The 2022 FIFA World Cup just wrapped up its Round of 16 matches and is about to kick off (pun not intended) its quarter-finals. While the world cup has already had its fair share of viral moments, this has undoubtedly become the tournament of upsets. In the group stages alone, we saw Saudi Arabia defeat Argentina, Japan become group leaders by stunning both Germany and Spain, and Cameroon defeating Brazil. Germany was also knocked out in the group stages along with the 2nd ranked team in the tournament Belgium. The Round of 16 was no different as we saw Spain bow out of the competition.
So, with so many upsets and given the unpredictable nature of the tournament so far, which team is actually the odds-on favourite to win the world cup? Well, while we may lack the skills that a certain Japanese otter has demonstrated, we’ll try our best. Here are our predictions for the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final.
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Who will win the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
Quarter-Final 1 – Brazil vs Croatia
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There are four quarter-finals that will be taking place over the course of the next few days. Croatia will be taking on Brazil in the first match. Brazil has been a dominating force in the tournament barring one loss against Cameroon. Even in their loss, which was undoubtedly an upset, Brazil only conceded one goal and that too at the last-minute. Croatia, on the other hand, has had a few close calls and almost got knocked out by Japan in the Round of 16.
Prediction: Brazil wins
Quarter-Final 2 – Netherlands Vs Argentina
Argentina’s performance in the 2022 FIFA world cup has been quite interesting. Their shocking loss against Saudi Arabia in their opening match is probably the biggest upset of the tournament so far. On the other hand, Lionel Messi has never been better and was instrumental in rescuing his team from potentially getting knocked out. Netherlands has had a better world cup, but their competition hasn’t been the most challenging so far. In the end, Argentina have the edge here, though their history of choking might turn the tables.
Prediction: Argentina wins in a nail-biter
Quarter-Final 3 – Morocco Vs Portugal
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Morocco are having an absolute dream run in the tournament. They have not lost a single game and they’ve managed to knockout two of the best countries in world – Belgium (2nd ranked) and Spain (7th ranked). Portugal, on the other hand, didn’t just lose to South Korea but also had to work their behinds off to win against Ghana. So Morocco, with the momentum of knocking out two titans, is in the driver’s seat here against Ronaldo’s men. And besides, in a tournament that has been full of upsets so far, it’s only fitting that we see at least one upset in the quarter-finals as well.
Prediction: Morocco pulls off an upset win
Quarter-Final 4 – England Vs France
The English just seem to be a bit unlucky with this fixture. They’ve had a great tournament so far, one of their best performances at the FIFA World Cup, but they are up against the 2018 World Champions who have dominated their competition. Although France did lose shockingly (notice a trend?) to Tunisia, and England hasn’t lost a single match so far, the odds-on favourite are France.
Prediction: France wins
Who will eventually lift the 2022 FIFA World Cup trophy?
Whose goal celebration at #Qatar2022 has been your favourite so far? 🎉#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/ujcyQk9m4m
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 7, 2022
According to our quarter-final predictions, the teams reaching the semi-finals would be Brazil, Argentina, France, and Morocco. So while we make these predictions, here’s a caveat: the quarter-finals are not done yet and one (or more) of the teams we are predicting to reach the semi-finals might not be successful in doing so. So, do take these predictions with a pinch of salt.
Semi-Final Predictions:
If they reach the semi-finals, Brazil and Argentina will have a nail-biter of a match. But in this hypothetical set-up, we believe Brazil will pull off a closely-fought victory. In the other semi-final, France will end Morocco’s dream run if the two were to face off against each other.
Final Predictions:
If our predictions hold true, the final will see Brazil and France facing off against each other. In this match-up, it’s anyone’s guess who wins. However, given the performance of certain players like Kylian Mbappé, we believe that, in the end, it’ll be France that once again lifts the world cup.
World Cup winner prediction: France wins again
(Main and feature image credits: Courtesy Instagram/@FIFA)
