Qatar 2022 World Cup countdown: Messi magic, killer Kane and rejuvenated Germany – Qatar contenders assessed

Difficulties
still
await
Italy
and
Portugal
–
the
past
two
European
champions
–
in
the
play-offs,
but
most
of
the
other
big
names
are
well
on
their
way
if
they
have
not
already
confirmed
their
place
in
Qatar.

So,
how
are
the
expected
contenders
shaping
up?
Stats
Perform
investigates.

Argentina

Having
finally
ended
his
long
wait
for
a
senior
international
honour
at
this
year’s
Copa
America,
Qatar
looks
like
Lionel
Messi’s
last
realistic
chance
to
guide
Argentina
to
World
Cup
glory.
They
last
triumphed
in
1986,
in
the
days
of
Diego
Maradona.

But
the
brilliant
Barcelona
form
that
has
been
the
bedrock
of
Messi’s
outstanding
career
is
no
more.
Since
clinching
the
Copa,
the
forward
has
left
Camp
Nou
for
Paris
Saint-Germain
and
played
just
595
minutes
across
eight
games
at
club
level,
scoring
three
goals
and
assisting
none.
Heading
into
this
weekend,
he
had
yet
to
net
in
Ligue
1.

At
odds
with
the
rest
of
his
career,
Messi
has
briefly
become
one
of
those
players
who
performs
better
for
country
than
for
club,
scoring
four
goals
in
seven
games
for
Argentina
in
the
same
period,
even
allowing
for
the
minutes
spent
regaining
fitness
in
November.
But
the
national
team
must
be
concerned
Messi’s
unconvincing
displays
and
shaky
recent
fitness
record
hint
at
a
decline
that
could
continue
for
another
year
before
he
gets
an
opportunity
to
lead
a
global
title
charge.

Although
Argentina
undoubtedly
have
other
highly
talented
players
–
Messi
was
one
of
four
to
make
the
Team
of
the
Tournament
as
they
become
South
American
champions
–
it
is
tough
to
imagine
a
successful
Albiceleste
side
without
the
great
number
10
at
the
heart
of
it.

Belgium

Roberto
Martinez’s
Belgium
remain
the
world’s
top-ranked
team,
but
it
feels
like
their
window
for
a
first
major
title
might
now
have
passed.

Martinez
took
charge
after
Euro
2016,
where
a
stacked
squad
lost
to
Wales
in
the
last
eight,
yet
he
has
found
a
glass
ceiling,
finishing
third
at
the
2018
World
Cup
and
fourth
at
the
2020-21
Nations
League
either
side
of
another
quarter-final
exit
at
Euro
2020.
Since
a
disappointing
performance
at
the
Nations
League
Finals,
Martinez
has
been
linked
to
a
host
of
club
roles
–
albeit
he
is
expected
to
stay
put
until
Qatar.

Although
Belgium’s
‘Golden
Generation’ have
maintained
their
position
at
the
top
of
the
game
despite
an
ageing
defence,
there
are
worrying
signs
their
key
attacking
players
could
also
be
on
the
wane.

Through
a
combination
of
injuries
and
poor
form,
Eden
Hazard
has
not
looked
the
same
player
since
he
left
Chelsea
for
Real
Madrid.
Kevin
De
Bruyne,
also
beset
by
fitness
issues
and
below-par
outings
of
late,
will
hope
not
to
follow
the
same
path.
Both
he
and
Romelu
Lukaku
must
still
be
at
their
peak
to
give
the
Red
Devils
a
chance.

Brazil

Brazil
were
outclassed
by
Belgium
in
the
quarter-finals
in
Russia
but
have
lost
just
three
matches
since
then.
One
of
those
was
in
this
year’s
Copa
final
against
Argentina,
although
the
Selecao
also
won
the
competition
in
2019.

Unlike
previous
Brazil
teams,
Tite’s
side
are
built
on
the
strength
of
their
defensive
record.
They
have
kept
28
clean
sheets
since
the
2018
World
Cup,
conceding
just
16
times
in
42
games,
with
11
shutouts
in
2021
alone.

However,
that
solidity
comes
at
a
price.
Brazil
are
scoring
at
a
relatively
unspectacular
rate
of
2.0
goals
per
game,
including
netting
only
two
in
their
three
Copa
knockout
games
in
July
and
just
one
across
two
November
qualifiers.

Neymar
will
have
a
key
role
in
producing
those
timely
moments
of
magic
and
should
not
be
short
of
motivation
heading
to
Qatar,
having
suggested
this
will
be
his
last
World
Cup.
The
forward
has
excelled
on
the
world
stage
before
without
taking
Brazil
all
the
way.

England

As
so
often,
England
have
qualified
with
relative
ease,
benefiting
from
a
kind
draw,
but
will
not
face
a
true
test
until
the
tournament
comes
around.

