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Now the World Cup is over, football fanatics like yours truly can get on with our lives and look forward to the next World Cup. No matter what you think about the hosts (Qatar) or the timing (November, in the middle of the traditional club season), Qatar 2022 still bodes to be a great World Cup.
Moreover, the timing may actually be beneficial considering that players won’t have the tiredness of a full club season behind them.
After the 2014 World Cup, many could have guessed the rise of France - they had the tournament’s best young player (Paul Pogba) and several other exciting players under 30. The same could have been said of the likes of Belgium (Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne).
Both of these teams improved to finish in the top three of the latest installment, with France obviously winning the title. So which are the teams that will indisputably be better in Qatar than they were in Russia?
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#5 Germany
This almost seems like a very easy bet. Germany’s performance in Russia was historically horrible as they crashed out of the group stages for the first time in their World Cup history. The German youth system and the strength of the Bundesliga is simply too much for Germany to crash out at the group stage next time.
Meanwhile, unlike some other European superpowers (for example - Spain’s firing of Julen Lopetegui a day before the World Cup), the German federation tends not to make rash decisions.
Yet Germany’s place in this list is not because of simple faith in the team’s system. The talent Germany will have at their disposal in 2022 is incredible. In Russia, Germany went with nine players who were between 22 and 24 years old - players who will be right in the middle of their prime by the time Qatar comes along.
This includes the likes of Timo Werner, Julian Draxler, Leon Goretzka and Niklas Sule - players who are projected to be among the best in the world by that time.
Moreover, Joachim Low also left out several young players at home who are sure to make an impact in Qatar, with the most prominent example being Leroy Sane who will also be entering his prime by that time.
Germany’s lineup could look scary (feel free to poke fun at this in four years when their actual lineup looks very different) by the time Qatar rolls around as shown below (created courtesy of buildlineup).
#4 Serbia
In Russia, the Serbians were one of the unluckiest teams to be eliminated at the group stage. Yet in Qatar their potential may exceed that significantly. After all in 2015, the Serbians were world champions at the under-20 World Cup, when a side lead by the likes of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic won the youth title.
By the time Qatar comes around, most members of that side will be in the middle of their prime at 26 or 27 years of age. They will also likely be facing many of the players and teams they defeated in 2015.
Thus, one can see the potential of the Serbian side. Even in Russia, they sported several young players whose potential may be limitless. Chief among them is Savic, the Lazio midfielder has been linked with Europe’s top clubs and his combination of technical brilliance along with his physical attributes make him the ideal 10.
He could help provide assists to Alexander Mitrovic who was brilliant in Russia and has the physical tools to trouble any central defender.
These talents alongside Nemanja Matic, Adem Ljajic and Dusan Tadic - all of whom will still seemingly be effective in their early 30s could help Serbia. The Balkan side could make their first run into the quarter-finals as an independent country.
#3 Nigeria
The 2018 FIFA World Cup marked a setback for African football as it was the first tournament in a generation that did not feature an African side in the knockout stages. However, this does not mean that teams from the continent did not play well.
Both Senegal and Nigeria were extremely hard done by as they were eliminated by the ‘fair play’ rule and a freak Marcus Rojo goal respectively. This will likely not be the case in 2022 when Nigeria will have an extremely talented side that may be able to have a major impact.
The Super Eagles have a young talented core which will be far better in four years. In Francis Uzoho, they have a brilliant young goalkeeper who will be 23 in Qatar. In 2022, Uzoho will be almost certainly supported by defenders Kenneth Omeruo and William Trost-Ekong, both of whom will be in their prime.
Similarly, 21 year old Wilfrid Ndidi is one of the world’s best young defensive midfielders - he averaged more interceptions in Russia than any other player. In Qatar, Ndidi will likely be partnered with Onazi, another promising midfielder who will be in his prime when Qatar comes along.
Yet it isn’t just the defense and midfield which will be solid. Nigeria have a young enterprising attack with the likes of Arsenal winger Alex Iwobi, Oghenakaro Etebo (who made more dribbles than all but four players in Russia) and striker Kelechi Iheanacho.
All of these players will be in their primes in Qatar. Nigeria may have the potential of making a Croatia-like run in 2022.
#2 England
Before the World Cup, most expected the Three Lions would have a marginal impact on the World Cup as they came in with a young side, having no regular starter having more than 30 caps.
Instead, England embarked on a brilliant run that had their fans believing that 'the World Cup is coming home'. In the end it was not to be, as they were vanquished by a more experienced Croatia side in the semi-finals. Nonetheless, England has the potential to be even better in 2022.
By the time Qatar comes around, the likes of Harry Kane, Eric Dier, John Stones, Jordan Pickford, Harry Maguire, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling and Dele Alli will be between 26 and 29 years old, right in the middle of their primes.
This core will be supported by several talented young players, as England’s prolonged investment in academies seems to have paid off.
After all, England are reigning World Champions in both the U-17 World Cup and the U-20 World Cup - having won both tournaments in 2017. Those players will be 22 and 25 respectively in 2022.
Young players like Phil Foden, Dominic Solanke, Ademola Lookman and Dominic Calvert-Lewin might also manage to make an impact in that tournament.
The below English lineup would indeed be a scary one, and would give England a good chance of bringing the World Cup home (in Gareth Southgate’s preferred 3-5-2 formation):
#1 France
Yes, the World Champions will be even better in 2022. Having gone with one of the youngest and most sprite teams in Russia, Les Blues’ young talented attackers will be entering their primes by the time Qatar comes along (with the exception of Kylian Mbappe who will still only be 23 years old).
The only regular French starters who were over thirty years old were Hugo Lloris, Blaise Matuidi and Oliver Giroud.
As a goalkeeper, Lloris could play well into his late 30s and may continue to captain Les Blues in Qatar. Otherwise, Giroud and Matuidi were arguably the least important players to France’s eventual victory in Russia.
Meanwhile, France had the best defense in Russia and that unit will only be better in Qatar as Benjamin Pavard, Samuel Umtiti, Raphael Varane and Lucas Hernandez will be in their primes at that point.
Similarly, their brilliant midfield of Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante will likely continue to be effective as both players will still be at the tail-end of their primes in Qatar.
Yet what makes Les Blues so scary is how the attack will look in 2022 - Mbappe will be 23 (imagine him with four more years of experience), Ousmane Dembele will be 25, Thomas Lemar will be 26 and Nabil Fekir will be 28. That core will be supported by those who were left at home like the mercurial Manchester United winger Anthony Martial.
This combination of a solid defence, a brilliant midfield and attacking dynamism made France champions in Russia.
Considering that all of these aspects will be better in Qatar, France will be favorites to win two consecutive World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Other teams better get their acts together, otherwise France could dominate international football for a generation.
