On Tuesday evening at the Portuguese Football Federation's "Gala Quinas de Ouro 2022," Cristiano Ronaldo used an award acceptance speech to outline his international future with the national team.
This week serves as the final international break before clubs must release players to their national teams just one week before the World Cup begins, so the latest squad selections should be huge indicators of the final 26-man rosters for the competing nations.
However, a look at the current teams indicates that this won't be a traditional World Cup of blockbuster snubs, but rather an exploration of player pools in an attritional battle against lingering muscle strains.
To prepare you for the tournament, The18 has launched 2022 World Cup team previews for each of the 32 nations competing in Qatar.
Below you will find each team listed along with a link to those previews that have been published. Check back throughout the buildup to the 2022 World Cup as we publish a complete list of World Cup team previews, updated with the latest on each team participating in the greatest men's soccer tournament in the world.
A well-oiled defense can be the difference between going out in the group stage and winning a tournament. Scoring four goals in a game is well and good until you turn around are realize the other team scored five. Every successful team needs to be able to keep the ball out of its own net. Defending is an art, and at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, many artists will be on display, putting their bodies on the line to ensure their team advances to the next round. But not all defenders are created equal.
Every four years the World Cup brings together the world’s best players and Qatar 2022 will not be an exception.
On the attacking front, the exotic winter tournament brings us a combination of new talent, legendary strikers, generational wingers and a pair of GOATs.
In celebration of the World Cup being so close, we rank the forwards who are most likely to make an impact at Qatar.
Scorching temperatures are one of the many reasons Qatar is the most controversial World Cup host of all time. During June and July, the months in which the World Cup is traditionally held, temperatures in the Arab nation peak around 120 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature at which, unsurprisingly, it is simply unsafe to play a 90+ minute soccer match.
Every World Cup cycle, the same question pops into the minds of soccer fans: why can't (insert player) do that for (insert club team)? These players pop into the national consciousness for a few short weeks in the summer, then return to obscurity as soon as the final whistle blows.
Midfielders are the heartbeat of any soccer side. They control the pace of play, create chances, contribute to attack and defense and oversee the transition between the two. With technique, creativity and intelligence, a world class midfielder is a joy to watch.
From iconic legends to up-and-coming stars, the 2022 Qatar World Cup is filled to the brim with exceptional midfield players. Who rises to the top? Without further ado, here are the ten best 2022 World Cup midfielders, ranked.
Ahead of the World Cup, there is always an influx of transfers featuring players who are on the fringes of their national teams and want to secure a roster spot for the tournament. Many players who sit on the bench for bigger clubs and get limited minutes desperately need quality playing time to be noticed by their national team managers. With so many rumors and confirmed deals happening every day, let's take a look at 10 players who need a transfer ahead of the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
According to estimates, Cristiano Ronaldo has the second-most expensive car collection of any soccer player. That value may have gone down on Monday after his Bugatti Veyron reportedly crashed into a house while the Portuguese star was on vacation in Majorca.