The biggest and the most-decorated competition of soccer is back once again. The 22nd FIFA World Cup, hosted in Qatar, is about to begin in less than two months. As usual, there will be 32 teams fighting through the group stages and knock-outs, trying to prove themselves worthy of the crown. We can also expect matches filled with adrenaline rushes, sublime skills, and options for the fans to earn some cash via betting online. It is quite likely that almost all sports betting sites are going to accept wagers on the FIFA World Cup matches, and you can shortlist them according to sportsbook promos found at OddsIndex or other prerequisites accordingly.
Why Betting on the FIFA World Cup is a Different Ball Game?
There are millions of soccer fans around the world who like to risk a dollar or two on the game. However, domestic competitions dominate world football nowadays, leaving little time for these high-profile international competitions. Quite naturally, both the players and the fans are more accustomed to club football and are not quite at par when it comes to knowing the chemistry of the international teams. This is the reason why we often experience smaller teams upsetting the star-studded bigger names in these competitions, much to our surprise.
The Dark Horses of the Tournament
Experts have already shortlisted the favorites, which include the dominating forces like Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Germany, England, France, and Belgium. But what about the not-so-popular names that have the arsenal of challenging the above-mentioned ones? We still remember how Croatia played all the way up to the finals to become the runners-up of the previous World Cup. We can expect something like that in this tournament as well.
Denmark
The Denmark team, managed by Kasper Hjulmand, is doing their business quite well recently. The team is brimming with young talents, which was evident from their performances in the Euro 2020. Almost all of them play in prestigious domestic leagues, and big names like Kjær, Christensen, Eriksen, Højbjerg, and Dolberg are capable of putting up a show altogether. But most importantly, the team has an excellent chemistry and the amateur players combine well with their more experienced colleagues.
Senegal
Senegal won the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, and is reportedly the best African side right now. Aliou Cissé, the celebrated former captain of Senegal, is doing his job well as a manager. With Edouard Mendy in front of the uprights, Kalidou Koulibaly guarding the back, Idrissa Gueye in the midfield, and Sadio Mané in the attack, the Senegal football team is likely to prove their worth in this competition.
Switzerland
Switzerland is the side that never looks like a favorite in pen and paper but they always manage to deliver better than the expectations. The defeat of France and Spain’s hard-fought win against Switzerland in Euro 2020 is still clear in our memory. The secret behind Switzerland’s efficiency is the players’ experience with high-performance European football. Players like Sommer, Rodriguez, Akanji, Elvedi, Shaqiri, Xhaka, Freuler, Seferovic, and Embolo may not be categorized as superstars but are decent-enough players with experience, who can sacrifice everything for their team.
Japan
Every world cup features a gritty Asian side that gives a tough time to the footballing giants. After Saudi Arabia and South Korea, the role is now being played by the Japan football team. A perfect combination of youngsters and professors, the team is capable of raising the stakes in this world cup. Watch out for talented players like Yoshida, Tomiyasu, Kubo, Endo, and Minamino, who are very likely to shine in this tournament.
Following the Lead of ‘Wait and Watch’ Strategy
Although the above-mentioned teams are still the underdogs in the competition, it is never wise to consider them out of the race as they can bounce back and overpower the favorites at any moment. However, we have to wait for some time before we get to know about their abilities. Till then, we have no other options apart from knowing the ins and outs of the teams partaking in the tournament.
Bonus: Predictions of the Golden Boot at World Cup 2024 in Qatar
After talking about the dark horses of this competition, it would probably be good to continue with some “positive” facts. It is not a secret that any world cup is the competition where all the superstars in the world of football meet each other. Some of them do not have the opportunity to play because they are not participating in the same leagues. Their only option is to meet at some of the international UEFA championships, but that often isn’t the case.
Anyway, it is hard to predict who will win the title. Because of that, we would like to talk about the goolden boot predictions. We are sure that some players have high chances to score a lot of goals. These are players that mostly play for the national teams that are favorites on this competition. Let’s find out who they are!
Neymar
This year, Nemyar is in a pretty good form. He already scored 10+ goals. That could be the sign he will deliver the amazing games at the World Cup 2024 as well. Apart from his skills that certainly are at the highest level, we do believe that Neymar can get the Golden Boot because he is the main penalty taker.
Brazil certainly is one of the favorites to win this trophy. Many people suggest the final match will probably be between Argentina and Brasil. Neymar has a lot of good players around him, and many of them are amazing assistants.
Messi
Messi is not providing the games that he had in Barcelona. However, we must put into consideration that he has never won World Cup. Because of that, we are pretty sure his main focus is on this competition. Argentina is, as we said, one of the biggest favorites to win the title. Their team is full of extremely good professionals on every position. Speaking of Messi, the only thing we can say about him is – magician. We do not doubt that he will be one of the main strikers on the competition. If Argentina manages to reach the finals, he certainly will get the Golden Boot.
Benzema
Benzema is getting older, but the quality of his football skills is not reducing at all. On the contrary, he is providing some of the best games in his career, especially after Ronaldo left Real Madrid. France has an amazing team. While some people claim that Mbappe has bigger chances to win the Golden Boot, we give small advantage to Benzema. The reason for that is simple – he is a more experienced player. Indeed, he hasn’t played for his national team a couple of years in a row for a well-known reason. But, now, when he is back, we are sure he will be even more motivated to score goals!
Aleksandar Mitrovic
According to our opinion, Serbia is the most underestimated team on this competition. It has amazing strikers such as Tadic, Vlahovic, and ALEKSANDAR MITROVIC. Does anyone notice how good the premier league season this year is for Mitro? He is one of the top scorers there. Apart from that, he is surrounded by some creative players in the national team such as SMS, Tadic, and Kostic. If Serbia manages to get out of the group and make a step or two further, we are sure Aleksandar Mitrovic will have enough space to prove how good he is at scoring goals.