The FIFA World Cup 2022 was full of exciting moments, with fans on the edge of their seats. The tournament provided endless entertainment for soccer fans worldwide, from last-minute goals to unexpected upsets.
Given how big the World Cup is, there were many gamblers that had been using platforms in order to enhance the experiences that were enjoyed. Indeed, with some top-rated online casinos offering a wide range of betting options on World Cup matches like those listed on the sinlicencia.org platform, fans were able to enhance their viewing experiences whenever they wished as they knew they were getting a safe session each time they wagered on a game that took place.
Now that the tournament has come to an end, here are the most exciting matches that occurred in Qatar.
Argentina vs France (3-3, 4-2 on penalties)
In a lavish championship, Argentina overcame France 3-3. (4-2 on penalties). By the end of the first half, Argentina had already taken a two-goal advantage. Albiceleste’s first goal came from a Lionel Messi penalty kick conversion. French replacements injected speed into the lineup as the Argentinians appeared to be in complete control.
In the 80th minute, Kylian Mbappe converted a penalty kick to score France’s opening goal. Additionally, it was France’s first goal-bound attempt of the contest. Mbappe produced an incredible half-volley goal from outside the area in the next minute. Messi added a second goal in the extra period from close range, but Mbappe ruined the celebration with another penalty shot.
Emiliano Martinez again emerged as the hero in the penalty shootout by making a superb save. Argentina won the World Cup, thanks to a winning penalty kick by Gonzalo Montiel.
Netherlands vs Argentina (2-2, 3-4 on penalties)
The game started with Lionel Messi delivering another soccer masterclass. The Argentine star ended the match with a bloodied upper lip while shouting at the other team and the referee. Goals were also scored by one of the finest players in the game, who is still vying for the World Cup.
Finally, Messi’s dexterity and vision enabled Nahuel Molina to score in the 35th minute. He dislodged Netherlands defender Nathan Ake by twisting free in center midfield and sprinting forward, setting up Molina for his first goal for his country with a no-look reverse ball.
Croatia vs Brazil (1-1, 4-2 on penalties)
Croatia overcame tournament favorites Brazil 4-2 on penalties on Friday to advance to the World Cup semifinals after a 120-minute deadlock ended at 1-1.
Rodrygo and Marquinhos missed penalties, but the Croats maintained composure. Croatia had a strong start and stopped Brazil’s initial movements. Neymar’s sluggishness and resolute backline limited Brazil’s offensive options to a weak Vinicius Jr. shot. By halftime, Croatia appeared more alert, had a better passing strategy, and possessed more.
Japan vs Spain (2-1)
The Japanese beat two world champions at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The 2010 champion and world no. 7 Spain fell short this time.
After losing to Costa Rica at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan on December 1st, Japan arrived. Spain tied Germany before thrashing Costa Rica 7-0. Spain’s overall performance allowed it to outperform Japan.
As Japan faced Spain, Germany faced Costa Rica. Germany needed Japan to either lose to Spain or draw to advance to the knockout round. Germany won 4-2 over Costa Rica. They could not leave the FIFA World Cup group stage for the second time.
Final Words
Following the conclusion of the Qatar World Cup, there is no doubt that it has been an exciting tournament overall with some thrilling matches. Morocco were one of the most entertaining teams to watch throughout the tournament, while France and Argentina proved to be formidable opponents.
This World Cup in Qatar was spectacular! Besides the crazy final match, we’ve seen a lot of surprises: Morocco in the semis, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia wins over the future finalists, the main favorite defeated by Croatia in the quarterfinal, and many more. No one has won all three group-stage games, which shows this tournament’s unpredictability.
But nevertheless, many Coinplay users managed to earn crypto during the World Cup. Let’s take a look at the overall statistics and the craziest bets made with Coinplay crypto betting platform.
Who guessed the champion?
