The 2022 World Cup is just about to begin, with 32 countries set to battle it out for the biggest prize in international football. In this article, we will take a look at the teams from Group F.
World Cup 2022 Group F preview – The Group of Death
Canada
Milan Borjan (Red Star Belgrade), James Pantemis (CF Montreal), Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United), Sam Adekugbe (Hatayspor), Derek Cornelius (Vancouver Whitecaps – Panetolikos), Alistair Johnston (CF Montreal), Richie Laryea (Nottingham Forest), Kamal Miller (CF Montreal), Steven Vitoria (Chaves), Joel Waterman (CF Montreal), Stephen Eustaquio (FC Porto), Liam Fraser (Deinze), Atiba Hutchinson (Besiktas), Mark-Anthony Kaye (Toronto FC), Ismael Kone (CF Montreal), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Samuel Piette (CF Montreal), David Wotherspoon (St. Johnstone), Tajon Buchanan (Club Brugge), Lucas Cavallini (Vancouver Whitecaps), Jonathan David (Lille), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Junior Hoillett (Reading), Cyle Larin (Club Brugge), Liam Miller (FC Basel), Ike Ugbo (Troyes).
Analysis – Canada have qualified for their first World Cup since 1986, and have an exciting squad with the likes of Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David as the star players in Europe. They could spring up a surprise for the other big teams in this group.
Morocco
Yassine Bounou (Sevilla), Munir El Kajoui (Al Wehda), Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (Wydad Casablanca), Achraf Hakimi (PSG), Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich), Nayef Aguerd (West Ham), Romain Saiss (Besiktas), Achraf Dari (Brest), Badr Benoun (Qatar SC), Yahia Attiyat Allah (Wydad Casablanca), Jawad El Yamiq (Real Valladolid), Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina), Azzedine Ounahi (Angers), Belil El Khanouss (Genk), Abdelhamid Sabiri (Sampdoria), Ilias Chair (QPR), Selim Amallah (Standard Liege), Yahya Jabrane (Wydad Casablanca), Amine Harit (Marseille), Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea), Zakaria Aboukhlal (Toulouse), Walid Cheddira (Bari), Sofiane Boufal (Angers), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla), Abde Ezzalzouli (Osasuna), Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Ittihad)
Analysis – Morocco are the second best team from Africa this time around, and have the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui and Youssef En-Nesyri in their team to help them make it through.
Belgium
Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge), Toby Alderweireld (Royal Antwerp), Zeno Debast (Anderlecht), Leander Dendoncker (Wolves), Wout Faes (Leicester City), Arthur Theate (Stade Rennes), Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht), Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Timothy Castagne (Leicester City), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund), Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Amadou Onana (Everton), Youri Tielemans (Leicester City), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Atletico Madrid), Leandro Trossard (Brighton), Dries Mertens (Galatasaray), Lois Openda (Lens), Michy Batshuayi (Fenerbahce), Eden Hazard (Real Madrid), Jeremy Doku (Stade Rennes), Charles De Ketelaere (AC Milan), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan)
Analysis – During the 2018 edition of the World Cup, Belgium finished in third place. And despite it still being their golden generation, they are yet to win an international trophy. Could the World Cup be the first title for their golden generation after coming up short in Russia?
Croatia
Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivica Ivusic (Osijek), Ivo Grbic (Atletico Madrid), Domagoj Vida (AEK Athens), Dejan Lovren (Zenit Saint Petersburg), Borna Barisic (Rangers), Josip Juranovic (Celtic), Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig), Borna Sosa (Stuttgart), Josip Stanisic (Bayern Munich), Martin Erlic (Sassuolo), Josip Sutalo (Dinamo Zagreb), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan) Mario Pasalaic (Atalanta), Nikola Vlasic (Torino), Lovro Majer (Rennes), Kristijan Jakic (Eintracht Frankfurt), Luka Sucic (Red Bull Salzburg), Ivan Perisic (Tottenham), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Bruno Petkovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ante Budimir (Osasuna), Marko Livaja (Hajduk Split)
Analysis – The finalists of the 2018 World Cup have been drawn with third placed Belgium. And Croatia will be lining up with many familiar faces – Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic, Perisic, Lovren and Kramaric are all important players for their team.
Who makes it through to the World Cup last 16 from Group F?
This is probably the hardest group to predict confidently, but Croatia and Belgium possess the best squad quality to qualify as the top two. However, don’t rule out Canada and Morocco, making it an extremely close competition in Group F.
