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Sky, BT, ITV, BBC pundits make World Cup predictions including winners and home nations thoughts

Sky, BT, ITV, BBC pundits make their World Cup predictions including who they think will be winners and thoughts on the home nations.

The World Cup gets underway in Al Khor’s Al-Bayt Stadium on Sunday and finishes at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Doha on the 18th of December. Doesn’t it all feel strange ay?

32 teams will battle to lift the trophy, with the competition playing out 64 matches over 28 days, including hosts Qatar, holders France and five-time winners Brazil.

TV and radio football presenters and pundits predict what will happen over the next four weeks, and it makes for interesting reading…

Who will win the World Cup?

Alan Shearer: Argentina. It will be a great way for Lionel Messi, the best player in the world, to go out. It could be a defining moment for him – he has probably been the greatest player we have ever seen, but the thing that is always chucked at him when comparisons are made between him and Diego Maradona is that he has never won the World Cup. If he was to win this one, that would pretty much be the end of that debate – and what a story it would be.

Micah Richards: It’s Brazil for me. I understand why there is a buzz about Argentina, but this is Neymar’s time to shine. He scored eight goals in qualifying and has taken his game to the next level this season. There is the weight of the nation on his shoulders and he has to deal with what Brazil expect from him, but he will be the star of the show.

Chris Sutton: France are the holders and have arguably got the best forward line with Karim Benzema and his Ballon d’Or, Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, even Antoine Griezmann too. Yes, they have got some injuries in midfield, but they have got two young stars in Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga of Real Madrid who are already absolutely top class. It’s not an exact science but when you think of France at World Cups, they are either all in or all out. This time? I’m saying they will be all in. If they click like they did in Russia, why not?

Alex Scott: I am going with Brazil. Their squad has a great blend of experience with exciting and in-form young players who could have great tournaments, like Vinicius Jr. Neymar is in great form too and, with every team having so little preparation time before the tournament to get key organisation right, it could come down to individual brilliance to settle some games.

Ashley Williams: Your team is always a little reliant on how much firepower you’ve got and Brazil have got a wealth of attacking options. It will be great for football if they win too. We are all fans of Brazil, aren’t we?

Fara Williams: My head is telling me that with the squad Brazil have, they will win it – the depth of their attackers is the best out of all the squads. But my heart is telling me differently. I’m going to predict an England v Brazil final… and we are bringing it home.

Jermaine Jenas: Everyone is always obsessed with the attacking side of things, but defensively Argentina look really solid and, off the back of winning a Copa America in 2021, they will have found a rhythm of what works for them. In the final they beat Brazil, who will be their biggest competitor in Qatar too, but I have a feeling Messi is going to get it done.

Karen Bardsley: Historically, it looks as though clean sheets and conceding the fewest goals is the key to winning World Cups. So which team has the most solid defensive unit, with a good goalkeeper? Then also their ability to manage moments in the tournament and how they will gather momentum in the group stages. My top two are Brazil and Argentina – and I would say Brazil will win because they are fully loaded in every position and defensively they are the strongest I have seen them in many, many years.

Rio Ferdinand: Brazil have got depth in their squad and experience too – as in, all the way through the spine of their team is experience of winning things.

Rob Green: They have some young exciting talents to go with that experience of winning. It’s Brazil for me.

Gabby Logan: I’m not going to be sentimental and say Messi will triumph but a South American team will win. Vinicius Jr will be a really important player and the World Cup winners will wear yellow shirts.

Danny Murphy: I can’t see past Brazil or Argentina. Both are full of quality and experience and will take some stopping. Maybe Argentina will do it this time, as it seems written in the stars that the greatest ever player will win the World Cup.

Danny Gabbidon: I fancy France. Overall they are a really well-balanced side with so much quality up front, and the biggest problem for manager Didier Deschamps is to find the best system and decide on his starting XI.

Jurgen Klinsmann: With Argentina, the big driving force is Messi. All football fans know his situation and how this has to be his moment if he wants to win his first World Cup at the age of 35. He knows that too, and so do his team – so they will do everything possible to get that World Cup win. Brazil, though, have got so much quality in every position. They are a team I have watched a lot over the past couple of years and I have been very impressed – they are coming to Qatar to win the World Cup and I believe they will.

