Football Friday – The teams tipped to take the crown

As Word Cup 2018 draws closer, many are already picking who they think will win the tournament.

Unlike previous editions, this year’s tournament features a number of teams who could take the crown.

So here’s out top five teams we think could win the World Cup this year.

GERMANY:

The defending champions will be looking to become only the third team in history to defend their title. Italy (Who didn’t even qualify) and Brazil are the other two teams to accomplish the feat. The German team may not be as star studded as some of the other big name teams but they have a lot of talented newcomers who are eager to maintain their number one ranking. They will be also looking to claim their fifth World Cup title.
Players To Watch:
Julian Brandt
Julian Draxler
Toni Kroos
Marco Reus
Timo Werner

SPAIN:

The Spanish armada sail into Russia after falling down to 8 in the world rankings. But with a team made up of former stars an future stars, they could pose a real threat. Spain have only made it to the semi-finals twice before and to the final once, which they won in 2010. With many of the squad coming from Real Madrid and Barcelona, the La Liga stars will be looked upon to lead Spain to glory.
Players To Watch:
David De Gea
Gerard Pique
Sergio Ramos
Andres Iniesta
Isco

ARGENTINA:

If there’s one team that has the squad to destroy every else, it’s Argentina. But sadly the Argentinians haven’t always performed, despite their impressive history and star power. In 2014, however, they showed signs of what they can do, finishing as runners up in Brazil. The strike force alone is enough to make any team tremble with fear.
Players To Watch:
Angel Di Maria
Paulo Dybala
Gonzalo Higuain
Lionel Messi
Sergio Aguero

The South American giants are another team with all the star power and an impressive history. The number two ranked team in the world have made it to the finals and impressive 7 times and have won it on 5 occasions. Their last outing though, at home, was one to forget. The hosts lost 7-1 to eventual winners, Germany.
Players To Watch:
Ederson
Philippe Coutinho
Gabriel Jesus
Roberto Firmino
Neymar

BELGIUM:

They’re ranked third in the world but have only made it to the semi-finals on one occasion in their history, however, the golden generation will be hoping to go all the way. Coached by former Everton manager,Roberto Martinez, Belgium qualified for Russia without being beaten. Many of their players ply their trade in the Premier League and will be looking to shine on the world stage as well.
Players To Watch:
Thibaut Courtois
Vincent Kompany
Kevin De Bruyne
Romelu Lukaku
Eden Hazard

Want to see who else is competing in this year’s tournament? Then check out our Group Guide.

Do you agree with our predictions?

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