Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), Nick Pope (Newcastle).

Defenders: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Man City), Benjamin White (Arsenal), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), John Stones (Man City), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Conor Coady (Everton, on loan from Wolves), Luke Shaw (Man Utd).

Midfielders: Declan Rice (West Ham), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Kalvin Phillips (Man City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Mason Mount (Chelsea).

Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Callum Wilson (Newcastle), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Man City), Jack Grealish (Man City), James Maddison (Leicester City).

Blue equals I don't think their good enough

Red equals I know they are not good enough

A football match can change in a second it only needs one slip and a penalty given and game changes so anyone's to win.

If we go man for man quality and ability, I have to favour Belgium even though they are known for giving an odd weak performance but if they give it all in each game they could go and win it with their ability and skill.

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge), Koen Casteels (VfL Wolfsburg).

Defenders: Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht), Toby Alderweireld (Royal Antwerp), Wout Faes (Leicester), Arthur Theate (Rennes), Zeno Debast (Anderlecht), Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund), Timothy Castagne (Leicester).

Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Man City), Youri Tielemans (Leicester), Amadou Onana (Everton), Axel Witsel (Atletico Madrid), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Leander Dendoncker (Aston Villa), Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund).

Forwards: Eden Hazard (Real Madrid), Charles De Ketelaere (AC Milan), Leandro Trossard (Brighton), Dries Mertens (Galatasaray), Jeremy Doku (Rennes), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan), Michy Batshuayi (Fenerbahce), Lois Openda (Lens).


Anyone have a different favourite in mind for them? I normally go Brazil but this time I don't think so they haven't got the same players and some of the first eleven are not really top of the tree players.
France are in with a good chance too.

So is anyone going to pick a winner for the World Cup?


My Pick is Belgium.

Bruce wrote: So is anyone going to pick a winner for the World Cup?


My Pick is Belgium.

I have a feeling it won't be a European team, Bruce , maybe a bit hot for them ..lol.. I'd go for a South American team , So my pick would be out of Brazil or Argentina ? ..

R u e wrote:

Bruce wrote: So is anyone going to pick a winner for the World Cup?


My Pick is Belgium.

I have a feeling it won't be a European team, Bruce , maybe a bit hot for them ..lol.. I'd go for a South American team , So my pick would be out of Brazil or Argentina ? ..

Most Brazilians and Argentinians play all year in Europe so maybe climatised to cooler climates.
I see what you're saying though, maybe an African nation or Japan may do well.
I believe the class and quality will rise to the top unless they get dumped out over a dodgy penalty or something silly like a huge deflection.
I am hoping VAR does a good job.

Bruce wrote:

R u e wrote:

Bruce wrote: So is anyone going to pick a winner for the World Cup?


My Pick is Belgium.

I have a feeling it won't be a European team, Bruce , maybe a bit hot for them ..lol.. I'd go for a South American team , So my pick would be out of Brazil or Argentina ? ..

Most Brazilians and Argentinians play all year in Europe so maybe climatised to cooler climates.
I see what you're saying though, maybe an African nation or Japan may do well.
I believe the class and quality will rise to the top unless they get dumped out over a dodgy penalty or something silly like a huge deflection.
I am hoping VAR does a good job.

Yep but they are use to what they grew up in and usually return home in the closed season to visit Family so will soon acclimatise I reckon, won't be too long before an African team come though either I agree .. If I was to pick a European side though, i think it would be Spain … but who knows, even England could surprise us ..lol.

I really don't think England are good enough defensively. They did well in the Euros but since then Harry Maguire's form has dipped alarmingly, Eric Dier keeps getting picked but is dreadful his positioning is terrible he is very guilty at ball watching them being a yard off the pace when he is needed and he makes a lot of simple mistakes.
Conor Coady is full of enthusiasm but lacks that quality of a Rio Ferdinand or Virgil van Dyke.
Luke Shaw is for me the most overrated player in the Premier League,
Trent Alexander Arnold for me is far better going forward than defending, as good as he can be at defending, when he faces players of quality and pace he struggles.
John Stones I like but he can't do it on his own.

I am not trying to kick them before a ball has been played but I do fear for England as they can be good going forward and Kane will score goals but I think they will need to score 3 each game to get a result.


Argentina I would put in front of Brazil this time, If it is a European team Spain have a good a chance as anyone I suppose.
The big question is, who is capable of stopping Kylian Mbappe? I have him down as golden boot winner.

Watch the match against Iran today and loved it. Congrats to The Three Lions on this good start into the tournament. Hope Maguire's head injury is not serious. The potential of the squad was visible today. Grealish did score a goal although you don't think too highly of him. Rashford came, saw, and scored a goal within less than a minute. Great job.

The only game I didn't see was todays England match I had to go and collect a car so missed that one.

A good start but lets face it they were playing Iran not exactly a World Giant.

Rashford I have a lot of respect for as a man and a player. Also young Saka from Arsenal just a young kid with a massive future in front of him, I love that kid.
The highlights I saw I was not impressed with Pickford again, he always crouches down to far and any striker who has watched him knows to lift the ball to the cross bar and 99% of the time Pickford is on the floor or too low to stop it. Pickford to me is a good shot stopper but his positioning and crouching too far away from his line is going to be found out against top strikers who do their homework.
This is the pinnacle of world football and the little things make a big difference.

Just watched the USA v Wales game USA first half dominated but second half Wales looked far better and maybe deserved a point. I think Wales could get through as I fancy them to beat Iran, if England beat USA next match then play Wales in the last game and a draw would see Wales through, England v Wales is never an easy game and if England beat USA and USA beat Iran, Wales finish a point better off than USA with a draw against England.

All good fun.
For sure going to be watching Argentina tomorrow I think against Saudi Arabia the Argentinian team could get double figures!!! Messi hat trick? I got to watch Messi whenever I can, for me the best footballer of all time.


Grealish for me what I have seen this season is all flashy touches quick feet plenty of pace but no end product.
If he starts producing the assists more often I will give him the credit he deserves, until then I think he is over rated.

Argentina 1 Saudi Arabia 2

WOW not a soul would have seen that coming.
Fair Play to Saudi Arabia they started nervous but came into the game and played very well they defended amazingly.
Argentina were not the fast-paced quick passing team today they usually are but it is the first game and Argentina have chances to make amends.

Argentina had 3 (I think it was) goals disallowed for offside 2 I thought were borderline but we have to accept it.

The second half Saudi Arabia were the better team and deserved the win.

Always an upset in the World cup but this is one of epic proportions.

Starfish2 wrote: Watch the match against Iran today and loved it. Congrats to The Three Lions on this good start into the tournament. Hope Maguire's head injury is not serious. The potential of the squad was visible today. Grealish did score a goal although you don't think too highly of him. Rashford came, saw, and scored a goal within less than a minute. Great job.

Here also. Brill mainstay defender. Hope coaches whisper in his ear. "Cool it". Pity to spoil it with his "Short Fuse". Picking up penalties, cards and self injury.
Looking through the fixtures.
Find it strange, how almost all in this 1st round. Lower ranked teams are matched with significantly Higher rank teams.
Wales ^5. And its main man Bale. Certainly played well above their weight. And Scotched that this time round, drawing against quality USA.