Jamie Carragher: ‘Because it was one of the two and they are the two favourites,’ he said of his decision to pick Argentina. ‘I’d love to see Messi lift the World Cup. Yeah I think that would cement him as the greatest of all time.’

Jamie Redknapp: ‘Lionel Messi is in great form. Neymar is in great form again. I have just gone with Brazil – it feels like it could be their time again,’ he said.

Karen Carney believes that Spain will be pipped by Brazil in the final. Carragher thinks Cristiano Ronaldo will watch Messi lift the trophy both of them crave, Redknapp, Spain and Neville, France. 

In the last few weeks, Gary Neville said he thinks England, Brazil and France would be his winners. Seems he can’t decide!

“I’m going to go for England! They’ve gone from semi-final, final, runner-up and now they are going to go one more,” Neville said.

“I think they are on a growth over the last few years and I don’t buy into this idea that the Nation League’s performance is them – they played four games in the middle of summer that actually nobody was stimulated by and I think the two games they played recently against Italy and Germany are tough games that you can lose in any single year.

“So, come the tournament, hopefully injuries won’t take too much of a hold and I’m going to go for England. If not England I’m going to go for France or Argentina.”

But to Sky Sports, Gary Neville went and said: “We always feel we have got great players in this country and we do, but when you look at the Brazil squad you think, ‘Oh my God – where have they come from?’ It was the same when I was playing in tournaments. They had incredibly special players. I’m quite confident they will win it.”

Ian Wright: “Argentina – just coming off the back of winning the Copa America last year, it’s a fantastic squad and it might be the last World Cup for Messi.

“They can play beautiful attacking football but they also know how to really grind out results when needed. England have shown they can get to the latter stages of big tournaments – we have good tournament experience now and we’d do well to get to the semi-final stages again.”

Roy Keane: “It’s going to be hard to stop Brazil. Brazil have such great strength in depth at the moment and some real quality players across the squad. I think France also have some brilliant players and England will come up just short.”

Ally McCoist and Lee Dixon also went with Brazil.

The surprise early exit of the tournament will be Belgium, Carragher believes. ‘I think it’s been a great team. They’ve done fantastically well. I just think it’s a step too far. Romelu Lukaku hasn’t played for weeks, maybe going on months because of injuries.’

Redknapp and Carney agreed with him while Neville chose Uruguay. 

The pick for golden boot winner was split between Messi (Carney), Lautaro Martinez (Carragher and Redknapp) and Kylian Mbappe (Neville). 

Chris Sutton

Which player are you most looking forward to watching?

Lionel Messi, of course. It’s his last World Cup, so I’m interested to see if he can go out with a bang.

Who will be the breakout star?

Japan’s Takefusa Kubo… they call him the “Young Messi”.

Who will win the Golden Boot?

Karim Benzema. Ballon d’Or winner this season. I think he’s going to come out of this World Cup, probably his last, with that Golden Boot.

Which team are you most looking forward to watching?

Senegal, though I don’t know if Sadio Mane is going to be fit.

How far will England go?

Quarter-finals. I think they’ll probably meet France in the Quarter-finals and get walloped.

How far will Wales go?

Wales won’t win a game and will go out in the group stage.

Who will win the World Cup?

France. They’re a little bit moody sometimes, but the players they have, the strength and depth within their squad, I think they’re going to get it together and be world champions again.

Robbie Savage

Which player are you most looking forward to watching?

Messi. It will probably be his last World Cup.

Who will be the breakout star?

Xavi Simons, he’s having an exceptional season for PSV.

Who will win the Golden Boot?

Messi. Argentina have been given a good draw and I think he could score quite a lot of goals in that group stage.

Which team are you most looking forward to watching?

Brazil. All the World Cups, the flare teams, the players…. It’s always Brazil. I can’t wait to see what Brazil have got to offer.

How far will England go?

Semi-finals.

How far will Wales go?

I think they’ll get out the group in second place. I would say the last 16.

Who will win the World Cup?

Brazil, I think they’ve got so much attacking talent.

Adebayo Akinfenwa

Which player are you most looking forward to watching?