Before the start of the World Cup Brazil was the main favorite with the odds of 5. No surprise that most of the users believed in them, but Argentina took a solid second place with 17% of winners among such bets. Here are the pre-tournament odds and percentages:
Brazil 5 21% of bets
Argentina 7.2 17%
France 6.55 10%
Spain 9.1 7%
England 7.6 5%
Portugal 13 5%
Germany 10 4%
…
32. Wales 151 0.01%
Usually, these risky bets are not so high with an average amount of 12.3 USDT. But the luckiest Coinplay user among those was the one who bet 1200 USDT on Argentina and won 8640 USDT! Imagine their feelings after the loss to Saudi Arabia in the first match.
What are the highest winning odds?
To predict the champion is risky, but not like these crazy bets. Here are the highest winning World Cup odds on Coinplay:
The luckiest single pre-match bet: Saudi Arabia vs Argentina – the correct score 1:2
Odds – 75
Bet – 5 USDT.
Won – 300 USDT
There were just a few Coinplay users who bet on Saudi Arabia in the pre-match, but no one placed more than 10 USDT. Only one of them guessed the correct score with a modest bet of 5 USDT, but with a very nice earning!
The luckiest single live bet: Netherlands vs Argentina on the 81’ – a draw
Odds – 21
Bet – 14 USDT.
Won – 294 USDT
Almost the same amount was earned on the next fiasco of the future champions. Argentina dominated in the quarterfinal against Netherlands, but this Coinplay user believed in the orange team two minutes prior to the start of their comeback, when the score was still 0:2. Imagine their emotions seeing this unforgettable free-kick on the 90+11’ minute!
The luckiest multi-bet on the round of 16: wins of Netherlands, Argentina, France, and Portugal, Brazil wins + TO 2.5, England wins + TO 2.5, a draw between Japan and Croatia
Odds – 149.4
Bet – 7.7 USDT.
Won – 1150.4 USDT
That was a simple but very efficient bet: the key was to avoid Morocco vs Spain, the only surprising result of this round. Japan and Croatia had the closest odds so the draw was logical, Brazil and England also scored over 2.5 goals easily. But football rarely goes according to expectations, that’s why the overall odds of 7 matches are so high. And the number 7 was really lucky for this user!
The biggest amount won/lost
The biggest amount won on Argentina vs France – Argentina wins the World Cup
Odds – 1.92
Bet – 20000 USDT
Won – 38400 USDT
Before the final Drake placed a famous bet of $1 million on Argentina and lost. How? He placed it on the regular time. Coinplay user was more aware and placed a huge amount just on the trophy winner with lower odds.
The outcomes for them were different, but one thing is for sure – they both lost their nerves during this crazy final. But the Coinplay user also won great money!
The biggest amount lost on Croatia vs Brazil – Brazil wins
Odds – 1.42
Bet – 33000 USDT
Won – 0 USDT
After the main World Cup favorite scored 4 goals in the 1 half of the previous round, it was easy to believe that Brazil would easily pass Croatia in the quarterfinal’s regular time. But Seleção didn’t even manage to score before extra time, and the biggest Coinplay World Cup bet was unfortunately lost.
Unusual World Cup bets on Coinplay
Coinplay always offers all the possible bets even on less popular matches, and users had an almost endless choice of unusual options. Here are some curious examples out of more than 1000 odds on every match:
VAR check – yes/no
Video Assistant Referee is a relatively new football feature, so it’s not a usual thing to find odds on it. But it’s a really exciting bet and a great addition to predictions on fouls and cards. Coinplay offered it on every match in Qatar and its users made over a thousand bets on VAR checks! A similar, but a bit less popular bet was called “Medical team enters the pitch – yes”.
What happens first in the interval (46-51 mins, for example)
Another suddenly popular bet is on the first event during any 5 minutes of the game. Most likely it may be a throw-in, but for higher odds, Coinplay users chose corners, goal kicks, free-kicks, and even penalties.
A yellow card for the delay – yes/no
And one more unusual bet that Coinplay users clicked hundreds of times. The World Cup is so important for all teams that it’s easy to imagine one of them delaying a goal kick in the final minutes. But during this World Cup, not so many bookings were given for that.
Football is coming back soon!
The World Cup was amazing, but even more exciting is the fact that we don’t have to wait 1-2 months to see all those heroes in club action again. For example, Liverpool will play against Manchester City already in 4 days after the final match in Qatar. And then we’ll enjoy the traditionally tight Christmas calendar in England. Other leagues will resume very soon too, and Coinplay will offer the best range of high odds on any match.
