Teams that can trip up rivals with the champion tag

As much as the FIFA World Cup is about the Brazils, Argentinas and Germanys of the football powerhouses and the Lionel Messis and Cristiano Ronaldos of its starpower, it is also about teams that rise to the occasion at the quadrennial spectacle.

Look no further back than 2018, when Croatia embarked upon a rousing run in Russia only to be halted by France at the final stop. Belgium, who beat Brazil in the quarter-finals, finished third while England were fourth.

Four years on, these nations continue to fill the in-the-mix bowl on the World Cup plate, on which just eight champions have feasted in history. How do they stack up in Qatar amid the favourite few biggies? Let’s dive in:

Croatia

Croatia's two best World Cup finishes—third on debut in 1998 (it was earlier part of Yugoslavia) and second in 2018—sandwich three group stage exits and the failure to qualify in 2010.

But having a squad with the likes of Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic, Marcelo Brozovic and Dejan Lovren is a once-in-a-generation phenomenon. These Croatia craftsmen will flaunt their skills again on Arab soil, hoping to add one more chapter to their history-scripting book from four years ago.

There's little to doubt whether Zlatko Dalic’s side can have a crack at glory again. They topped their qualifying Group H with seven wins and just one defeat. In September, Croatia booked a spot in the Nations League semi-finals after breezing past Austria. That they sit beside Italy, Spain and Holland in the league’s final four reflects the stature of Croatia heading into this World Cup.

Navigating the group stage though could get tricky for Modric and Co due to the presence of Canada, Morocco and Belgium.

Belgium

The mention of Belgium brings us to their golden generation in what will perhaps be their last dance in Qatar.

If it indeed is, this bunch of Belgians—Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois carry the weight of expectations and Romelu Lukaku is in a race to get fully fit—would be eager to put on another show before signing off from the biggest stage. The batch has given football fans in their country and beyond plenty to cheer, none more than in Russia where they impressed in quality and outcome alike during a third-place campaign. It wiped away over two decades of disappointment since finishing fourth at the 1986 World Cup.

The Belgian bash has a lot to do with coach Roberto Martinez, who took charge of the national team in August 2016 and made it a greater collective force. Their recent form, however, has been patchy. Belgium strolled through the qualifying hurdle with six wins and two draws but their Euro campaign last year that ended with a quarter-final loss to Italy was a dampener post the World Cup spark. They also did not make the Nations League semi-finals this year, and a 2-1 defeat to Egypt in a warm-up on Friday ought to be a far from ideal build-up.

England

England's one and only World Cup triumph, in 1966, feels like ages ago. But their gradual upswing over the last few years has flickered hope again.

After ending semi-finalists four years ago, their best World Cup showing since 1990, England kicked on to go to the final at last year's Euro at home, falling agonisingly short on penalties in the final against Italy. Further proof of the progress path under Gareth Southgate would come in the qualifiers for Qatar, where England stayed unbeaten and topped the group that also comprised Poland and Hungary scoring 39 goals, the most by any European team in qualifying. But their 4-0 defeat to Hungary in June in the Nations League, where they were winless and relegated, has slightly dented that surge.

Heading into Qatar, Southgate has also had to deal with a few injury issues, missing fullbacks Reece James and Ben Chilwell. The manager has backed an out-of-form defender Harry Maguire, dropped from the Manchester United line-up, to deliver. At the front he has his trusted leader in Harry Kane—he won the 2018 World Cup Golden Boot. Kane has the ability to not just pump in goals but inspire troops on battle day.

Portugal

Rather unsurprisingly, Portugal's World Cup leadup has been hogged by Cristiano Ronaldo. His simmering issues at Manchester United, which turned into a full-blown saga after a tell-all interview blasting the club and its manager, has been the talk of the footballing world. Every move of Ronaldo in Qatar will be scrutinised with a magnifying glass; fellow Portuguese Bruno Fernandes has already had to clarify on his "frosty" meeting with his club teammate in the team dressing room.

It remains to be seen how much all the noise around him impacts Ronaldo as well as the team out on national duty. While their 37-year-old GOAT may be on the last legs of his World Cup journey, this Portugal squad, clubbed with Ghana, Uruguay and Korea, has a few young talents that could step up. They also have trophies to show of late--the 2016 Euro and 2019 Nations League wins.

With Ronaldo out to prove a point, how deep can they go in Qatar?

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