Jude Bellingham. I’m looking forward to seeing him on a big stage.

Who will be the breakout star?

Nico Williams of Spain. Not the Welsh one, the one that plays for Athletic Bilbao.

Who will win the Golden Boot?

Harry Kane.

Which team are you most looking forward to watching?

Argentina. I think there’s something about this World Cup for them.

How far will England go?

All the way. It will be an England vs Senegal final.

How far will Wales go?

Semi-finals.  

Who will win the World Cup?

Senegal. I’m throwing that out there. If not England, Senegal. 

Rachel Brown-Finnis

Which player are you most looking forward to watching?

For a whole host of reasons, Christian Eriksen.

Who will be the breakout star?

Gabriel Martinelli. He’s had a great season at Arsenal and he’s going to take that into his first World Cup.

Who will win the Golden Boot?

Harry Kane.

Which team are you most looking forward to watching?

Brazil.

How far will England go?

Final. That’s the minimum I’m expecting!

How far will Wales go?

I think they’ll get out the group. I think last 16.

Who will win the World Cup?

Brazil.

Jules Breach

Which player are you most looking forward to watching?

Messi. It’s his last World Cup, you’d imagine. He’s an absolute legend.

Who will be the breakout star?

Leandro Trossard.

Who will win the Golden Boot?

Harry Kane.

Which team are you most looking forward to watching?

At the last World Cup in Russia, Senegal were so much fun.

They brought such good vibes to every single game they played. Their fans were amazing, the team were always smiling, dancing, happy regardless of results, so I always look forward to seeing Senegal.

I also think one of the tournament’s dark horses could be Denmark, so I’m looking forward to seeing them play as well. They did so well in the Euros, I think they could go quite far in the tournament and surprise some people.

How far will England go?

I think they’ll win their group and do well in the knockout stages. Fingers crossed they make it to the final.

How far will Wales go?

Maybe round of 16.

Who will win the World Cup?

I hope England win the World Cup and they could. Fingers crossed. But who do I think will win it? Maybe Brazil.

Glenn Hoddle

Who will be the breakout star?

Phil Foden is a special player that could take us to another level. He’s got all the capabilities – he can score goals, he can create. He’s got all those assets, so whichever shape you play, he’s a must.

The lad Pedri at Barcelona is a special player. A young kid, 19, and what Xavi’s been saying about him… he could be one. 

Who’s your World Cup dark horse? 

A team like Denmark, they had a good Euros and could be a dark horse.

They’re well organised, they’re strong mentally and physically and they’ve got ability.

How will England do?

I think we’ll fall just short with the defensive frailties. 

Who will win the World Cup?

Brazil have got a solidness about them. They’ve got either goalkeeper – it’s vital that the goalkeepers have a good tournament.

They’ve got this solid base to add to what they’ve got at the top of the pitch, which they always have.

I probably think they’re favourites and rightly so. I think the environment of Qatar is going to suit them – it’s not like playing in Europe or South America, it’s in between. The environment there will be conducive to them wining it. 

What about England’s chances?

Alan Shearer: I don’t see us doing what we have done in the previous two tournaments. Defensively we could struggle in the latter stages, against the big hitters.

Harry Kane is the key, as he has been at all the tournaments we have done well at. If England are going to go deep in the tournament, he is going to have to score five or six goals again, and he will be looking to go back to back with World Cup Golden Boots.

One word to sum up England’s prospects in Qatar? Intriguing – because I am am intrigued whether Gareth Southgate is going to play four or three at the back, and I am intrigued who he is going to play with Kane up top.

Alex Scott: We can be like Brazil in 2002, who went into that World Cup in terrible form and with everyone writing them off but managed something special. Well, that’s the hope with England this time – it seems no-one has real expectations from this team despite being the only European team to reach the semi-finals in each of the past two major tournaments. Another semi-final, at least, is what I’m hoping for.

Rob Green: England will match 2018, and reach the last four.

Micah Richards: We might get to the quarter-finals or semi-finals but I don’t think we’ll win it. If you are going into a tournament with so many injuries and a lot of players out of form, plus some uncertainty over which system will work best, there are a lot of questions about the team. I am sure Southgate will sort a lot of it out, but there are better nations than us.

