Argentina football team’s coach Lionel Scaloni has urged fans to remain calm following Lionel Messi’s opening goal in a crucial 2-0 win over Mexico on Saturday that kept their 2022 Qatar World Cup hope alive. If Argentina had lost with a Group C match remaining, they would have had to say goodbye to their World Cup dreams. Despite this triumph against Mexico, capped by a great Enzo Fernández strike, they must still beat Poland on Wednesday to assure a spot in the last 16, reports Buenos Aires Times. When asked about photos of his assistant Pablo Aimar on the verge of tears during the Argentina vs Mexico match, coach Scaloni asked for some perspective. Read more: Saudi Arabia coach Hervé Renard sorry to disappoint mothe “You have to have some common sense, it’s just a football match,” he said. “I received a message from my brother saying he was crying and it can’t be like that. It’s as if it were more than a football match. “…The players must understand it’s a football match. If not, it will be like this in every match. It’s hard to make people understand that the sun will rise tomorrow, win or lose. What matters is how you do things.” Scaloni stated that he would not be celebrating yet because the Argentina squad is still not out of the water. Even if they draw with Poland, the two-time champion might still get eliminated. Read more: FIFA World Cup 2022: Messi leads Argentina to 2-0 win over Mexico “People will think I’m crazy but fine, we won, we’re celebrating, it happens,” Buenos Aires Times quoted him as saying. “…The joy doesn’t last long, you have to maintain balance,” Scaloni said. Coach Lionel Scaloni is obviously not overjoyed following his team's much-needed 2-0 victory over Mexico on Saturday. Instead, he prefers to remain calm, at least until the next match against Poland, which is virtually a do-or-die contest for Argentina in its quest for a Round of 16 berth at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

From mid-November to mid-December, Qatar will host the twenty-second edition of the Football World Cup. The FIFA World Cup 2022 will include a total of 32 teams. The Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail, will host the final match of the month-long event on December 18. The competition will be divided into two parts: group stages and knockout stages. There will be a Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and championship match in the knockout stages. Let's have a look at the teams that are expected to win the Qatar World Cup 2022. 2022 FIFA World Cup: Participating Teams Thirty-two teams have qualified from the six continental confederations of FIFA. Each confederation has allocated slots for the main event. Qatar qualified for the main event as a host nation. The rest of the teams have been selected through the qualifying phases of each confederation. Europe has the most participating teams with 13, while Oceania has only one slot but has to play a playoff against the fourth placed team in CONCACAF to secure a place in the main event.  Read WI vs BAN: Tamim hits a ton in tour match As per FIFA qualification rules for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the following teams qualified for the main event: Confederation Slots Teams AFC (Asia) Five or Six (Winner of AFC–CONMEBOL play-off) Iran Japan Qatar (hosts) Saudi Arabia South Korea Australia or Peru CONCACAF (The North, Central America and Caribbean) Three or Four (Winner of CONCACAF–OFC play-off) Canada Mexico United States Costa Rica or New Zealand CAF (Africa) Five Cameroon Ghana Morocco Senegal Tunisia CONMEBOL Four or Five (Winner of AFC–CONMEBOL play-off) Argentina Brazil Ecuador Uruguay Peru or Australia OFC (Oceania) Zero or One (Winner of CONCACAF–OFC play-off) New Zealand or Costa Rica UEFA (Europe) Thirteen Belgium Croatia Denmark England France Germany Netherlands Poland Portugal Serbia Spain Switzerland Wales    Source: https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022 Read Bangladesh vs West Indies Test Series 2022: SWOT Analysis of Two Teams Venues for the Qatar World Cup 2022 The bidding procedure for the 2022 World Cup started in January 2009. UEFA nations withdrew their interest in hosting the football World Cup 2022 after ensuring that a European nation would host the 2018 edition. Russia eventually hosted the 2018 World Cup. There were five bids for the World Cup football 2022 and they were Qatar, the United States, Australia, South Korea, and Japan. Qatar and the USA took part in the final bidding as the other three were eliminated from the first, second and third rounds. Qatar eventually won the bidding with 14 votes, while the USA earned 8 votes. The selection of Qatar as the host nation for the FIFA World Cup 2022 sparked a lot of controversy as some of the members of the game's highest governing body were accused of corruption. However, there is a keen interest among fans from all over the world regarding this World Cup. Read BAN vs WI Test Series 2022: Five potential Bangladesh players to watch Qatar is one of the smallest nations yet rich. So, the question raised is how can they manage to organize such a mega event? Qatar promises a sparkling event which the world has never seen before. They intend to build a stadium that will reflect their history and culture. Besides, with this tournament, a country from the Middle East will host a world cup for the first time ever. Qatar has built a total of eight stadiums in five major cities in the country. The cities which will host the tournament are Lusail, Al Khor, Doha, Al Rayyan, and Al Wakrah. The following are the venues for the 2022 World Cup City Stadium Capacity Lusail Lusail Iconic Stadium 80,000 Al Khor Al Bayt Stadium 60,000 Doha Stadium 974 40,000 Doha Al Thumama Stadium 40,000 Al Rayyan Education City Stadium 45,350 Al Rayyan Ahmad bin Ali Stadium 44,740 Al Wakrah Khalifa International Stadium 40,000 Al Wakrah Al Janoub Stadium 40,000    Source: https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022 Read WI vs BAN Test Series 2022: Who has better record? World Cup Football 2022: Who will Play with Whom in the Group Stage? 