Brazil should be the favorites, but I think there are probably a handful of teams that legit have a shot. I'd really like to see Belgium win it...they have a very good team and haven't ever won anything although they finished 3rd last WC.
It is truly amazing the US is consistently ranked in the Top 20 but has no real shot of winning it, let alone making it to any meaningful game.
Sure, they will likely get out of their group with England, Wales and Iran, but so what? Well...SHOULD get out of their group, which as a whole is actually the hardest group there is with England being ranked 5th, US 16th, Wales 19th and Iran 20th.
Did not know Wales and Iran were that good...
USA on a good day is probably on Wales level . Belgium had a golden generation, but they didn't cash in on it. England, France, Brazil and Argentina have steady supplies of top players. My geuss is that the second team of France is still way better than the best American players.
That's because the masculine men of western Europe either moved the the USA or died off in wars, and most of the rest of the world can't afford USA-style sports.
How popular is soccer in Australia or Japan? You take a country that is either rich or full of historically macho dudes, and soccer doesn't gain much traction. You take a country with both (USA), and no one cares. It's only gaining some traction here due to immigration and poosification.
Lol. It's always funny to see American people talking about soccer.
First of all, the professional players you see are a selection from the best of the best. In WHOLE of Europe, south America and Africa EVERY man been tested on his soccer skills. That's 3 continents where each man knows how to kick a ball. Honorable mention to Japan, South Korea.
Secondly, controlling a ball with your feet is way harder than with your hands. In the USA there are 4 mayor sports, but yall don't realize these sports are only big in the United states. Nobody in said continents cares about NFL, Basketball ice hockey or ..whatever ? Baseball???). only soccer counts. Dont know if you know about the admiration Koybe had for Messi. There are countless examples of soccer players who hate the game but being a soccer player is the highest status a man can get in these continents .
By the way, soccer is more injury prone than kickboxing. Easiest way to get laughed at is being a man but kicking the ball like a woman...
One washed up Gareth Bale is enough to make a team in the US champion lol. Meanwhile there was no premier league club willing to sign Bale because he is done.