Now that we know that the three favourites for the World Cup will be there next year, I thought that I would take a closer look at them.
Spain:
Regardless of their unusual performances, which fell somewhat below their immense standards, at the Confederations Cup, it is almost impossible to write Spain off as one of the favorites to be named World Champions at Rio come next July.
La Furia Roja have an incredible roster which is filled with both depth as well as talent. Consider this: Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets, Javi Martinez, Juan Mata, Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Santi Cazorla, David Silva, Pedro, and Jesus Navas have to contend for 5-6 places, with the likes of Isco, Koke, and Morata also pushing for a place in the side.
They might have seemed out of sorts last time they were in Brazil, but the fact that they possess so much talent and numbers as well as great experience makes them an almost guaranteed finalist, at the very least.
Germany:
Die Mannschaft have had a bit of a trend in recent tournaments to always get at least to the semi-final and then self-capitulate when it seems as if it was the perfect time to finally achieve success. This habit traces back till the 2002 World Cup and the only major tournament ever since that Germany have not reached at least the semi-final in, is Euro 2004.
However, if Joachim Löw is able to somehow convince the relatively young German players of their own ability to win the Cup, then maybe they can be crowned Champions next year. Also, the likes of Marco Reus, Mesut Özil and Thomas Müller are going to be vital if Germany are to win the World Cup. It seems as if Germany’s main enemy, is Germany.
Brazil:
To be honest, when Luiz Felipe Scolari was announced as the new manager of the Brazilian national team, I had a little chuckle. While Scolari is a brilliant manager who had achieved so much in his career, his recent failures such as the one at Chelsea made him seem a nostalgic, albeit wrong decision by the Brazilians.
Indeed, several of his first friendly games in charge only served to reinforce my belief and as the Confederation Cup began, I thought that Brazil would be embarrassed in the midst of their own supporters. However, I was terribly wrong.
The Brazilian team were absolutely brilliant. With Paulinho marshalling the midfield, Neymar proving he was no fluke, and Fred banging in several goals, the Brazilians were unstoppable as they marched towards a glorious victory on home soil, with the cherry on top of the cake being the 3-0 victory over World Champions Spain in the final.
Verdict:
While the experience of Spain and the home advantage of Brazil may make them appealing choices, my pick to win the World Cup is Germany, mainly due to their relative consistency, Löw’s experience and their excellently balanced midfield.
Unless Belgium can be a surprise package….