World Cup tips: Our ultimate pre-tournament Cheat Sheet for Qatar 2022

It’s FRANCE for me. They’ve got a great group of players. They know how to win, and can excel and turn it on when they need to.

I fancy a fitting finale to Lionel Messi’s career with ARGENTINA to win it. I think he’s preparing nicely for this to be the ultimate swansong.

For me, it’s BRAZIL. In every single position they have quality in depth. I just can’t see anyone beating them They’ll be fine in the heat, too.

I hope it is Argentina for Lionel Messi’s sake but at a bigger price I would back SPAIN. They were the best team at Euro 2020 and I think will click in Qatar.

The odds suggest they’ve the same chance as England, but ARGENTINA are more likely winners. Lionel Messi can’t carry the team anymore, but they might just deliver for the GOAT.

I fancy ARGENTINA here. They’re on a great run, 35 games unbeaten going in, which is astonishing at international level.

I’m a little torn between France and Brazil, but I can’t sit on the fence here, so l’ll go with BRAZIL to be beaten in an all-South American final.

I’ve got ARGENTINA as losing finalists. Lionel Messi’s still a top player but going from playing in Ligue 1 to must-win games at the World Cup will be tough.

If the groups work out as expected then defending champions FRANCE will be on the ‘easier’ side of the draw and should make the final.

I’ll go for GERMANY. It’s a lazy enough prediction but they are such a good consistent tournament team. They’ll surely be there at the business end.

KYLIAN MBAPPE is a special player and can take France all the way. I think he will shine and really grab all the headlines.

Brazil, along with plenty of other leading nations, have a comfortable looking group and if selected in the squad I fancy Arsenal’s in-form striker GABRIEL JESUS to bag plenty.

He’s not an out-and-out striker but I’ll go for VINICIUS JNR. Every time I see him he gets better and he’s lightning quick. ‘What about Kylian Mbappe’, you say? Well, I’m not sure how far France will go.

I expect France to go deep so am siding with KARIM BENZEMA at a bigger price than Kylian Mbappe. Lautaro Martinez and Cristian Eriksen (EW) are worth a look at bigger prices.

I’m taking a flyer and going for JULIAN ALVAREZ at huge odds. I think Argentina will go far, so therefore will score lots of goals. If given a chance he could set the tournament alight.

I think Belgium will go far, and with that in mind I can’t look past the absolute star, and leading light of Manchester City, in KEVIN DE BRUYNE. If they do well, he’ll have played a big part in that.

I’m doubling up on Argentina by saying LIONEL MESSI. If there’s still any debate about him or Diego Maradona being better he can end those by being their key player in winning the whole thing.

I’ll go for Belgium’s midfield machine KEVIN DE BRUYNE. He’s big, strong and absolutely at the top of his game. Simply the best midfield player

The young player of Euro 2020, PEDRI, can take the tournament by storm. Both Barcelona and Spain are noticeably worse when he’s not playing. Honourable mention to Kevin de Bruyne.

Although it seems unlikely Belgium’s “golden generation’ will deliver a trophy, whatever they achieve will be down to KEVIN DE BRUYNE pulling the strings. We get used to his brilliance in the Premier League, but shouldn’t take it for granted. He’s a generational talent.

England should top the group and win in the last 16, but they’ll falter after that. I don’t think they’re good enough to go further, and recent performances have shown that, so it’ll be a QUARTER-FINALS exit.

They’ve got a decent group, but do tend to struggle later in the tournament. I think QUARTER-FINALS could be the best they can do.

QUARTER-FINALS, which you’d think for the fans won’t be good enough. Garth Southgate seems to want two holding midfield players, and I’m not sure that gets you enough goals. So many players are out of form, too.

Likely QUARTER-FINALS but I would not be surprised to see them exit at the last 16 after struggling in the group.

Getting to the Euros final last time was completely jammy and down to the fact that they couldn’t have got a kinder run. It’s unlikely to happen again and I fear LAST 16 is as far as they go.

They’ll fancy their chances of finishing ahead of Iran and USA in the group, and I think they will. But I think their tournament will end in the LAST 16.

I’ve not got great hopes for Wales. They’re well drilled and have great assets in Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey but I think it’ll just be the GROUP STAGE for them.

I think they’ll get out of the group but that will be as far as they go. Gareth Bale needs to be super fit and Aaron Ramsey keeps getting injured so it’s the LAST 16 for me.

A run to the quarter-finals is possible for this Welsh team. However, it’s most likely they exit at the GROUP STAGE after failing to score enough against Iran and USA, but let’s hope not!

They should get out of their group handily enough but I think the LAST 16 is as good as it will get for Wales.

It’s losing finalists from 2018, CROATIA, for me. They’ve got some cracking players, a strong squad, and can be very hard to beat.

A good run from an African side is well overdue and I fancy SENEGAL to surprise a few. Edouard Mandy in goal will be key, alongside the experience of club team-mate Kalidou Koulibaly and star man Sadio Mane.

I’m biased towards the South American teams given the conditions in Qatar, but I fancy URUGUAY will do quite well. They’ve got a good blend of youth and experience.

I think SERBIA will be a fun watch. They have quality all over but most importantly have serious firepower in Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic. A quarter-final appearance is possible.

Unbeaten under Louis van Gaal and with Liverpool rock Virgil van Dijk as their leader THE NETHERLANDS could surprise a few.

England may not go beyond the last eight but JUDE BELLINGHAM has been dynamite for Dortmund. Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka are really promising but this is his chance to become a world star.

He’s starting to make a big impression at Arsenal and GABRIEL MARTINELLI can be a superstar. I fancy him to force his way into the side. He’s so dynamic, quick and technically superior to many other players.

I just wonder if LUCAS PAQUETA will really explode here for Brazil. People in France have been raving about him, but he’s only just getting going at West Ham.

Keep an eye on Portugal’s attacking left-back NUNO MENDES. He is only 20 and some might be familiar with him as he plays for PSG. Explosive going forward, but also an extremely strong defender.

I’m going all in on JULIAN ALVAREZ. He hasn’t had much game time at Man City but has looked good when we’ve seen him.