The World Cup in Qatar is soon to begin, with the host nation hosting the opening match against Ecuador on November 20. All 32 finalists are preparing their tournament strategies in the hopes that key players avoid injuries and enter the World Cup in top shape. Aside from that, a lot of athletes are vying for a spot in their nation’s 26-man team, which must be announced by November 13. Every week, we’ll check in on the favorites to see how they’re doing as well as other nations whose players may be excelling or faltering.
A hat trick for Manchester City in Sunday’s 6-3 derby victory over Manchester United was a timely and devastating reminder of the offensive skill of the 22-year-old, whose place in England’s starting lineup for the World Cup is far from certain. In the meantime, Jarrod Bowen’s chances of making Gareth Southgate’s 26-man team were raised thanks to a dynamic performance that included the second goal in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over the Wolves.
Wissam Ben Yedder: After being benched and not called up by Didier Deschamps in the most recent France team, the Monaco striker is aware that he must perform very well up until the World Cup roster is revealed in order to be included in it. His three goals against Nantes showed that he is still capable of filling the front-line void left by Kylian Mbappe or Karim Benzema. Ben Yedder or Olivier Giroud appears to be the front-runners for the third-place finish at position 9.
William Saliba: In his debut North London Derby on Saturday against Tottenham, the Arsenal center-back once again impressed. He put up some fantastic stats for his first season in the Premier League at the age of 21, and as Deschamps watched him on television, he would have earned some crucial points for a spot on the flight to Qatar.
Didier Deschamps is currently hoping for the return of injured players, which is all he can think about. Hugo Lloris, Karim Benzema, Adrien Rabiot, and Kingsley Coman have all played for their respective teams, while N’Golo Kante, Ibrahima Konate, and N’Golo Kante are either back in training or very close to it.
Jamal Musiala, a young player for Bayern Munich, has earned a berth in Hansi Flick’s starting XI because of his outstanding poise and ball control. The 19-year-old German midfielder is the only one currently capable of working wonders.
Kai Havertz: Although he hasn’t lately made nearly as much of an impression as Musiala, the Chelsea midfielder is unquestionably one of his country’s World Cup prospects. His performance against England demonstrated once more how Havertz has developed as Germany’s attacking captain.
There is currently a little question that Alvaro Morata will be Spain’s starting center-forward in the World Cup. Morata scored his fourth league goal in seven games on Saturday as Atletico Madrid defeated Sevilla 2-0 on the road. With Morata now impressing each week in LaLiga and no compelling alternatives, there is no real discussion left. Luis Enrique has always been a believer, sticking with him through harsh criticism from fans and the media during Euro 2020.
Nico Williams played a key role for Athletic in their 4-0 LaLiga victory against Almeria on Friday. Williams had a stellar international break, setting up Morata for Spain’s late winner in Portugal to guarantee their spot in the UEFA Nations League final four. Inaki nodded in his cross to give Athletic the lead, and he later showed tenacity and creativity to score himself with a deft toe poke finish in the second half. In the Spain team, there is a lot of competition for the position of wide forward, but Williams currently has the advantage.
One of the trickiest problems to resolve before the FIFA World Cup is who will be the goalkeeper for The Netherlands, according to Jasper Cillessen. Jasper Cillessen, a former goalie for Barcelona, sat out the previous two international contests. Remko Pasveer had the chance to demonstrate his skills. However, Cillessen confirmed this past weekend that he is the front-runner with a strong showing against Feyenoord.
Rafael Leao has excelled in Serie A this season, contributing four goals and four assists in just seven appearances for AC Milan. The 23-year-old might be one of the World Cup tournament’s breakout stars, despite not having the same impact on the national stage.
