Who could be the dark horses at the Qatar World Cup?

The 2022 World Cup is a journey into the unknown. Not only is it the first time that it will take place in the Middle East, but this will be the first occasion that it will be held outside its traditional summer spot.

The conditions and circumstances might be right for a surprise winner of the tournament.

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Here are a few dark horses:

 

The Netherlands

The Netherlands have never won the tournament, but they have come in second place in 1974, 1978, and 2010. Too often in the past, disharmony in the squad has affected their chances at major competitions, but, under Louis van Gaal, they seem to be a united team and one that contains some of the finest attacking talents in Europe, alongside experienced heads like Virgil van Dijk and Memphis Depay. However, regular skipper Gini Wijnaldum will miss the tournament with an injury.

They finished top of the qualifying group, winning seven out of their ten matches, and have been given one of the kinder opening round draws, finding themselves in Group A alongside the hosts Qatar, Senegal, and Ecuador.

Should they win the group, they would then face the second-place team in Group B, which may potentially be the United States, Wales, or Iran, offering potentially easy passage through to the latter stages of the competition.

 

Portugal

Although Portugal have never won a World Cup, they have enjoyed recent success at the Euros and the Nations League, and, on paper, have a very talented squad, with the likes of João Felix, Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao, and Bruno Fernandes.

And then there is Cristiano Ronaldo who, for all his problems at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag, remains the top international goalscorer of all time, and a man who would regard a winners’ medal as the pinnacle of a glorious career.

Not that their path to Qatar was smooth. In the qualifying competition, they had to settle for second place in their group behind Serbia, which meant they had to enter the playoffs.

Fortunate to be drawn at home in both matches, they first beat Turkey and then North Macedonia to secure their place in the main event.

They have been drawn into Group H alongside Ghana, South Korea, and Uruguay.

If they win that group, it could get tricky for them, with a potential tie against the runners-up in Group G, with Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon potentially vying for that spot behind Brazil.

 

Croatia

Given that it has a population of just four million people, Croatia continues to punch well above its weight in international football and this year might be no different. The runners-up in 2018 – and, before that semi-finalists in 1998 – they have a sign that features a mix of youth and experience, with old war horses like Luka Modrić, and Ivan Perišić, alongside newcomers like Joško Gvardiol and Mario Vušković.

They topped their World Cup qualifying group, but do have a challenge in Group F in Qatar, where their opponents will include Belgium as well as Canada and Morocco. The fact that they are consistently underestimated may well work to their advantage.