World Cup 2022: Match Predictions for All Group Fixtures

Fans may not be getting the artificial cooling clouds they were promised, but there will be a FIFA World Cup kicking off Sunday in Qatar.

The timing of this event isn't the only thing setting it apart. The 2022 World Cup will be the last played with the 32-team format. The 2026 edition will see the field expand to 48 teams, which unfortunately comes too late the save the likes of Italy, Egypt, Algeria, Sweden, Chile and others who failed to qualify for this year's finals.

Brazil (+350) is the betting favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, followed by Argentina (+500). For Lionel Messi, winning the World Cup would be the crowning achievement in a legendary career.

No country has repeated as champion since Brazil in 1962. Still, France figures to be a formidable force as it looks to defend its 2018 title.

Of course, this could be the year England tastes international glory once again after reaching the semifinals in 2018 and finishing runner-up at Euro 2020.

Without one favorite that's head and shoulders ahead of the pack, it should be a fun battle to watch unfold.

Qatar 1-3 Ecuador

Senegal 1-2 Netherlands

Qatar 0-3 Senegal

Netherlands 2-1 Ecuador

Ecuador 0-1 Sengal

Netherlands 5-0 Qatar

The Netherlands had failed to qualify for the last two World Cups but now have a golden opportunity to at least advance to the knockout stage after getting drawn in, arguably, the easiest group of the tournament.

At the 2010 World Cup, North Korea lost all three of its games and had a goal differential of minus-11. That might be the measuring stick for host Qatar.

Barring the Netherlands unraveling, something that has happened before in international tournaments, Group A is likely going to feature a fight for second place between Senegal and Ecuador.

Senegal is more than just star attacker Sadio Mané. Idrissa Gueye and Kalidou Koulibaly bring solidity through the center of the pitch, and Ismaïla Sarr can shoulder some of the scoring burden.

Still, Mané's absence will loom large in Qatar.

England 3-0 Iran

United States 0-0 Wales

Wales 1-0 Iran

England 2-0 United States

Wales 1-1 England

Iran 0-1 United States

England couldn't have picked a worse time to have its form take a dip.

The Three Lions lost a pair of matches to Hungary in June by a combined score of 5-0. Then succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to Italy followed by a 3-3 draw with Germany in which they fell behind by two goals.

Between inconsistent performances in the buildup, a coach under fire and a straightforward group, the ingredients are there for England to experience another disappointment at the World Cup.

Of course, the growing outside concern could have a galvanizing effect on the squad.

This group could effectively be solidified on the first matchday. England should secure three points against Iran, and one of the United States or Wales could put itself in the driver's seat with a win.

Losing 2-0 to Japan and drawing 0-0 with Saudi Arabia raised concerns about whether U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter can get the most out of a squad that has promise but isn't battle-tested on this kind of stage.

Wales continue to be heavily reliant on Gareth Bale, who has started just two of his 12 games since signing with Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer. Moving to the United States hasn't exactly aided the 33-year-old's World Cup preparations.

This might be one of the more competitive groups in the tournament.

Argentina 4-0 Saudi Arabia

Mexico 1-2 Poland

Poland 3-1 Saudi Arabia

Argentina 2-1 Mexico

Poland 1-2 Argentina

Saudi Arabia 1-2 Mexico

At the 2018 World Cup, Argentina would have exited in the group stage were it not for an 86th-minute goal from Marcos Rojo on the final matchday. That merely prolonged the inevitable as La Albiceleste lost 4-3 to France in the round of 16.

This time around, the stars might finally be aligning for Messi.

Argentina has a group from which it should advance without much trouble. Mexico and Poland aren't pushovers, but they're clearly a level below Lionel Scaloni's squad.

Just as important, the team is riding a 35-match unbeaten streak, a run that includes a triumph in the 2021 Copa America.

Messi has rediscovered his form as well following an underwhelming first season with Paris Saint-Germain. The 35-year-old has seven goals and 10 assists in 13 Ligue 1 appearances.

For years, Argentina has felt like one of the biggest underachievers in international tournaments. Coach after coach would fail to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts, particularly in the attack.

That couldn't be further from the case under Scaloni so far, though.

Denmark 1-0 Tunisia

France 3-0 Australia

Tunisia 0-0 Australia

France 2-1 Denmark

Australia 0-0 Denmark

Tunisia 1-2 France

France followed up its 1998 World Cup win by failing to get out of the group stage in 2002. A similar collapse isn't implausible this year.

Didier Deschamps is without Paul Pogba, who always seems to raise his game to another level when putting on the national-team shirt, and N'Golo Kante due to injuries.

The results on the pitch have been mixed as well. A 2-0 Nations League win over Austria on Sept. 22 appeared to be just what the doctor ordered, but Les Bleus then lost 2-0 to Denmark three days later.

