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Who do you think will win the World Cup?

Either Argentina or Portugal. I feel that it'll be the last world cup for LM10 and CR7. To end their international career and not win the WC just wouldn't make sense, for me at least. The Football Gods will be out in full force this summer.

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Reply 1

username917703

Yeah Portugal won't win it. Argentina could though.

Argentina

This is the weakest world cup I have seen in a long time (and I've seen all the world cups since 2002). The talent is seriously lacking. 2006 was by far the most talented world cup....zidane, pirlo, ronaldinho, kaka, henry etc etc

Reply 4

ma_long

This world cup is crap either way, lacks so much talent. The first team for brazil would be like the reserves in most world cups. More chance for an outsider to win if everyone is equally rubbish.

Reply 5

username917703

Original post by ma_long

At this World Cup there will be:

Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Lewandowski, Suarez, Aguero, Mbappe, Kane, De Bruyne, Modric, Hazard and loads more.

The players are better now.

Reply 6

username1732491

Might as well predict the whole thing, why not?

Group A
1. Uruguay
2. Egypt
3. Russia
4. Saudi Arabia

Group B
1. Spain
2. Portugal
3. Morocco
4. Iran

Group C
1. France
2. Peru
3. Denmark
4. Australia

Group D
1. Argentina
2. Iceland
3. Croatia
4. Nigeria

Group E
1. Brazil
2. Serbia
3. Costa Rica
4. Switzerland

Group F
1. Germany
2. Mexico
3. Sweden
4. South Korea

Group G
1. Belgium
2. England
3. Tunisia
4. Panama

Group H
1. Colombia
2. Poland
3. Senegal
4. Japan

Ro16:

Uruguay (W) vs Portugal
France (W) vs Iceland
Brazil (W) vs Mexico
Belgium (W) vs Poland
Spain (W) vs Egypt
Argentina (W) vs Peru
Germany (W) vs Serbia
Colombia vs England (W)

QF
Uruguay vs France (W)
Brazil (W) vs Belgium
Spain vs Argentina (W)
Germany (W) vs England

SF
France (W) vs Brazil
Argentina vs Germany (W)

3rd Place
Brazil (W) vs Argentina

Final
France (W) vs Germany.

A lot of unpredictability throughout. The cup is far from a foregone conclusion. But these results seem justifiable to me, taking into account recent results, overall team quality, and climate. I’ve probably made an overzealous estimate somewhere; these are by no means a professional set of predictions.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 7

ma_long

Original post by Wilfred Little

At this World Cup there will be:

Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Lewandowski, Suarez, Aguero, Mbappe, Kane, De Bruyne, Modric, Hazard and loads more.

The players are better now.

Nah man, 2006 had better players (other than Messi and Ronaldo). The 2006 brazil squad was a dream team, you had stars on the bench because it was that loaded. Ronaldo, Adriano, Ronaldinho, Kaka etc etc

Reply 8

AngryJellyfish

Chat Forum Helper, Entertainment Forum Helper

Moved all 2018 posts out of 2013 thread; original thread locked. :smile:

Reply 9

username917703

Original post by ma_long

Ronaldo was past it in 2006, Adriano was nowhere near some of the strikers I named and was only good for a couple of years. Ronaldinho was poor at that World Cup and on the decline as well.

I think you are being too nostalgic.

Those players you named don't come close to the quality on show this summer.

Reply 10

ma_long

Original post by Wilfred Little

Other than Ronaldo and Messi (who are the two greatest attacking players ever), the rest of this world cup lacks talent. 2002 had a lot of talent as well, fat ronaldo doing his thing in his prime, but 2006 was the best. Look at the England 2006 world cup squad and compare it to the England 2018 world cup squad, it's chalk and cheese.

Reply 11

username917703

Original post by ma_long

Ronaldo wasn't at his prime in 2002 either.

England aren't the only team at this World Cup btw. Using your argument I could just say look at Belgium.

Reply 12

moggis

Original post by TimGB

Thanks for that. I never predict anything thst has minimal odds of 4-1 but what your post shows is how easy Germany’s most likely route to the final potentially is.
And to a large extent Spains .Albeit they’d have to meet Germany in the semis .Dunno why you have Argentina beating Spain on the criteria you mentioned but still.
Yeah,a big help. Cheers.

Reply 13

chazwomaq

France and Germany are the ones to watch IMO. Belgium are the dark horses, as they seem to be for every tournament!

Reply 14

ma_long

Original post by Wilfred Little

Ronaldo wasn't at his prime in 2002 either.

England aren't the only team at this World Cup btw. Using your argument I could just say look at Belgium.

Between 1997-2003 Ronaldo (R9) was in his Prime, he only went downhill after 2003. You can ask anyone, 2006 had more talent than 2018. Just reading some names says it all.....

Zidane, Pirlo, Beckham, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Nesta, Henry, Del Piero, Ronaldo (R9), Cambiasso, Deco, Shevchenko

Need I go on?

Reply 15

username3867674

Original post by BreezyJ

France and Germany are the best two teams, with the strongest squads. France could reach the Qtrs using their bench! And will score against anyone, so I'd choose them.

Argentina? Love them, but beyond Messi, they've not got enough.
Portugal? Same, I think the Euro16 was a fluke! They got very lucky against Croatia.

There's usually a shock semi-finalist isn't there - I'd reckon on Croatia or Denmark for one of those slots. Heard it here first :-)

Reply 16

ma_long

I don't think England will get out their group, the team is a joke and Southgate doesn't have a clue what he is doing. Belgium will beat England and we will draw with Tunisia and Panama. Heck, we could even lose to Tunisia.

Reply 17

username917703

Original post by ma_long

Between 1997-2003 Ronaldo (R9) was in his Prime, he only went downhill after 2003.

You can ask anyone, 2006 had more talent than 2018. Just reading some names says it all.....

Zidane, Pirlo, Beckham, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Nesta, Henry, Del Piero, Ronaldo (R9), Cambiasso, Deco, Shevchenko

Need I go on?

It doesn't say it all. It says you are naming names from a past era and nothing more.

The current Spain, France, Germany, Argentina and Belgium squads are rammed with talented players, most are as good as they've ever been. Brazil have several world class players as well. The only one that I'd agree is noticeably weaker now is England.

Reply 18

username3867674

Original post by TimGB

Whilst I think you're spot on with the final, historically Latin American teams don't do well in Europe. Only Argentina and Brazil have reached the last 16 of the last 3 European WC's (and neither got out of the 2nd group stage in Spain '82). So I think you're overestimating how well those teams will do in the groups. I wouldn't be surprised to see Russia finish above Uruguay, Denmark above Peru, Croatia above Argentina, and Poland above Columbia.

Reply 19

ma_long

Original post by Wilfred Little

No. I saw Ronaldo in his prime and that ended at Inter in the late 90s with his first injury. Of course he came back and scored a lot of goals after the injuries, but the peak Ronaldo, the phenomenon and physical freak, was gone forever. He was never the same again. It just speaks volumes of his talent that he actually got back to a world class level after his injuries and so long out of the game.

It doesn't say it all. It says you are naming names from a past era and nothing more.

The current Spain, France, Germany, Argentina and Belgium squads are rammed with talented players, most are as good as they've ever been. Brazil have several world class players as well. The only one that I'd agree is noticeably weaker now is England.