Analysis of World Cup Teams: Group C
The FIFA World Cup is just around the corner and our articles are equally ready to entertain, enlighten and bring you up to speed as regards the latest news and information ahead of the competition. This time around, we now turn our attention to group C.
Naturally, group C will excite many, because of a certain name. This is expected to be the last World Cup for Lionel Messi and he’ll be looking to end it on a high. Good value might come with the odds for Messi to be top scorer of World Cup 2022 and you shouldn’t underrate the chances of that happening.
Group C consists of Argentina, Poland, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. Each side will go to Qatar knowing that they have something to prove.
The Albiceleste of Argentina is two-time champions of the World Cup. They are yet to win the World Cup since their Diego Maradona-inspired 1986 win. They were last in the finals in 2014, when Lionel Messi and co were halted by a Mario Goetze goal in Brazil. Lionel Messi is arguably one of the greatest players in the history of the game, and winning the title will see him finally cement his place as the all-time greatest.
The Polish national team, led by the evergreen Robert Lewandowski, will hope to make a name for their country in Qatar. The European nation has been regulars in the World Cup recently but have failed to make their mark at the Mundial.
El Tri has been North America’s best representative at the World Cup. Though they have been very consistent in appearing at the Mundial, they are yet to win the tournament or make a mark since they hosted it in 1986. Mexico is yet to miss a World Cup since 1990.
Saudi Arabia will be making their 6th appearance at the FIFA Mundial. The middle-east nation has made it for the second time consecutively. They will hope to at least match their previous achievement of making it to the round of 16 in 1994. This time, they face powerful opposition to that ambition.
Who are the Favourites in Group C?
It is unsurprising that Argentina is marked as the clear favourite to win this group. The Albiceleste are current holders of the Copa America and La Finalissima. They also possess some world-class players, notably the mercurial Lionel Messi, who has been tipped to finally lead his nation to World Cup glory.
The Mexicans are jointly tipped with Poland by most bookies to advance to the next stage, but the odds put Argentina as clear favorites to win the group. The Mexicans have enough quality to challenge but given the recent rise of the Argentine team, few can argue that they are on the rise.
Robert Lewandowski and his Polish teammates will aim to prove that Poland is more than content with just making it to the Mundial. However, they face an uphill battle against mainly Argentina and Mexico.
The Saudis are not expected to work miracles at the World Cup, so the expectations on them are quite low, and going by the odds, they are expected to be back home as early as possible. However, it will be foolish to underrate them entirely as football is played on the pitch and not on paper. Though it will be difficult for them to go through, it is not impossible.
The odds for each team according to the bookies are as follows;
- Argentina (2/5)
- Poland (9/2)
- Mexico (9/2)
- Saudi Arabia (19/1)
Who can advance to the Next round?
In the previous section, we firmly established that Argentina is cemented favorites to not only advance from the group but to win the group. The Argentines have everything going for them at the moment, and they are also huge favorites to win the tournament this time.
The struggle for second place is tipped to be between Poland and Mexico. Both sides are given equal odds to advance, and it will be quite interesting to see how and where this battle tilts to.
The Poles have arguably the best striker in the world, in Robert Lewandowski and the new Barcelona man is supported by the likes of Kristoff Piatek and Wojciech Szczensy, who will no doubt complement the quality of Lewandowski.
The Mexicans are not bad themselves. They have Wolves super striker, Raul Jimenez, who will be hyped to lead the line for his country, alongside Napoli’s Hirving Lozano. The Mexicans face huge threats in Argentina and Poland and qualification to the next round will not come easy in any way.
Who are the Best Players?
Each side has a superstar that will no doubt be the poster boy for the team. Though a country bolstered with talents like Argentina has more than one, a player with seven Ballon d’Or awards stands out: Lionel Messi.
The PSG forward endured a rough start to his career in France, which was mainly down to injuries. He has seemingly adjusted and is in good form of late, both domestically and internationally. The all-time leading goal scorer for Argentina had been criticized for not being able to replicate his success for his clubs at the country level, but this looks like the perfect opportunity for him to close all arguments.
Other important players in the group include Robert Lewandowski, Angel Di Maria, Raul Jimenez, and Salem Al Dawsari of Saudi Arabia.
Talents to watch out for
Argentina
Alejandro Garnacho: The 19-year-old winger is gradually building a name for himself in the Premier League and at this rate, a place in Qatar is not far-fetched.
Poland
Kacper Kozlowski: The Polish young player of the year has wowed Polish fans with his fantastic performances for his club and is primed to be on the plane to Qatar.
Mexico
Diego Lainez: The 22-year-old winger has come into the limelight and is tipped to shine at the Mundial.
Saudi Arabia
Nawar Al Ghamdi: The 23-year-old goalkeeper has been wonderful for Al-Nassr in the domestic league and is the future hands of the national team.
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