World Cup 2018: 5 World Cup teams which should get better by Qatar 2022

#4 Serbia

Savic - Serbian prodigy

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.