PITA’s 2022 World Cup predictions

Kenneth Daly

Winner: Brazil – An obvious choice. Brazil are the favourites for World Cup glory and are blessed with an incredible squad that should thrive in the Qatari heat. But they do face a potentially difficult route to the final….

Golden Boot: Kylian Mbappe – The Frenchman is leading the way in Ligue 1 with 12 goals in 14 matches and will play in a group that France should easily top. He also has a track record at the World Cup so I expect them to deliver the goods once again.

Dark Horse: Ghana – Probably not a scenario Mikel Arteta would wish for, but Ghana have availed of dual nationality to recruit stars including Tariq Lamptey and Inaki Williams and might have enough quality to sneak through the group phase. However, the prospect of facing the winners of Group G suggests they may not get much further.

Shock Early Exit: Argentina – While the premature end of Messi’s World Cup dream would be lamentable, Argentina are likely to get a difficult draw if they progress to the round of 16 – possibly identical to their 2018 fate – and could exit the tournament in early December.

Best Performing Arsenal Player: William Saliba – Although this choice is somewhat influenced by the amount of game time our representatives will get, it is primarily motivated by Saliba’s outstanding contributions at Arsenal to date. Deschamps’ conservative style could result in him being put to the test this winter, but Wilo plays without fear and will shine at the heart of the French defence.

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