32 teams were divided into eight groups, and each group contained four teams. The top two teams from each group will advance to the first knockout round. The tournament hosts, Qatar, will compete in Group A, while the reigning champions, France, will compete in Group D. The competition will kick off with the match between the Netherlands and Senegal on November 21. Take a look at the FIFA World Cup 2022 groups Groups Teams Group A Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands Group B England, Iran, USA, Wales Group C Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland Group D France, Denmark, Tunisia, Australia/Peru Group E Spain, Germany, Japan, Costa Rica/New Zealand Group F Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia Group G Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon Group H Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea    Source: https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022 Read ICC Player of the Month for May 2022: Check Out the Nominees As per the draw, Group H is considered to be the toughest of all. Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, and South Korea are all well capable of finishing in the top two in this group. Senegal and the Netherlands are favourites to advance to the Round of 16 from Group A, but Ecuador are also capable of finishing in the top two. England are overwhelmingly favourites in Group B, while Iran, the USA and Wales all have an equal chance of finishing second in this group. Argentina are the favourites to win Group C, while Mexico and Poland will compete for second place. France and Denmark are favourites to move to the Round of 16 from Group D, while Spain and Germany are likely to advance to the next round from Group E. Belgium and Croatia are the favourites in group F. Brazil are widely expected to win Group G. However, Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon all have a chance to finish second in group G, so Brazil will have to be careful in their group stage fixtures. Who are the Favourites to Win the Qatar World Cup 2022? As per the bookies, France, Brazil, Argentina, England, and Spain are the top favourites to win the FIFA World Cup 2022. Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Uruguay, and Portugal also have a good chance to do well during the tournament. Let’s take a look at the current scenario of the top favourites for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Read Joe Root Reaches 10,000 Runs Milestone as England win First Test Against New Zealand France France are the reigning World Cup champions and arguably the hot favourites to win the 22nd edition of the tournament. France recently won the second edition of the Nations League in October 2021 by beating Spain 2-1 in the final. The third-ranked team by FIFA, France, have a very balanced squad with world class players in every position. France are expected to face relatively easier opponents until the quarter-finals, where they may meet either England or the Netherlands. France's top three most important players: N'Golo Kante, Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema World Cup performance in 2018: Champions. Read ENG vs NZ First Test 2022: England Seize Control of Series Opening Match Brazil Five-time World Cup champions, Brazil, are one of the favourites to lift the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Brazil has a formidable squad with outstanding players at every position. Brazil must overcome significant obstacles from the group stage to the knockout rounds in order to reach the final. They must beat Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon to finish first in their group. So, the Selecao needs to be at their very best from the start of the competition. Brazil's top three most important players: Alisson, Fabinho, Neymar Jr  World Cup performance in 2018: Quarter-Finals. Read Shakib Al Hasan's Captaincy Record in Test Cricket: An Overview Argentina One year ago, Argentina's team wasn’t considered a top favourite for the 2022 World Cup. However, things have changed after Argentina’s Copa America 2021 win, followed by the Finalissima 2022 win over Italy. Argentina have emerged as one of the favourites to win the tournament. They are currently unbeaten in 33 matches and are only five matches away from setting up a new world record. They could attain the record during the World Cup. Argentina have a relatively easier group to finish top of the points table and can face Denmark in the Round of 16. Argentina's top three most important players: Angel Di Maria, Lautaro Martinez, Lionel Messi World Cup performance in 2018: Round of 16. Read Litton Das Reaches 12, Highest Ever Test Ranking in Career England England reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and finished second