- Brazil (+475)
- France (+600)
- England (+700)
- Argentina (+750)
- Spain (+850)
- Germany (+1000)
- Netherlands (+1400)
- Portugal (+1400)
- Belgium (+1600)
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. As an avid soccer fan, nothing beats watching the best teams on the planet battle it out for the famous gold trophy.
Unfortunately, we still have to wait more than three months for the tournament to kick off. But that doesn’t mean we can’t start thinking about our predictions for this year’s World Cup. In truth, I’ve been thinking about mine for months.
Of course, you could make some plain and simple 2022 FIFA World Cup predictions. But where’s the fun in that? Today, I want to share my bold World Cup predictions with you.
My bold calls for the 2022 FIFA World Cup cover various topics, from European giants failing to reach the knockouts to plucky outsiders making it to the tournament’s latter stages.
Remember that all the best sports betting sites have a vast range of World Cup betting markets to take advantage of. If you agree with some of my predictions (and you don’t think I’m crazy by the end of this piece!), why not lay down some early World Cup wagers?
Without further ado, here are my bold predictions for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Belgium is expected to go deep into the World Cup. Powerhouses such as Brazil, France, and England are favored to lift the trophy. But the bookies view Belgium as a realistic contender.
That said, the Red Devils invariably flatter to deceive at major tournaments. Despite boasting countless world-class players, they always seem to fall short on the sport’s biggest stages.
Roberto Martinez’s men failed to make it past the quarter-finals of last summer’s European Championship. After edging out Portugal in the round of 16, they fell to Italy in the last eight. Once again, they failed to live up to expectations.
In Qatar, Belgium is favored to win Group F. Having been drawn alongside Canada, Morocco, and Croatia, the Red Devils are expected to advance to the knockout phase without any real problems. But I can see them finishing outside the top two.
Let’s not forget that Croatia reached the final of the 2018 World Cup. On top of that, Canada and Morocco are both capable of frustrating the world’s best teams on their day.
In addition to featuring in my bold World Cup predictions, Belgium appears among my recommended World Cup props. You can find more top prop bets for the 2022 FIFA World Cup by following the link below.
The United States qualified for seven consecutive World Cups between 1990 and 2014. During that period, the Stars and Stripes failed to make it past the group stage on three occasions and only managed one quarter-final appearance.
When the USMNT failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup altogether, men’s soccer in the States hit an all-time low. Since then, however, Gregg Berhalter has transformed the team.
The Yanks were runners-up at the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Two years later, they beat Mexico to secure the silverware. It is worth noting that Berhalter’s boys also beat the Mexicans in the final of the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League.
There was a time when the USMNT roster contained one or two household names. Fast-forward to today – the Stars are Stripes are blessed with multiple top-class players in almost every position.
Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams recently signed for Leeds United, joining Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic in the English Premier League. Weston McKennie (Juventus), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), and Yunus Musah (Valencia) also represent high-profile European clubs.
Later this year, the States will face England, Iran, and Wales in Group B. Of course, England is a tough opponent. But there is no reason why Berhalter’s boys can’t finish above Iran and Wales.
I’m backing the Yanks to qualify for the knockout phase. Who knows what they could achieve if they make it to the last 16?
All eyes will be on Kylian Mbappé in Qatar. The French forward is widely regarded as the greatest player on the planet, making him the Golden Ball favorite with many of the best World Cup betting sites.
Naturally, it is difficult to argue with the bookies’ viewpoint. Mbappé starred throughout France’s 2018 World Cup-winning campaign, bagging four goals and one assist en route to sealing the Best Young Player Award.
Many people’s 2022 FIFA World Cup predictions will include Mbappé being crowned Player of the Tournament. But I can see another Frenchman stealing the show.
Karim Benzema and the ball in the back of the net.
Just looks right 📸 pic.twitter.com/ZCpskOwFZk
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 31, 2022
Karim Benzema is back in the France squad following a six-year exile. Since returning to Didier Deschamps’ side in June 2021, the veteran striker has netted ten goals in 16 appearances for his country.
Oh, and did I mention that Benzema bagged 44 goals and 15 assists in 46 games as Real Madrid secured a memorable La Liga-Champions League double last season?
Let’s face it – nobody would be shocked if Mbappé won the Golden Ball in Qatar. But you’re here for my bold World Cup predictions, aren’t you? That’s why I’m backing Benzema to outshine his teammate and claim the tournament’s top individual honor.
The next of my bold calls for the 2022 FIFA World Cup concerns Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Given the standing of the iconic duo, this has to be one of my wildest 2022 FIFA World Cup predictions.
