![]() When it comes to players to watch in Qatar, Mbappe is at or near the top of any list. But he'll need help, of course, and it's uncertain whether the MASH unit France has become can supply it. Still young at 23, he was the revelation of the last World Cup, when he became the first teenager since Pele to score in the final and win the championship. Les Bleus still have their 2018 phenom Kylian Mbappe ready to go. And before the World Cup roster was finalized, Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante went down – they played key roles when France won the title in 2018. ![]() France already had lost Christopher Nkunku and Presnel Kimpembe to injury. Star forward Karim Benzema was ruled out of the tournament after tearing a thigh muscle during training this weekend. It's fair to use the word "decimated" now that the French team has suffered its latest injury loss. But with young (he'll turn 20 during the tournament) star midfielder Pedri playing his normal exciting, mistake-free football, and head coach Luis Enrique getting his team to keep playing pressing, dominating soccer, the Spaniards have a shot.Īs does defending champion France. Messi has 19.Īmong the Euro contenders, Spain is in a tough group (who isn't?) with 2014 champion Germany, a tough defensive side in Costa Rica and Japan. That's unfinished business for the 35-year-old legend who also could, should, break the late Diego Maradona's record of 21 World Cup appearances for Argentina. The experts say this Brazilian squad is as good as any, powerful on offense, stingy on defense with a roster, as per usual, stocked with first-name soccer wonders: Neymar, Ederson, Marquinhos, Casemiro, Allison, Vinicius Junior and, personal favorite, Fred. This is fairly simple – most lists of the top contenders start with Brazil and Argentina, followed by a gaggle of European countries.įor as good as it always is, Brazil hasn't won a World Cup in 20 years. Although some pretty strong hunches are likely to pay off. Of course nothing is when the matches start. is not one of the favorites – Phillips and other soccer pundits say 2026, when the U.S., Mexico and Canada host the World Cup, is a more realistic time to dream big dreams – and even getting out of a group that also includes England and Iran, isn't a guarantee. ![]() "is going to go where they take us."Įven excited American fans have to be realistic. The midfield of Tyler Adams (English club Leeds United), Weston McKennie (Italian club Juventus) and Yunus Musah (Spanish club Valencia) is the best this country's ever had, Phillips said, and the U.S. But now everyone is playing for big clubs and I can't wait to see what effect that has." You know might have three or four guys who do that in 2010, 2014. "For the first time, every single who matters is playing for a big club in a high class European league," said Hal Phillips, author of "Generation Zero: Founding Fathers, Hidden Histories & the Making of Soccer in America." "They're getting training and vetting in a way most American teams have not. But youth and World Cup inexperience hardly mean the Americans are new to international soccer. is tied with Ecuador as the second youngest teams in Qatar. It's a journey, it's an experience they'll remember for the rest of their lives." I can tell them that when I was young, I went in and didn't know what to expect, just took it for what it is and try to stay present. "I've told them it's really hard to explain the experience," he said this week. Teammates have lined up with questions, but Yedlin says there's only so much wisdom he can pass along. 21 st at 2 pm ET against Wales.ĭefender DeAndre Yedlin is the sole World Cup veteran, having played in the 2014 event in Brazil. ![]() It's a first World Cup for 25 of the 26 players who'll suit up for the U.S., which plays its opening match Monday, Nov. Christian Pulisic (second from the right) of United States reacts during a training session at Al Gharafa SC Stadium on Novemin Doha, Qatar.
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