The last international break before the World Cup is done and that means, a smattering of pre-tournament friendlies aside, it’s all off to Qatar next. Once everyone’s played about 27 club games in the next nine weeks first anyway.
So why not have a quick look at the current top 10 in the betting, then? We could think of literally no reason not to do it, and so we have done it. Teams ranked by best odds currently available at oddschecker.com
1) Brazil
Always up there, aren’t they? Always There Or Thereabouts. It’s Brazil! Carnival, Sex, Pele! But when it comes to the World Cup, they’ve been really quite underwhelming for a couple of decades now. Since Ronaldo’s Redemption in 2002 they’ve only made it past the quarter-finals once and given what happened next on that occasion would probably rather they hadn’t.
Still the only non-Europeans to triumph since Diego Maradona dragged Argentina to glory in 1986 and right now they do once again look the likeliest to break that cycle of European dominance. Already this year they’ve won three games 4-0, another couple 5-1 and yet another 3-0. And the teams they’ve beaten aren’t joke teams, either. Chile, Paraguay, South Korea, Tunisia and Ghana are among those swept away by Tite’s side, one that has a distinctly Premier League flavour with your Alissons, your Thiago Silvas, your Casemiros and the Richarlisons of this world all key figures. Although Brazil’s depth and – let’s be real – Tite’s eccentricities meant the final pre-World Cup squad for the September friendlies had no room for Arsenal’s trio of Gabriels; Jesus, Margalhaes and Martinelli.
Cruised through South American qualifying, winning 14 and drawing three of their 17 games (scoring 40 goals and conceding just five) and being so far clear they never even bothered replaying the Argentina game that was abandoned when Brazilian health officials stormed the pitch demanding four Argentine players go into isolation for breaching Covid rules.
2) France
Holders and possessors of legendarily absurd strength in depth, with the added bonus that the draw throws up the high possibility of a last-16 clash with Mexico, which is basically a bye to the quarter-finals under the ancient, unbreakable if inexplicable World Cup Law that decrees Mexico must always go out in the last 16.
France are second favourites and to be honest their second XI would be about sixth favourites and their third XI would be dark horses.
Didier…
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