Ronaldo is the leading goalscorer in men’s international soccer history, having netted 117 goals for Portugal. Meanwhile, Messi sits fourth on the all-time leaderboard with 86 goals for Argentina. Needless to say, they are both elite goalscorers.
But all good things must come to an end, right?
Ronaldo will turn 38 less than two months after the World Cup final, while Messi is 35. With Mbappé and co. paving the way for a new generation of superstars, Ronaldo and Messi’s era of dominance could culminate in Qatar.
Ronaldo’s Portugal will face Ghana, Uruguay, and South Korea in Group H, while Messi’s Argentina will come up against Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Poland in Group C. It is not inconceivable that both players could fail to score at the World Cup.
Regardless of what happens in Qatar, Ronaldo and Messi will always be viewed among the greatest soccer players in history. But who is better? I recently attempted to answer that question – and it wasn’t easy!
To say that Denmark’s last major tournament experience was unpleasant would be a massive understatement. Despite reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2020, the campaign was overshadowed by Christian Eriksen’s on-field cardiac arrest.
Thankfully, Eriksen survived the ordeal. Better still, he returned to action back in March before signing for Manchester United in July. Now, he is poised to play a vital role for his country at the World Cup.
Since last summer’s European Championship, the Danes have claimed ten victories in 13 games across all competitions – achieving seven shutouts. They also won nine of their ten World Cup qualifiers, conceding a measly three goals in the process.
Christian Eriksen looks so right in a Manchester United kit ❤️ pic.twitter.com/z5bwpel6ab
— GOAL (@goal) July 30, 2022
Suddenly, Demark is a force to be reckoned with. Nations like England and France may be considered the best European teams in the competition, but Denmark is undoubtedly the best.
The Danes will face France in Group D, but they also have favorable fixtures against Australia and Tunisia. I expect them to qualify for the round of 16 – and I can also see them reaching the quarter-finals.
With powerhouses such as Brazil and Germany expected to reach the latter stages of the tournament, plenty of punters will sleep on Denmark. But I’m more than happy to include the Danes in my bold 2022 FIFA World Cup predictions.
Believe it or not, Jude Bellingham is still only 19 years old. Just let that sink in for a second.
After making a name for himself at Birmingham City, the highly-rated youngster joined Borussia Dortmund when he was just 17. Since then, he has chalked up 91 first-team appearances for BVB – bagging 11 goals and 18 assists.
Bellingham also has 15 international caps under his belt. England manager Gareth Southgate clearly trusts the teenager, giving him game time at Euro 2020 before selecting him on a regular basis in recent months.
When Adam Haynes shared his predictions for England’s 2022 World Cup team, he named Bellingham in the Three Lions’ starting XI to face Iran. Not only do I agree with Adam – I also expect Bellingham to light up the tournament.
The Best Young Player Award is given to the best player aged 21 or under. Although starlets such as Spain’s Pedri and Brazil’s Vinicius Junior will be eligible for the award in Qatar, I can see Bellingham scooping the prize.
Big-name stars like Michael Owen, Lukas Podolski, Thomas Müller, and Paul Pogba have won the award in the past. I’m backing Bellingham to add his name to the illustrious list.
My bold 2022 FIFA World Cup predictions would not be complete without a final prediction and winner pick. So, here goes!
As an Englishman, I’m extremely pessimistic about major tournaments – I never expect my country to win anything. But in recent years, Southgate and his players have lured me into believing that we could actually go all the way in Qatar.
All the best betting apps for soccer favor Brazil to lift the trophy. However, I’m backing England and France to reach the final.
2022 FIFA WORLD CUP WINNER ODDS
Although Les Blues won the previous World Cup, they bowed out of last summer’s European Championship in the round of 16. Since then, they have struggled for consistency.
On the flip side, England reached the semi-finals in Russia before making it to the final of Euro 2020. Granted, the Three Lions lost to Italy in the Euros showpiece. But they now know what it takes to go deep into major tournaments.
Call me crazy, but the last of my 2022 FIFA World Cup bold predictions makes England the champion. Sorry (not sorry), France fans!
I hope you enjoyed my bold predictions for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Of course, I don’t expect ALL of my projections to land. But I can see some of my bold World Cup predictions coming to fruition.
Before I sign off, I want to share a few more predictions for this year’s World Cup. Predicting what will happen at the 2022 FIFA World Cup is not easy, but it’s fun to speculate, right?
Are you looking for more FIFA World Cup content? If so, be sure to check out the following pages.
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