in the 2020 EURO Championship. The English side is very strong as they have some world-class players in their kitty. England should comfortably finish top of their group, but they may face some serious challenges in the knockout rounds. They may face the Netherlands and France in the Round of 16 and quarter-finals should they advance. England's top three most important players: Harry Kane, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Raheem Sterling World Cup performance in 2018: Semi-Finals. Read Who Can Replace Mominul Haque as Bangladesh Test Cricket Captain? Spain The Spanish side is in a rebuilding process, but with the guidance of manager Luis Enrique, they have done pretty well in the recent international fixtures. Spain were runners-up in the second edition of the Nations League, losing to France 2-1 in the final. Spain have some seriously talented players who can inspire them to go further in the tournament. Spain may finish first or second in the group stage, which will determine their opposition in the Round of 16. They will likely face either Belgium or Croatia in the first knockout round. Spain's top three most important players: Cesar Azpilicueta, Sergio Busquets, Rodri World Cup performance in 2018: Round of 16. Read Bangladesh vs West Indies Series 2022: Full Fixtures and Squads Germany The current German squad is not as lethal as it was a few years ago. That is why many pundits don’t think Germany will be a top contender for this year's World Cup. However, Germany are the second-most successful team in the competition, and they can surprise everyone with their performance. Germany will compete against Spain to finish in the top two in the group stage. They may face either Belgium or Croatia in the Round of 16. Germany's top three most important players: Manuel Neuer, Antonio Rudiger, Thomas Muller World Cup performance in 2018: Group Stage. Read Is Mominul doing enough as Test Captain? Belgium The golden generation of Belgium hasn’t lived up to the expectations in recent tournaments. Belgium’s greatest-ever result in the World Cup competition came in the 2018 edition when they finished third. Belgium was one of the favorites to win the 2020 Euro, but they were eliminated in the quarter-finals. Ranked second in the FIFA rankings, Belgium will have to fight against Croatia to finish top in their group. They may face either Spain or Germany in the Round of 16. Belgium's top three most important players: Kevin De Bruyne, Axel Witsel, Romelu Lukaku World Cup performance in 2018: Semi-Finals (Third Place). Read IPL 2022: Meet the Top Individual Performers Netherlands The Dutch team played well in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers after missing out on taking part in the 2018 edition. They have some quality players in their squad and can surprise everyone with some good performances in the main event. The Netherlands should qualify for the Round of 16. They may face an easier opponent if they finish top of their group, but will likely face England if they finish second in their group. Netherlands top three most important players: Matthijs de Ligt, Virgil van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong World Cup performance in 2018: Did not qualify. Read IPL 2022 Final: Who is favourite to win title between Rajasthan and Gujarat? Uruguay Two-time World Cup champions Uruguay may not be an out-and-out favourite, but they have some very good players in their squad. Uruguay may surprise everyone in the knockout stages if they play to their full potential in the main event. However, they have to overcome some big hurdles to finish in the top two in the group stage and qualify for the Round of 16. They may face Brazil in the first knockout round if they finish second in their group. Uruguay's top three most important players: Jose Gimenez, Federico Valverde, Darwin Nunez World Cup performance in 2018: Quarter-Finals. Read Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Test Series 2022: Five Key Discussion Points Portugal Portugal’s recent international success was to win the first edition of the Nations League in 2019. The Portuguese national team had to play in the playoffs to secure a place in the World Cup 2022. They have some top names in world football. The Portuguese team has the ability to win the tournament if they can execute their game plans properly during the competition. Portugal may face Brazil in the Round of 16 depending on the outcome of the group stage. Portugal's top three most important players: Diogo Jota, Bernardo Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo World Cup performance in 2018: Round of 16. Read BAN vs SL 2nd Test 2022: Bangladesh require aggressive mindset in 3rd innings Way Forward According to recent performances, France, Brazil, and Argentina are the favorites to win the FIFA World Cup 2022. In addition, Germany, England, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Uruguay, and Portugal are all strong contenders and will all try to win this year's championship. The ambition for the remaining teams would be to finish at least second in their respective groups and go as far as possible in the knockout stages. Predicting who will perform at their best in the quest for the championship match is difficult given that the majority of the teams are unfamiliar with middle-east weather conditions. The 2022 Qatar World Cup will kick off on November 21 and finish with the title match on December 18.