That will certainly provide the Danes with some confidence when they face off with France in a rematch on Nov. 26.

The upside for Deschamps is that another defeat to Denmark shouldn't be cause for panic since the fixture is sandwiched between winnable games against Australia and Tunisia. But qualifying second in the group is the kind of thing that might raise alarm bells.

Germany 2-0 Japan

Spain 1-0 Costa Rica

Japan 0-0 Costa Rica

Spain 2-1 Germany

Japan 0-1 Spain

Costa Rica 0-3 Germany

In terms of FIFA ranking, Group B is the toughest of the eight, but this is arguably more deserving to be the proverbial "group of death."

You have two of the last three winners in Spain and Germany. Japan reached the round of 16 in 2018 and won all eight of its qualifying matches. Even Costa Rica can be a tough out thanks to its defensive style.

Despite being two of the strongest teams in the field, neither Spain nor Germany is bulletproof.

La Roja won their UEFA Nations League group but did so by scoring eight goals in six matches. The absence of an in-form world-class striker is glaring.

Die Mannschaft, meanwhile, finished third in their Nations League group and have one win in their last six competitive fixtures. And much like Spain, they could have some problems up front without the injured Timo Werner.

Morocco 0-1 Croatia

Belgium 2-1 Canada

Belgium 2-0 Morocco

Croatia 0-0 Canada

Croatia 1-1 Belgium

Canada 1-0 Morocco

The clock is ticking for Belgium.

Since the rise of its golden generation, it has finished third at the 2018 World Cup and made quarterfinal runs at the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016 and 2020. That success shouldn't be taken for granted, yet it still feels like an underwhelming return given the wealth of talent available.

There's already a fear the Red Devils' window has closed following a pair of defeats to the Netherlands in the Nations League.

Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are 33 and 35, respectively. Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard are 31, the latter having looked like a shell of his old Chelsea self in recent seasons. Romelu Lukaku is 29.

This is going to be Belgium's last shot at lifting the World Cup before some of its best players will cycle out of the squad.

And for as great as they are going forward with De Bruyne and Lukaku, counting on Alderweireld and Vertonghen to lead the defense could be a recipe for disaster.

Switzerland 1-0 Cameroon

Brazil 1-1 Serbia

Cameroon 0-2 Serbia

Brazil 2-1 Switzerland

Serbia 2-1 Switzerland

Cameron 1-3 Brazil

The biggest drama in Group G should come down to who claims second place.

Brazil won 14 of its 17 matches in World Cup qualifying and had a plus-35 goal differential. The Seleção continued to be irresistible in a series of friendlies, beating Korea Republic, Japan, Ghana and Tunisia by a combined score of 14-2.

The emergence of Vinicius Junior and Richarlison also means Brazil isn't as dependent upon Neymar as it has been in past tournaments.

However, Serbia could be the spoiler in Group G and claim the top spot for itself.

International tournaments often become a war of attrition because adopting a defensive style or focusing on counter-attacking is the simplest approach for a coach. Playing a World Cup in the middle of the season means having even less time to prepare, so this year could see goals coming at even more of a premium.

Aleksandar Mitrović has scored nine goals in 12 Premier League appearances for Fulham, and Dušan Vlahović has been equally as effective (six goals in 10 Serie A fixtures) for Juventus.

The pair of strikers are perfectly suited for a direct style, one that could be brutally effective against a tournament favorite such as Brazil.

Uruguay 2-1 South Korea

Portugal 2-0 Ghana

South Korea 0-0 Ghana

Portugal 1-1 Uruguay

Ghana 1-3 Uruguay

South Korea 0-1 Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo used to be the one constant for Portugal. Now, the 37-year-old might be his national team's biggest liability.

Purely on form, he probably shouldn't be starting. His 18 Premier League goals for Manchester United last season belied his true impact on the pitch, and he has mostly been a malcontent this year.

But benching Ronaldo is much easier said than done, especially when manager Fernando Santos doesn't have a lot of other good options.

Diogo Jota is out because of a calf injury. João Félix isn't a prototypical center forward, operating much better a little deeper in the attack. Likewise, Rafael Leão is used to playing more out wide than through the middle. André Silva fits the bill as a traditional striker but has only two goal in 15 Bundesliga appearances to open this season.

Uruguay and South Korea could both put Portugal to the sword.

Rodrigo Bentancur and Federico Valverde are an excellent midfield pair, and Darwin Núñez offers some youth if Uruguay coach Diego Alonso doesn't want a pair of 35-year-old strikers, Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani, leading the line.

Depth isn't a luxury at South Korea's disposal, but Heung-Min Son can often be a one-man counter-attack. He's the ideal attacker for a team that will drop a lot of players deep to defend.

It seemed like the 30-year-old's eye injury might jeopardize his availability, but he received a clean bill of health in time.