That
means
a
wait
to
see
if
Gareth
Southgate
can
make
the
necessary
tweaks
to
turn
the
Three
Lions
from
nearly
men
into
champions,
with
the
midfield
a
key
area
of
focus
having
ceded
65.4
per
cent
of
the
possession
to
Italy
in
the
Euro
2020
final,
53.2
per
cent
to
the
Netherlands
in
the
2018-19
Nations
League
semi-finals
and
55.5
per
cent
to
Croatia
in
the
2018
World
Cup
semis.
The
continued
development
of
Declan
Rice
and
Jude
Bellingham
should
encourage
optimism.

But
England
also
find
themselves
in
a
position,
like
Argentina,
where
the
performances
of
their
talismanic
captain
are
suddenly
a
concern
–
at
least
at
club
level.

Harry
Kane
has
so
far
this
season
used
the
international
breaks
as
sweet
relief,
quickly
closing
on
Wayne
Rooney’s
record
goals
tally
by
scoring
in
15
consecutive
qualifiers
up
to
September
and
notching
seven
in
November
alone,
but
there
is
a
break
now
before
March’s
fixtures
and
the
forward
simply
must
rediscover
some
sort
of
form
for
Tottenham
and
add
to
his
single
Premier
League
goal
in
order
to
return
to
the
England
fold
in
good
nick.

France

Welcoming
Karim
Benzema
back
into
a
frightening
front
line,
France
appear
to
have
an
even
more
impressive
line-up
than
at
the
previous
World
Cup,
where
they
emerged
as
champions.

Benzema
has
already
directly
combined
for
five
goals
with
Kylian
Mbappe
and
one
with
Antoine
Griezmann,
who
has
in
turn
linked
up
once
with
Mbappe.
The
trio
netted
nine
of
France’s
10
goals
this
month,
while
Mbappe
had
assists
for
each
of
Benzema’s
strikes
at
the
Nations
League
Finals
as
both
players
scored
in
both
matches
and
Les
Bleus
twice
came
from
behind
to
take
the
title.

Yet
those
prior
deficits
and
the
six
goals
conceded
at
the
Euros
hinted
at
the
weaknesses
in
this
France
side,
as
Didier
Deschamps
is
still
working
on
his
new
3-4-1-2
formation.

The
composition
of
the
midfield
in
that
team
is
crucial,
and
N’Golo
Kante
was
missing
against
Belgium
and
Spain
before
Paul
Pogba
suffered
an
injury
prior
to
the
November
fixtures.
France
have
no
shortage
of
quality
but
may
not
head
to
Qatar
as
the
most
settled
unit.

Germany

It
was
clear
Joachim
Low’s
Germany
tenure
was
reaching
its
natural
conclusion
before
he
announced
his
departure
plans
in
March.
That
the
team
followed
up
a
group-stage
exit
at
the
World
Cup
by
stumbling
through
their
pool
at
the
Euros
before
exiting
to
England
only
further
illustrated
that
this
was
the
right
decision.

But
Germany
know
all
about
recovering
quickly
from
such
setbacks;
they
seemed
to
reach
rock
bottom
at
Euro
2000
and
were
in
the
World
Cup
final
two
years
later.

Now
Hansi
Flick,
having
set
Bayern
Munich
back
on
course,
is
excelling
again
with
the
national
team,
becoming
the
first
Germany
coach
to
win
his
first
six
matches
in
charge
–
a
sequence
that
now
stands
at
seven
and
counting.
The
team’s
last
longer
winning
run
ended
at
12
games
in
1980.

Germany
were
the
most
aggressive
pressing
side
in
Europe
during
qualifying,
this
despite
naming
their
oldest
XI
in
more
than
21
years
in
a
recent
qualifier
against
Liechtenstein.
Striking
this
same
balance
between
energy
and
experience
will
be
key
in
Qatar.

50
–
No
team
has
started
their
sequences
of
play
in
this
year’s
European
World
Cup
Qualifiers
as
far
up
the
pitch
as
Germany
(50m)
who
have
also
allowed
their
opponents
the
fewest
passes
per
defensive
action
(6.8),
while
registering
the
most
high
turnovers
(162).
Pressing.

pic.twitter.com/Ge04tPl8aS

—
OptaFranz
(@OptaFranz)

November
17,
2021

Spain

Spain
have
come
a
long
way
since
the
last
World
Cup,
where
they
appeared
to
be
in
crisis
from
start
to
finish,
eventually
exiting
to
hosts
Russia
on
penalties.

Luis
Enrique’s
subsequent
work
across
two
spells
has
made
them
contenders
again,
reaching
the
last
four
at
the
Euros
–
only
to
again
fall
foul
of
a
shoot-out
–
and
briefly
leading
France
in
the
Nations
League
final.
The
emergence
of
Ansu
Fati,
Pedri
and
Gavi
over
the
course
of
these
campaigns
provides
a
major
cause
for
long-term
optimism,
too.

However,
injury
issues
have
kept
that
trio
from
ever
featuring
together
for
their
country;
in
fact,
Fati,
Pedri
and
Gavi
are
yet
to
play
a
single
minute
together
for
Barcelona.

They
were
three
of
39
players
to
appear
for
Spain
in
qualifying,
showing
the
depth
of
talent
at
Luis
Enrique’s
disposal.
Within
that
group,
however,
there
is
not
a
prolific
goalscorer
–
a
major
concern
with
12
months
to
go.