Mundial remains the greatest event in the sports calendar that can only come second to the Olympics. It brings together 32 teams from across the continents that compete for that prestigious trophy. The tournament was first held in 1930 and has taken place every four years since then apart from 1942 and 1946 due to World War 2. Brazil is the most successful team with five trophies and is closely followed by Germany and Italy with four.
The 2022 tournament seems quite promising for many reasons. It has come at the backdrop of criticisms and reservations so there is a point to prove. Very soon popular sites like League of Slots will be shifting gears and offering more sports-themed games to usher in this amazing tournament. What should we expect?
The 2022 Mundial is going to be an exciting one for football lovers. Nearly all the teams that qualified for the final are showing great potential and the players seem to be thirsty for that elusive World Cup glory. The two greatest players in recent times, Lionel Messi and Cristiano, are both taking a shot at this tournament, which could perhaps be their last considering their ages.
The teams have also bolstered their squads with a blend of young, vibrant, talented, and experienced guns. France has Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante, Kylian Mbappe, and the indefatigable Karim Benzema, who recently guided Real Madrid to its 8th Champions League trophy. It would be interesting to see whether it will suffer the same fate as the previous champions who would be eliminated in the group stage of the following tournament.
Brazil, the most successful team, is also gunning for victory in the 2022 tournament after a 20-year drought. They have the likes of Vinicius Junior and Neymar, who are some of the most dangerous attackers. Belgium are also title contenders with a strong squad that has built chemistry over the last four years. They have Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Eden Hazard who are all excellent players.
England is also a big threat with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho while Spain has also pulled some great performances lately with their youthful squad. It is impossible to rule out other teams that have caused major upsets in this tournament. Croatia were surprise finalists in 2018 while Uruguay can still capitalize on the services of prolific goal scorers like Cavani and Luis Suarez.
Before going to other off the pitch issues, we can certainly expect an action-packed Mundial 2022. This is the perhaps the biggest expectation from the 2022 tournament.
Qatar was the least favorite country to host the tournament and its successful bid was marred with controversies. There were bribery accusations but the country refuted it and insisted that it conducted its bid campaign with integrity. The country also has a population of below 2 million while Mundial 2022 usually attracts over 3 million fans. Hence, it will be interesting to see how the country will handle more visitors than its actual population.
The nation is also Islamic so there will be cultural considerations, especially on dressing, the acceptable forms of entertainment, and its take on gay rights. Despite these concerns, the country seems prepared to shame its critics by investing millions of dollars into the tournament. The country has built modern stadia with top-notch designs and amazing facilities for both the fans and the players that are specifically meant for this.
It also has amazing sites where the fans can have fun, just as they did in other countries. The country has a solid point to prove and it will certainly go to extreme lengths to do it. Qatar is known for extravagance so they are likely to go overboard in their preparations. We expect it to exceed expectations but we can only wait and see.
The Mundial 2022 will be the first one to be hosted in the Arab world and the second to ever be held in Asia after the 2002 tournament that was held in Japan and South Korea. It will be a new experience since it will be the first World Cup to be held towards the end of the year as opposed to the mid-year period between May and July. This had to be done because Qatar experiences extreme heat in Summer, which is not conducive for the tournament. The tournament will also be shorter than the past tournaments. It will be exciting to see how this location will suit the tournament.
These are the three main expectations from Mundial 2022. The top-flight football, Qatar's level of preparedness, and how the tournament will adapt to this new location will certainly be exciting to see. Unfortunately, we have to wait until November 20th to witness what the Mundial 2022 has in store for us.
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