The 2022 Qatar World Cup is set to begin on November 21. With the draw officially complete, let’s see what this tournament has in store for us by looking at some of the favorites to win.

For starters, Brazil has the highest odds of winning, which is not surprising considering their squad consists of star players like Neymar, Vini Jr., and Fabinho, and five World Cup wins under their belt, the most by any nation in history. However, Brazil had also finished in a rather disappointing fashion in recent World Cups, losing to Germany 7-1 in the semi-finals in 2014 and falling short in the quarter-finals against Belgium in the last World Cup — it’s not easy to tell where they will land in 2022. 

Despite their shocking exit from Euro 2020 in the knockout stages, France is still one of the strongest teams in this tournament. Led by superstar Kylian Mbappé, the defending champs exhibit amazing player depth and a fountain of talent that has translated into impressive performances throughout recent games. 

Meanwhile, England falls just behind France in terms of odds. Although their most “recent” WC win was in 1966, England made noteworthy performances as 2018 WC semi-finalists and Euro 2020 runner-ups. With young talents like Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, led by top striker Harry Kane, England may be able to win it all.

This may be Lionel Messi’s last chance to win a World Cup for Argentina, who have also earned their spot as one of the favorites. For most of his career, Messi continued to underperform internationally, unable to snap Argentina’s three-decade drought. That streak was finally broken last year after Argentina won their first Copa America title since 1993. Can Messi bring home the trophy in what may be his last World Cup?

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is also set to take place in Australia and New Zealand. 22 teams have already qualified for the tournament as of July 31, with USWNT earning their ticket to the world stage after securing a win against Canada in the CONCACAF W Championship. Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe both look to lead the charge as they push for the third consecutive title. Unsurprisingly, USWNT have the best odds for winning next year, while England, Germany, and France follow behind as the next favorites. 

There is still a year and a half left before 32 teams gather to play one of the biggest women’s sports events in history, so it’s a little early to make predictions when there are still 10 tickets left for the group stages and an official drawing hasn’t taken place. Nevertheless, both events are highly anticipated as time keeps ticking…