Both Wales and Ukraine entered the Cardiff City Stadium pitch on Sunday (June 5) in pursuit of their second World Cup main event spot. Wales previously competed in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, whereas Ukraine competed in the 2006 World Cup in Germany for the first and only time. Ukraine have a history of getting eliminated from the playoffs, and it was a major concern for them ahead of the match. Their fears came true when they were beaten 1-0 by Wales during the game, ending their hopes of playing in the FIFA World Cup 2022. With Wales' participation, the qualifications of all 13 European nations for the Qatar World Cup 2022 have been confirmed. Take a look at the European countries who have qualified for the main tournament, as well as Wales' path to World Cup qualifying. Read Cavani shines as Uruguay rout Mexico in friendly 2022 FIFA World Cup: Wales' Qualifying Journey As per the November 2020 FIFA rankings, Wales were placed in pot 2 for the first round of UEFA region qualifying. There were ten groups in the first round, with the winner of each group qualifying for the Qatar World Cup 2022. Wales were drawn to Group E in the first round of qualifying. This group also included Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Estonia. Belgium came out on top in Group E and qualified for the main tournament. Wales finished second in their group, earning a spot in the playoffs. The playoffs included a total of 12 teams, divided into four groups of four teams each. Wales were in Path A, where they defeated Austria 2-1 to reach the playoff final for this path. On the other hand, Ukraine defeated Scotland 3-1 and faced Wales for a place in the 2022 World Cup, but lost 1-0. Wales qualified for the main event for the first time in 64 years after defeating Ukraine. The last time Wales competed in a World Cup was in Sweden in 1958. Sixteen teams competed in the competition, with Wales being one of the twelve European nations. Wales performed well in that competition, finishing second in Group 3 with three points and progressing to the quarter-finals. They were eliminated from the competition after losing 1-0 to the eventual winner, Brazil, in the quarter-final match. Read Who Bagged the Maximum Trophies in Football So Far? Qualified European teams for Qatar World Cup 2022 Only one berth remains for UEFA World Cup qualifiers after twelve teams were confirmed in March. With the confirmation of Wales' participation, all thirteen teams from the European zone have been confirmed. The thirteen European national teams that have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2022 main event are Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, and Wales. Portugal, Poland, and Wales were among those who had to compete in playoffs to qualify for the main tournament. Portugal defeated North Macedonia in the final of the Patch C tie to go to the Qatar World Cup 2022. North Macedonia had earlier surprised Italy 1-0 to set up a one-off match against Portugal for a place in the World Cup. The victory of North Macedonia over Italy is considered the biggest shock of the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers. On the other hand, Poland qualified for the main event after defeating Sweden 2-0 in the Patch B playoff final. Read Summer Football Transfer Window 2022: Potential Big Moves Bottom Line Wales' football supporters will see their side compete in the main event for the first time after missing 15 World Cups in a row. This is undoubtedly a fantastic achievement for Wales' national team. Even more exciting, they will participate in Group B of the main event, where they will face off against their bitter rivals, England. They will also face Iran and the United States in the group stage. Therefore, Wales stand a good chance of making it to the Round of 16. France, Spain, and England are the hot favorites to win the FIFA World Cup 2022 among the European qualifying countries. The Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, and Belgium also have a chance to win the main event. The remainder of the European teams' primary objectives will be to perform well in the main event and go as far as possible in the knockout stages. Read Messi nets 5 for Argentina for 1st time, overtakes Puskas

