Prost’s World Cup Predictions

The stage is set and we are almost there. The first ever Winter World Cup is just around the corner so in true fashion, it is time for some of our writers to give their thoughts ahead of the showpiece event in Qatar.

As an added bonus we have teamed up with our compatriots at Prost Amerika for an insight from the other side of the World.

World Cup Winner

Jared Miller: I’m torn between Brazil and Argentina. I believe Brazil have the strongest squad depth (other than full-backs), but it’s difficult to look past the Lionel Messi factor, especially as the final could be his 1000th game.

James Sadler: I think the winner will be Argentina, they were undefeated in South American qualifying alongside Brazil, the first time a team has ever gone undefeated, haven’t lost in all competitions in three years and possess the greatest player of all time in Lionel Messi.

Will Knight: Brazil is a team that nobody can write off this year. Their line-up is filled with star
players, many of whom are some real heavy hitters in big football leagues.

English and Welsh hopes

JM: England: I really like Southgate as a person, and he’s done very well so far, but I think this could be one tournament too far for him. I think we might be relying on quality moments from individuals, though that’s not to say I don’t think we’ll go far. Wales: They’ve turned up at the last two Euros, and they seem to play better than their squad looks on paper. I think they get through the group, but will struggle past that.

JS:  I think England will win the group thanks to multiple low scoring wins, beat in my opinion Senegal in the Ro16 but crash out to France in the quarters. I think Wales will struggle to make it out of the group, they don’t have the same quality as USA or England, and Iran aren’t to be underestimated either.

WK: Although I would love to see England win, personally I don’t see them making it out of the semi-finals. The choice of squad can be seen to be a bit conservative, while the defence may prove to be England’s achilles heel.
I see Wales having a tough fight with the USA to make it out the group stages but I do see the States beating the squad. But, if they’re at their very best, they could follow England into the round of 16.

CONCACAF chances

Dan Gaichas: USA: Good World Cup would be getting out of the group stage. Need to get results against Wales and Iran if not against England. Looking forward to all three USA matches to see what progress has been made by this squad and what progress will need to be made for 2026.

Canada: Scoring goals will be an achievement (which they didn’t do in 1986). Advancing out of group stage here will be a massive achievement given they have Belgium and Croatia in their group. Player to watch on Canada is Alphonso Davies, but watch out for Cyle Larin as well.

Mexico: It’s all about getting to the quarterfinals which they have never done outside their own country. They should get out the group if they get the results against Saudi Arabia and Poland. However, they were so unremarkable during qualifying and show no signs of suddenly being at this time.

I’ll add a snippet about Costa Rica: In a usual World Cup cycle, they are the third best team in CONCACAF, but Canada excelled and the Ticos had to go through a playoff against New Zealand. This team is nowhere near the team that were penalties away from the semi finals in Brazil. I do not expect much from them–especially against Spain, Germany, and Japan.

Top Scorer

JM: My money’s on Harry Kane (literally), but Messi and Neymar should be good shouts too.

JS:  My top scorer is Kylian Mbappe, I think France will go quite far and with a couple of easy group stage matches on paper against Tunisia and Australia, I can see Mbappe getting on the scoresheet.

Dark Horses

JS: My dark horses are Denmark, they were brilliant in qualifying and were only extra time away from making it to the Euros final and should be making it through their group comfortably, they’ve even beaten France the last two times they’ve met.

JM: Denmark. The Danish have some quality players on paper, getting to the Euros semi-final without Eriksen, their main man. I really like the look of their squad again. I might fancy Uruguay too.

WK: When looking at the teams, a dark horse that stands out for me is Croatia. Their performance in 2018, reaching the final against France, is one that stands out to me following a victory over England but I have not heard them mentioned when discussing possible winners this year.

Game to watch

JS: The group game I’m looking forward to most is Spain vs Germany, it’s a new era for both giants of international football and a game where young players on both sides could shine.

JM:  It’s got to be England vs. Wales. The atmosphere in the country will be incredible, and it’ll certainly be a close game given the rivalry.

WK: The game I am most looking forward to is the final. This may be cliché, but anyone who watches the World Cup is eager to learn who will play for glory.

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