Besides football, they have tons of other sports – from obvious hockey and basketball (NHL and NBA are in full swing already) to some unusual ones like Muay Thai, Kabaddi, Boat Racing, Ski Jumping, and Biathlon. Two latter are especially relevant in the middle of winter – try betting on them with Coinplay and get a 100% Welcome Bonus of up to 5000 USDT!
A World Cup that many deemed too mired in controversy to be a big success has proved critics wrong and been an extremely enjoyable tournament. Despite ongoing concerns around the hosts of the World Cup 2022, particularly in regard to potential human rights issues, there have been many memorable moments in this winter spectacle. Indeed, held for the first time outside of summer due to the Qatar climate, the football spectacle has seen some standout scenes.
Beyond that, the footballing extravaganza has also given us some key takeaways about the sport in general. From declining superstars to underdog heroes, to crypto’s prominent role. So, without further ado, let’s jump in.
The end of Ronaldo?
Cristiano Ronaldo has been synonymous with soccer for the past fifteen years, after exploding on to the international scene while with Manchester United in the early-mid 2000s. Beginning his career with Sporting Lisbon, the Portuguese super athlete has become the highest goal scorer in the sport’s history with 813 club and national team goals at time of writing. To put that into perspective, his career rival Lionel Messi has 764, and Brazilian icon Pele sits just behind the Argentine with 762. They make up the top three, according to data from the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).
However, his 2022 club year and his poor performances at this tournament have indeed shown a once-unimaginable decline in his abilities. Like many elite-tier athletes towards the end of their careers, his body can no longer do what his mind wills it to. Does he go to Saudi Arabia in a much-discussed deal? Perhaps to the United States? Or will the 37-year-old achieve his goal of signing for another major European club in order to compete in the Champions League? Only time will tell. One other guess is that Ronaldo will end up in Cascais. Multiple reports confirm that he enrols his five children to St Julian’s school in Carcavelos, located between Lisbon and Cascais. Let’s see where Ronaldo ends up after the world cup is over.
Crypto Comes to the Forefront
While betting as always increases heavily during major sport events, crypto casinos have also become popular during the World Cup. The crypto market is going through a ‘bearish’ cycle and many people want to have fun with their digital funds instead. It’s an exciting way to spend time while you’re waiting for the game to begin, as many of them have sports betting integrated into the site.
Additionally, crypto has played a key role in the sponsorship side of the tournament. Crypto.com, the major app and exchange site has perhaps been the most prominent of all, with their pitch-side advertising boards visible on TV screens around the world.
As well as this, there have been a multitude of NFT launches accompanying the football extravaganza. One such example is Ronaldo’s partnership with Binance. And, fan tokens released for national teams.
Want to have fun during the half time break on Sunday? Why not place a bet on the final outcome or have a whirl on a roulette table? You can view a fast growing list of crypto casinos to find out about some of the leading brands, created by a group of individuals that have been in the field of online casinos for a long time. Prior to creating crypto and casino related toplists, they had one of the biggest European information portals in the iGaming industry, which was acquired by Catena Media. Today, Catena sold their major asset to Gaming Innovation Group in a 45M euro deal.
Morocco: Underdog heroes
Despite crashing out against world champions France on Wednesday night, Morocco have been the team of the tournament in many people’s eyes. There was no sadness, just sheer pride after the loss, said Shamoon Hefez on BBC Sport. The relative minnows of international football reached the semi-finals, when many predicted a group-stage exit. Although they couldn’t replicate the success of the unfancied Euro 2004 champions Greece, they reminded many of the team with their strong resilience and success built on a watertight defence.
Will they be able to do it again in the next international soccer tournament? We’ll all have to wait and see. But, they did their country proud. And, whoever wins the final showdown on Sunday, Morocco are perhaps the people’s champions.
