Not sure how they are going to do this year. But yes, looking forward to watching how Spain does, the other football teams have picked up the standard of play and the last World Cup was amazing.”

Spain, who won the 2010 FIFA World Cup, has been placed in Group E, alongside Germany, Japan, and Costa Rica. They start their journey in Qatar with a clash against Costa Rica on Wednesday, November 23.

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Ravichandran Ashwin reveals the player he enjoyed watching in action during the 2018 FIFA World Cup

The previous World Cup was an eventful one, with Didier Deschamps’ France beating underdog Croatia in the final to emerge victorious in Russia. There were many excellent performers for Les Bleus in the 2018 World Cup, but Kylian Mbappe was arguably the best of the bunch.

Only 19 years old, Mbappe scored four goals and laid down an assist to take his team to World Cup glory. His performances helped him bag the FIFA Young Player of the Year at the end of the tournament.

Speaking to Sport18, Ashwin revealed that he was particularly impressed with Mbappe at the last World Cup and hoped for more new stars to jump onto the scene in Qatar. Ashwin added:

“I enjoyed watching Kylian Mbappe last time around, so I am looking forward to seeing a lot of new stars jump on to the scene. So yes, I am looking forward to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”