One word to sum up England’s prospects in Qatar? Cautious. That’s definitely the way I am feeling and that is probably going to be the way Southgate is going to play too.

Jermaine Jenas: We have the quality to get to the semi-finals – it is just whether we can gain that confidence in the group stages. If we scrape through the group, I don’t see us getting past the quarter-finals.

Rio Ferdinand: England will get to the quarter finals and then anything can happen. It’s going to be hard, though.

One word to sum up England’s prospects in Qatar? Excited. I am excited for England because I want them to do well. We’ve been to a semi-final and a final under Southgate, so are we going to be able to go one step further now?

Jamie Redknapp: ‘I would want Foden getting on the ball, getting on the half turn. He doesn’t get that opportunity with City because they’ve got Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne,’ he said. ‘I think for us we don’t possess enough players that do stuff like that.’

Karen Carney: ‘To be honest, I wasn’t confident with anybody in [that centre back selection]. I went with Maguire because as I mentioned in tournament football, with the opening game, also his relationship with Pickford and Stones,’ she explained. ‘Every game at the Euros I was behind the goal for England so I watched how they communicated and how they worked – he hasn’t been great, we can’t hide that. But we have to back him.’

Jamie Carragher: ‘I think it’s been a great strength of Gareth Southgate’s. Three at the back at the world cup four years ago – Euros was a back four before three against Germany and in the final and I think he’s got that option again,’ he said. 

‘If every centre back in this country is playing at their best – Maguire is the best. He may never get back there ever again, where he was two years ago.’

How will Wales do?

Ashley Williams: We are humble enough to say we are happy to be here after going 64 years since we were last at a World Cup, but getting out of the group stage is definitely doable.

The whole squad is going to have to play its part, with players coming off the bench and having an impact in games. I’m looking at Brennan Johnson to do that. He might not be in the starting line-up but he could play a massive role if we need to change the momentum of a game.

One word to sum up Wales’ prospects in Qatar? Optimistic – based on what we’ve done at the past two European Championships, where we started each tournament well and got out of our group.

Chris Sutton: England should beat every team in Group B but, if Wales win their first game against the United States, they will get through too. I just don’t see it happening, though. They haven’t got the depth of quality in their squad you need at a World Cup, and I have got them down as finishing fourth, behind Iran.

Danny Gabbidon: There are fitness doubts over some of our key players, with Joe Allen a particular concern because he plays such a key role in midfield, defensively and starting moves when we go forward. We haven’t got another player who does what he does, so he is the key to everything.

We are in the most difficult group based on the Fifa rankings – the only one with all four teams in the top 20 – so getting to the last 16 would be a great achievement and our first game against the US is hugely important. If we can get something from that, it really sets us up.

One word to sum up Wales’ prospects in Qatar? Optimistic – based on what we’ve done at the past two European Championships, where we started each tournament well and got out of our group.

Matthew Upson: Wales are definitely capable of getting out of their group, but it does depend a lot on their first game. The US are physically very strong and have one of the youngest squads at the tournament. They will have a lot of energy so they will be tricky opponents to start off with.

Gabby Logan: Wales are my surprise package. They will get out of the group, and then anything could happen.

Who else might spring a surprise?

Jermaine Jenas: Brazil and Argentina are not the only South American teams who are dangerous – Uruguay are very much dark horses in this tournament. From Europe, I am looking at Denmark, and I would never discount Germany, who consistently know what they are doing at these tournaments.

Rio Ferdinand: Portugal will do bits; everyone has overlooked them a bit. From Africa, Senegal will pose teams a few problems and will Alphonso Davies make a few waves with Canada? We will see.

Jurgen Klinsmann: The big European teams have to live with the fact that Brazil and Argentina will both be highly motivated, but they will arrive with the same mission. I am looking forward to watching a courageous Germany side that can help us forget the disaster that happened in Russia, when we were defending champions but went out in the group stage. There is still some repair work to be done for Hansi Flick’s side after what happened four years ago, but they are a young team and I want them to be full of energy and courageous with their play. Anything but the last-four for us is disappointing, based on our history at World Cups.

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