Lionel Messi rolls back the years
In stark contrast to his career rival Ronaldo, Argentine maestro Messi showed everyone why he’s considered the best footballer in history. While the stats have Ronaldo ahead in many areas, purists have always argued that Messi is the ‘footballer’s footballer’ out of the two icons. Indeed, the vast majority of current and former professionals say that while the Portuguese superstar is one of the best to ever play the game, only one man can claim the GOAT (Greatest of all Time) throne. And that man is Messi.
On Sunday he showed the world why that opinion is so dominant with a display not typical from a 35 year old. Even when that 35 year old is Leo Messi. Against the Croatian defence, he dribbled past several players before setting up a goal for his teammate to win the game. In what has been tipped to be the final World Cup for both he and Ronaldo, it’s certainly been a standout tournament for the former-Barcelona forward. Crypto Lists have an interesting article about the crypto exchanges behind Messi and Ronaldo. If you haven’t seen the lesser known and not regulated brand related to Messi, you will probably be surprised of the poor choice by him.
Mbabbe to take the mantle?
As we near the final moments of the Messi versus Ronaldo chapter, one that’s been ever present since the mid 2000s in a remarkable run of dominance for the duo, a new rivalry has come to the fore. When writing this, Messi done 791 goals in his career while Ronaldo stands at 819 goals. However, Messi is leading when it comes to assists with 350 vs 234 for Ronaldo.
The new race in football seems to be between Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland – of Paris Saint Germain and Manchester City respectively. The problem with this rivalry is that Haaland plays for Norway, not a team that one expects to see in any major national-team tournament. So, for the foreseeable future it would appear the international stage is the Frenchman’s.
France and Argentina go head to head in Sunday’s final. And, regardless of the winner, it’s perhaps difficult not to regard the game as a passing of the torch moment. A moment where the Messi and Ronaldo chapter closes and a new one begins. Football romantics will be rooting for the six-time Ballon d’Or winning Argentine to get his hands on the one trophy that’s eluded him thus far, cementing his place in history on the international stage in the same way he has at club and individual level.
The 2022 World Cup has now progressed to the quarter final stages. Surprisingly, Germany and Belgium departed in the group stages and then Spain in the last 16. Today in the first match Croatia hope to upset favourites Brazil with Neymar who has recovered from his ankle injury. Later Argentina and Messi battle against the Netherlands another fancied team with Depay and Gapko in attack. Tomorrow, Africa’s sole survivor Morocco play Portugal who scored 6 goals against the Swiss despite none from Ronaldo who is no longer starting for them. The biggest quarter final is arguably France, with their star player Mbappe, against England who will be hoping Kyle Walker’s pace at right back can quell Mbappe.
FanTeam have plenty of daily or short 2 day fantasy games to add to your enjoyment of watching the World Cup matches from just £2 entry fee with a variety of games on offer from either picking just 1 player, 2 players, or 6 or a full 11 so as simple or complicated as you fancy. They are an example of sports betting sites that aid the interactivity of watching these big matches.
If you entered the FanTeam World Cup 2022 Full Tournaments which had thousands of entries – the single entry per person option had almost 23,000 entries at £5 each (giving a prize pool of approximately £100,000) as well as the multi entry option with over 11,500 entries at £20 each leading to a prize pool of approximately £200,000 then you may already be on the edge of your seat. As always, do carefully go through all of the game’s rules and conditions before getting involved (min age 18).
The 2022 World Cup kicked off to great fanfare and we’re now in the crucial stages of the Group games. Despite an opening game shock, Argentina and Messi are fighting back and France, with their star player Mbappe, have already qualified for the knock-out stages. England are also through, barring a heavy humiating defeat to neighbours Wales. Brazil look deserved favourites with stars throughout their squad and will need them with Neymar’s ankle injury meaning no further part in the group stages. Tonight’s big match could see Spain eliminate Germany. FanTeam have plenty of daily or short 2 day fantasy games to add to your enjoyment of watching the World Cup matches from just £2 entry fee with a variety of games on offer from either picking just 1 player, 2 players, or 6 or a full 11 so as simple or complicated as you fancy. Just like horse betting is straightfoward when placing a punt on the horse that you fancy.
