📊 Predicted Group Finish:

 

1️⃣ Belgium 🇧🇪 

2️⃣ Croatia 🇭🇷 

3️⃣ Canada 🇨🇦 

4️⃣ Morocco 🇲🇦 

 

 

✍️ Team By Team Thoughts & Info:

 

1️⃣ Belgium 🇧🇪 

 

 

🇧🇪 Belgium are still managed by former Wigan and Everton gaffer Roberto Martinez.  Despite leading Belgium to 3rd place at the 2018 World Cup he’s not universally popular and there’s a feeling that they under-performed at that tournament given the quality they have on tap 🚰. There’s an uneasy transition between trusting in the old guard and ushering in some of the younger lads. 

 

🇧🇪 Courtois ($6m) will be in goals 🥅

 

🇧🇪 Former Spurs duo Alderweireld ($5.5m) & Vertonghen ($5m) should take up 2 of 3 centre back spots. Leicester’s Wout Faes is pushing hard for the 3rd place as is Debast and Boyata ($4.5m). Meunier ($6m) seems nailed at RWB and Leicester’s Castagne could be the LWB. They do have quite a few other players that can be played LWB though…even midfielders like Trossard in theory. 

 

🇧🇪 Another Fox 🦊 Tielemans ($7m) should get a central midfield slot alongside either Witsel ($6m) or one of the enforcers Onana from Everton or Dendoncker ($5.5m) from Villa. KDB ($11m) will obviously be nailed 🔨 and is the premium asset from Belgium I’ll probably go for. Eden Hazard ($8m) will be a worry for both form and fitness. Brother Thorgan ($6.5m) is likely to get as many mins as the former Chelsea star 🌟. Brighton’s Trossard ($5.5m) may also well feature and could be great value at that price point…if he starts 🤷🏼‍♂️.

 

🇧🇪 Up front it’ll be either Lukaku ($9.5m) if fit or Batshuayi ($6.5m) if Romelu is crocked 🐊.

 

🖊 On Pens…Lukaku then E Hazard 

 

🎲 Odds to win the 🌎🏆 = 14/1

 

 

2️⃣ Croatia 🇭🇷 

 

 

🇭🇷 Croatia are managed by Zlatko Dalit since 2017 and his impact was almost immediate as he took them to the final of the 2018 World Cup 🏆.  They lost only 1 game in qualifying for this tournament and will be a force once again. Recent Nations league victories over both Denmark (twice) and France demonstrate just what a good team they are.

 

🇭🇷 Dinamo Zagreb’s Livakovic seems to have got the no.1 jersey albeit I understand Ivusic is in contention too as his most likely back-up.

 

🇭🇷 Stuttgart’s Sosa ($3.5m) appears to have made the left back slot his own now. Gvardiol ($4m) has attracted lots of attention across Europe dod his performers for RB Leipzig and should partner Sutalo of Dinamo Zagreb at centre back.

 

🇭🇷 Brozovic ($6m) should get the CDM role with Chelsea’s Kovacic ($6.5m) ahead of him alongside the every impressive Modric ($8.5m) in midfield. Spurs’ Ivan Perisic ($7.5m) and Orsic ($5m) are sure to attract plenty of Fantasy managers albeit Orsic is classified as a striker.

 

🇭🇷 Up front Kramaric ($6m) who plays in Germany for 🇩🇪Hoffenheim and 🇪🇸Osasuna’s Budimir provide non-spectacular options.

 

🖊 On Pens…Modric then Perisic ($7.5m)

 

🎲 Odds to win the 🌎🏆 = 50/1

 

 

3️⃣ Canada 🇨🇦 

 

 

🇨🇦 Canada are managed by John Herdman and could be dark horses 🐴 in this Group. They blitzed early qualifying with 6 straight wins (scoring 31 goals and conceding only 1‼️). They were last at a World Cup in Mexico ‘86 where they failed to score a goal. As co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup they’ll be looking to put on a good show this time around.

 

🇨🇦 Red Star Belgrade’s Borjan ($4.5m) will apparently be the goalie 🥅.

 

🇨🇦 Johnston ($4.5m), Miller ($4m), Adekugbe ($4.5m) all sound as though they’re nailed starters are the back. Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies ($5m) too. 

 

🇨🇦 We might have an out of position Fantasy asset with Alphonso Davies ($5m) actually as he’s listed as a defender but is likely to play as a left winger. He may also be on penalties. 

 

🇨🇦 Larin ($5.5m) and Jonathan David ($6m) are likely to play as a front 2.

 

🖊 On Pens…not clear to me whether it’s Alphonso Davies ($5m) or Jonathan David ($6m).

 

🎲 Odds to win the 🌎🏆 = 500/1

 

 

 

4️⃣ Morocco 🇲🇦 

 

 

🇲🇦 Morocco are managed by Walid Regragui following the controversial sacking not that long ago of Vahid Halilhodzic. They looked as impressive as ever in qualifying but have managed just 2 wins in their 6 World Cup appearances…one of those was against Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 in 1998 so barely even counts 😉.

 

🇲🇦 The goalie should be Sevilla’s Bounou ($4.5m) so they’ll be hoping they get a tune 🎶 out of him. Will U2❓

 

🇲🇦 Former Wolves 🐺 player Roman Saiss is captain and costs $4.5m. The super impressive Hakimi ($5m) of PSG will play on the right hand side of defence. 

 

🇲🇦 Chelsea’s Ziyech ($7m) and Boufal ($6m) will provide the width.

 

🇲🇦 Up top it should be one En-Nesyri ($5.5m).

 

🖊 On Pens…Boufal ($6m) then En-Nesyri ($5.5m)

 

🎲 Odds to win the 🌎🏆 = 200/1

 

 

🚶Expect the Belgian’s and Croats to go through but maybe expect a scare too from Canada during games 🤷‍♂️

 

 

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