Qatar will host the 22nd FIFA World Cup, which will begin on November 21 and finish on December 18. 29 teams have already qualified for the main event, and the rest of the three teams will be confirmed in June. All 32 teams will be divided into eight groups, with four teams in each group. The Doha Exhibition and Convention Center hosted the group stage draw on April 1. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 16. Let's have a look at who plays with whom in the group phase in FIFA World Cup 2022. Favourites to progress to the Round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Each team will play three matches in the group stage in order to qualify for the Round of 16. The matches will take place at eight different venues. Let's see which teams have the best chance of making it to the first knockout round. Group A The four teams in Group A are the Netherlands, Senegal, Ecuador, and Qatar. The Netherlands are favourites to claim the top spot in the group, while Senegal and Ecuador will be eyeing the second spot. Oppositely, participating in the World Cup is a significant achievement for Qatar's national team. Verdict: Netherlands and Senegal. Read Qatar stages draw for World Cup amid protests Group B The four national teams in group B are England, Iran, the USA, and the UEFA Path A winner (Wales/Scotland/Ukraine). England are one of the favourites to win this year’s World Cup and they will aim to finish top of this group. Iran were one of the first teams to qualify from the AFC region, and they will be very competitive during the main event. The United States also has a fair chance to advance to the next round. Verdict: England, Iran Group C Argentina are one of the favourites for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and they will likely finish top of Group C. Mexico and Poland will fight for the second spot in this group, while Saudi Arabia have a slim chance. Verdict: Argentina and Mexico. Read FIFA Int'l Friendly: Bangladesh play out goalless draw with Mongolia Group D The reigning champions, France, will start as hot favourites to lift the 2022 Qatar World Cup. They will be up against Denmark, Tunisia, and the AFC-CONMEBOL winner (Peru, Australia, UAE) to seal the first position in the group. Denmark will have a better chance to finish second in the group than the other participants. Verdict: France and Denmark Group E Spain and Germany are the favourites to win the World Cup 2022, and they will almost certainly finish first and second in their group. Japan and the CONCACAF-OFC Winner (Costa Rica/New Zealand) are the other two teams in the group. Verdict: Spain and Germany. Read CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Peru, Colombia, Chile vying for playoff spot Group F Belgium and Croatia will start as favourites to qualify for the Round of 16 from this group. But, Canada and Morocco can also surprise everyone with their performances. Verdict: Belgium and Croatia Group G Brazil are one of the hot favourites to win the Qatar World Cup 2022, and they will attempt to dominate the tournament by finishing first in their group. The other three teams in this group, Switzerland, Cameroon, and Serbia, all have an equal chance to advance to the next round. Verdict: Brazil and Cameroon. Read FIFA World Cup 2022 European Qualifiers: The Probable last three qualified teams Group H This is the most difficult group of all. Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal team cannot afford to be complacent and believe they will breeze through the first round. Because their opponents in this group, Uruguay, Ghana, and South Korea, are all capable of defeating one another. Verdict: Portugal and Uruguay Bottom Line It is clear from the draw that group H will be the death group. There is no obvious favourite in this group. Because Portugal, Uruguay, Ghana, and South Korea all are capable of defeating one another. Moreover, like with every edition, there may be some surprises and upsets in the group phase. However, all of the top-ranked teams are expected to proceed to the FIFA World Cup 2022 Round of 16. Middle Eastern country, Qatar will host the World Cup for the first time, and everyone will be paying special attention to the tournament. Read Women's SAFF U-18s: Bangladesh bow out as runners-up with victory against India