With 4 group games per day there is plenty of action to watch and you can get more involved even if you entered their FanTeam World Cup 2022 Full Tournaments which had thousands of entries – the single entry per person option had almost 23,000 entries at £5 each (giving a prize pool of approximately £100,000) as well as the multi entry option with over 11,500 entries at £20 each leading to a prize pool of approximately £200,000. As always, do carefully go through all of the game’s rules and conditions before getting involved (min age 18).
As you are well aware, the 2022 World Cup is kicking off in a little over two weeks with the official opening game between hosts Qatar and Ecuador. FanTeam would not be Fanteam if they had not prepared yet another exciting fantasy game with unrivalled prices, so that’s exactly what they did. Just last week, the FanTeam World Cup 2022 Full Tournament was launched with both a single entry per person option (£50,000 guaranteed prize pool) as well as a multi entry option (guaranteed prize pool of £100,000), which means that you still have over 2 weeks to prepare. A budget of 90M, eleven team spots to fill, and 32 nations to choose from; get started on your own World Cup squad today. As always, do carefully go through all of the game’s rules and conditions before getting involved (min age 18).
We will be publishing a mini-series of articles featuring a selection of fantasy picks for the FanTeam World Cup 2022 Full Tournament that we feel could deliver big over at least the first rounds of the group stages. Like that, we hope to get you in your way with the selection of your own squad within the limits of the provided 90M budget. The first part looked at World Cup Goalkeepers and Defenders. In our second part of the previews, we’re taking a look at the best midfielders and forwards in the game which might also help you if you’re taking part in esports betting australia.
MIDFIELDER
Lionel MESSI (Argentina)
Our first one on this list is not exactly a differential gem to help you surprise your rivals, but he is very likely to shine during the group stages. Argentina’s Lionel Messi (12.0M) is considered one of the very best footballers in history, a ball-playing wizard who has won everything there is to win in world football. Everything, apart from the World Cup that is. Argentina came incredibly close in 2014, when a 113th-minute half-volley by Mario Götze decided the World Cup final in Germany’s favour, and this year is very likely Messi’s last chance to add the Jules Rimet trophy to his extensive collection of titles and cups. The Argentinian captain is in form as he has already scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists in 18 games across all competitions for his club Paris Saint-Germain, including 4 goals and 4 assists in 5 Champions League games, and will be kicking off the Argentinian quest for World Cup glory against Saudi Arabia, who on paper are one of the weakest sides in the tournament. After that, it’s Mexico and Poland for La Albiceleste, two more games they could and should win rather comfortably. Messi will be the heart and soul of Argentina during the World Cup, and we can see that translating to FanTeam World Cup 2022 Full Tournament points quite easily.
MIDFIELDER
Kevin DE BRUYNE (Belgium)
Whether or not Belgium’s golden generation can still deliver one more time at the upcoming World Cup remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: whatever they do and whatever they plan, Kevin de Bruyne (10.5M) will be at the centre of it. Widely considered as one of the best attacking midfielders and indeed all-round midfielders of his generation, the Manchester City playmaker is once again on fire this season. In 18 games for his club, KDB scored 3 goals and gave an impressive 13 assists, while for his country, he’s managed 2 goals and 1 assist from 5 games in 2022. The Red Devils were drawn into Group F at the World Cup, together with Canada, Croatia and Morocco. While the Croatians are joint favourites to win this group with the Belgians, the two European sides only face each other in the final group game. Considering the difference in quality between those two teams and the remaining two, it’s not crazy to assume that both Belgium and Croatia will already have qualified for the knock-out stages by then. Against Morocco and Canada though, Belgium might run riot and that’s why we’ve included De Bruyne in this list. On top of that, he’s a whole 1.5M less expensive than Messi, though 10.0M does not exactly say “bargain pick” either.
MIDFIELDER
The Budget Pick – Steven BERGHUIS (Netherlands)
Steven Berghuis (9.0M) is not exactly a budget “budget” fantasy pick, but the Dutch playmaker does cost a whole 3.0M less than Messi and 1.5M less than KDB, while offering similar or possibly even better upsides. The Netherlands have drawn one of the easiest groups on paper with Ecuador, Qatar and Senegal, and it looks like they could qualify for the knock-out stages in overwhelming fashion. Like at his club Ajax Amsterdam, Berghuis forms an integral part of coach Louis van Gaal’s plans, usually playing on the right wing from where he can cut inside and fire with his excellent left foot. He featured in 4 out of 6 Nations League games this year, providing 1 assist, and has 19 club games on his name already (7 goals, 6 assists), including 2 goals and 2 assists in 6 Champions League encounters. In Qatar, he will be given considerable freedom in attack to play his game and it’s useful, from a fantasy football perspective, that he’s on many set-pieces as well. We would not be surprised to see a couple of returns from Berghuis before the knock-out stages get going.
FORWARD
Harry KANE (England)
Did we really have any other choice to start our forwards fantasy picks with? Harry Kane (12.0M) is expensive, yes, but he is also in great form, the main man for England and facing three relatively easy opponents in Group B. The Golden Boot from the previous World Cup in Russia has already scored 12 goals in 20 games for Spurs this season, while also providing 3 assists. One of those goals and two of those assists came in the Champions League, thus playing a major role in the club’s qualification for the Round of 16. As for the Three Lions go this year, Kane has featured in eight games and scored 3 goals in the process. Apart from the home game in the Nations League against Italy and the friendly against Ivory Coast, in which he was subbed on with respectively 25 and 28 minutes to go, he also wore the captain’s armband. What we’re trying to say here is that, when it comes to strikers at the upcoming World Cup, few will provide as many “guarantees” as Kane does. He’s amongst the priciest attackers in the FanTeam World Cup 2022 Full Tournament game, but with Iran, the United States and Wales as opponents in the group, we’re thinking he’ll be paying back that investment in full.
FORWARD
Robert LEWANDOWSKI (Poland)
It’s a bit strange to see Robert Lewandowski (9.0M), one of the very best strikers of his generation, to not be featured amongst the most expensive attacking assets in FanTeam’s World Cup 2022 Full Tournament, but the fact that he represents Poland has everything to do with it. While not a bad side at all, the Bialo-czerwoni will need a considerable effort to pass a group with Argentina, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. The Argentinians seem out of reach on paper and Mexico’s quality is similar to that of Poland, while Saudi Arabia should be three points in the bag for them. The good thing about Group C’s schedule, for Poland at least, is that Argentina will be faced on the final matchday of the group stage, meaning that Mexico is up first, followed by Saudi Arabia, and those are two teams who will not be looking forward to facing Lewandowski. The Barcelona forward has got off to a flying start in Spain this season, scoring 18 goals and providing 4 assists in his first 19 games for the Catalans. He also captained Poland for every single Nations League game this year bar one when he was injured, scoring a goal and giving 2 assists. At 9.0M, you probably don’t want to miss out on Lewandowski for the group stages this World Cup.
FORWARD
The Budget Pick – Eric Maxim CHOUPO-MOTING (Cameroon)
Cameroon won’t be heading into the 2022 World Cup thinking they are favourites to pass the group stage, seeing as the Indomitable Lions are facing Brazil, Serbia and Switzerland in Group G, but that’s OK. They’ve got a decent squad that might just cause an upset or two and from a fantasy perspective, the strength of the group has resulted in a few interesting budget fantasy picks, including Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (6.0M). At the age of 33, the forward is going through one of the best spells in his rich career at Bayern Munich at the moment. Injuries to Leroy Sané (in October) and now Sadio Mané have turned Choupo into the main man for the German record champion, and he has not disappointed so far. He is sitting on 10 goals and 3 assists from 15 games so far, featuring from the start in 8 of those games. For Cameroon, Choupo-Moting tends to perform best when playing centrally up top, which is where coach Aliou Cissé wants to use him in tandem with his captain Vincent Aboubakar. The risk is that he might be moved to the wings when Cameroon decide to play a 4-3-3 variation, which has a notable detrimental effect on his performances. Nevertheless, you’re getting a tried and tested international forward at a bargain price of just 6.0M. He might be in your squad for just three games, but if you need a budget enabler with some upside, the Bayern man is your man.
For further tips and disccusion about FanTeam’s Fantasy World Cup game have a look at this fiso forum topic.
As you are well aware, the 2022 World Cup is kicking off in a little over two weeks with the official opening game between hosts Qatar and Ecuador. FanTeam would not be Fanteam if they had not prepared yet another exciting fantasy game with unrivalled prices, so that’s exactly what they did. Just last week, the FanTeam World Cup 2022 Full Tournament was launched with both a single entry per person option (£50,000 guaranteed prize pool) as well as a multi entry option (guaranteed prize pool of £100,000), which means that you still have over 2 weeks to prepare. A budget of 90M, eleven team spots to fill, and 32 nations to choose from; get started on your own World Cup squad today. As always, do carefully go through all of the game’s rules and conditions before getting involved (min age 18).
We will be publishing a mini-series of articles featuring a selection of fantasy picks for the FanTeam World Cup 2022 Full Tournament that we feel could deliver big over at least the first rounds of the group stages. Like that, we hope to get you on your way with the selection of your own squad within the limits of the provided 90M budget. In our first part of the previews, we’re taking a look at potentially the best goalkeepers and defenders in the game all to help your enjoyment of watching the football action by playing fantasy sports or engaging in live betting.
GOALKEEPER
Jordan PICKFORD (England)
At the moment, there is no 100% certainty yet over who will be between the sticks for England when they face Iran on November 16th at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, one of the eight stadiums that were specially constructed for the tournament in Qatar and cost the lives of over 6,500 migrant workers. Based on the bookies’ odds though, it looks like it will be Jordan Pickford (7.0M) who will start for the Three Lions later this month, ahead of Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale and Newcastle’s Nick Pope. The Everton shot stopper is amongst the most expensive goalkeepers in the game, despite England’s last clean sheet in regular time dating back to June 11th, 2022, when Italy were held to a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes in the (postponed) Euro 2020 final. Having said that, we still think that Pickford is amongst the best options for those looking to bring in a premium goalkeeper, as England will be facing Iran, the United States and Wales in the group stages. The Three Lions are favourites to top this group after three games and we wouldn’t be surprised to see them do it with a clean sheet or two (or three).
GOALKEEPER
Thibaut COURTOIS (Belgium)
OK, at 6.0M, he can’t really be considered a bargain, but we will admit that we were surprised to find Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois (6.0M) so far down the FanTeam World Cup 2022 Full Tournament list. Just a few weeks ago, the Real Madrid number one finished seventh in the prestigious Ballon d’Or ranking, making him the highest-ranked goalie on there this year, but FanTeam decided to price him a full million lower than a whole bunch of goalkeepers, including some who are not at all sure starters for their respective countries. Anyway, Courtois is the undisputed starter between the sticks for Belgium and the Red Devils were drawn into a group with potential, so we’re feeling good about including him in this list. Belgium are kicking off against Canada on November 23rd, followed by encounters with Morocco and Croatia. The final game against the Croatians is a cracker, but the Belgians are heavy favourites in the first two games. Despite an ageing defence, there could be a shut-outs on the cards for them against the minnows Canada and Morocco.
GOALKEEPER
The Budget Pick – Edouard MENDY (Senegal)
Amongst the less expensive goalkeepers who are sure to start in game one of their group stage adventure, Senegal’s Edouard Mendy (5.5M) is one of the most appealing picks. The 30-year-old is going through a bit of a rough spell at Chelsea at the moment, in part as a result of Kepa Arrizabalaga’s return to form, but you can count on him defending the Senegalese goal when the Lions of Teranga will kick off their opener of the tournament against the Netherlands on November 21st. While that first game might not go the way of the reigning champions of Africa, the two games after that definitely might. After Holland, it’s Qatar followed by Ecuador, two games that we can see Senegal not only win, but book a clean sheet in as well. That would also mean that the country qualifies for the knock-out stages, which is a nice extra when picking Mendy for your squad. You won’t find many starters with a decent opening set of fixtures at Mendy’s price or less.
DEFENDER
Denzel DUMFRIES (Netherlands)
With the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan de Vrij fighting for a starting spot in what is currently one of the best national selections of central defenders in the world, a lot is expected of Holland’s defence for the 2022 World Cup. That’s why we feel that spending 7.0M on Denzel Dumfries (7.0M) can be justified, especially when looking at the opponents the Dutch will be facing in the group stages. With Senegal, Ecuador and Qatar, the Netherlands are heavy favourites to qualify for the Round of 16 in which they will face either the winner or runner-up from Group B (England, Iran, United States, Wales). Dumfries is part of Louis van Gaal’s starting eleven and is given plenty of freedom to bomb forward as the right-most part of a five-men defence, much like he does at his club Inter Milan. In 37 games for the national team, he managed an impressive 5 goals and 6 assists, while the Dutch are still to lose their first game of the year. Only five defenders in FanTeam Fantasy World Cup are more expensive than Dumfries, but looking at the opposition in Group A, we see clean sheet and goal opportunity potential for the energetic right-wingback.
DEFENDER
Joao CANCELO (Portugal)
Only a handful of teams from the European region managed to concede less goals during the qualifying rounds than Portugal. The 2016 Euro champions finished second in a group with Serbia and the Republic of Ireland, after which they overcame Turkey in the play-off semi-finals and North-Macedonia in the play-off final to make it to the main tournament. A majority of the Portuguese defence for the upcoming World Cup will especially familiar to followers of the Premier League, as three of their four expected starters (Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Diogo Dalot) are currently active in England. One of those, Joao Cancelo (6.5M), has made it into our stand-out picks for the FanTeam World Cup 2022 Full Tournament. Like Dumfries before, the Manchester City wing-back/all-rounder is quite expensive, but the attacking upside to his game justifies splashing the cash on him. The 28-year-old gets plenty of freedom to position himself higher up the pitch, both on the sides and in the middle of the park, which has led to his current 7 goals and 6 assists from 37 games with his national team. With Ghana, South Korea (now missing Son) and Uruguay, Portugal’s group is definitely not the easiest, but we feel Cancelo could become a set-and-forget option for many squads, albeit a slightly expensive one.
DEFENDER
The Budget Pick – Ricardo RODRIGUEZ (Switzerland)
For Cancelo, we started his section by writing that “only a handful of teams from the European region managed to concede less” than Portugal, but that doesn’t fly for Ricardo Rodriguez (5.5M) and his Switzerland. Why not? Because NO other team in the European region managed to concede less goals than the Swiss. In a strong group with Italy, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Lithuania, Switzerland only let in two goals, one in the first game away against Bulgaria and one in the penultimate group match versus Italy in Rome. After a disappointing Euro 2020 where each of the three group games was lost, the Swiss have started building a new side and they have done so by starting with the foundations. As far as Rodriguez goes, he is a fixed feature on the left-most side of Switzerland’s typical four-men defensive setup and he is on plenty of set-piece duties as well, which is why we included him in our list. Switzerland’s World Cup 2022 group is far from easy, with Brazil as theoretical favourites leaving it to Cameroon and Serbia to fight with the Swiss for second place, but we see potential for Swiss qualification. On top of that, Rodriguez might get the chance to build on his current tallies (9 goals and 10 assists from 100 international appearances), especially versus Cameroon and Serbia.
For further tips and disccusion about FanTeam’s Fantasy World Cup game have a look at this fiso forum topic.
Fanteam & The Scout Gaming Group have announced the opening of their World Cup 2022 Fantasy Football Games. Due to the popularity and positive feedback for their single-entry Fantasy Premier League season game, they’ve decided to once again offer their customers both a single-entry and a multi-entry World Cup Fantasy Football tournament, with £50,000 and £100,000 guaranteed prize pools up for grabs.
Managers in their World Cup 2022 Fantasy Football Game have the chance to choose a star-studded line-up from the worlds’ most elite talent. If you’ve ever wanted to own the likes of Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi in your fantasy side – now’s your chance!
FISO will be publishing our team selection recommendations over the coming weeks.
The Fantasy World Cup contest will be played over 7 gameweek’s – starting on the 20th of November 2022 – ending with the World Cup Final on the 18th of December 2022.
Start making your 2022 World Cup fantasy team today!
