08 SaturDay, 19 November 2022

New Delhi
THE NETHERLANDS | CODY GAKPO, 23
FORWARD, PSV EINDHOVEN, 9 CAPS
The Dutch will have balance in midfield with Frenkie de Jong and a world-class
defensive cornerstone
in Virgil Van Dijk but the most exciting player for the Netherlands heading into
Qatar
is young PSV winger Cody Gakpo. Blessed with incredible speed, the 23-year-old
leads the
chart for both goals (9) and assists (12) in the Dutch Eredivisie this season.
“Incredibly talented,”
says author Karan Tejwani, who covers the Dutch league. “He’s probably the most
in-form Dutch player heading into the tournament and could make a big impact.”
ECUADOR | MOISÉS CAICEDO, 21
MIDFIELDER, BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION,
25 CAPS
Moisés Caicedo has become one of the most
sought-after box-to-box midfielders in
Europe with his performances at Premier
League club Brighton. An excellent reader of
the game, Caicedo is known for his passing
and positional intelligence. He even managed
to find the back of the net against Uruguay and
Chile in Ecuador’s qualifying campaign. Caicedo
is dreaming big. He was quoted in a Reuters
report in October as saying: “A good
World Cup for Ecuador would be to reach the
semi-finals. My teammates and I want to leave
Ecuador’s name high up.”
THE CUP OF
DREAMS
Nitin Sreedhar
nitin.s@htlive.com
There’s a good reason the
World Cup is the biggest
sporting event there is. Billions
tune in from across the
globe. Thousands travel to
stadiums to watch their footballing icons live
in action. Hearts are broken. New heroes are
discovered. The joy of qualification is often
paired with the agony of elimination. In the
end, only one team makes it to the top.
In Qatar, from 20 November-18 December,
32 teams will compete for the right to be
called world champions. This tournament
will also have many firsts and lasts. While we
FRANCE | KYLIAN MBAPPE, 23
FORWARD, PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN,
59 CAPS
No Paul Pogba or N’Golo Kante means that France’s chances
of retaining their title will rest heavily on young striker
Kylian Mbappe, who already knows a thing or two about winning
a World Cup. Mbappe has had a whirlwind 2022—on the
verge of joining Real Madrid, he instead signed a contract extension
with PSG, a club with Qatari owners. France manager
Didier Deschamps will hope Mbappe’s blistering pace and dribbling
skills complement the experience
and finishing of striker Karim
Benzema, who is also in
red-hot form.
ARGENTINA | LIONEL
MESSI, 35
FORWARD, PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN,
164 CAPS
Could this finally be Lionel Messi’s
glory? Winning the 2021 Copa América
wait for a major trophy with Argentina.
World Cup that has eluded one of the
his generation. Messi goes to Qatar ing notched up 10 assists and 7 goals
where he is finally beginning to dovetail
teammates Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
age of 35, Messi has lost very little
on the pitch and can easily dictate
flow. He will lead from the front
in what is surely going to be
World Cup.
QATAR | AKRAM AFIF, 26
FORWARD, AL SADD, 89 CAPS
One of the most exciting prospects in Asian
football, Akram Afif has become a mainstay of
the Qatar team at a young age. The World Cup
hosts will have to play out of their skin if they
are to progress from Group A. Afif, along with
striker Hassan Al-Haydos, will be key to their
ambitions. FC Barcelona coach Xavi, who managed
Afif at Al Sadd in the past, called the playmaker
“an unbelievable talent”. The home supporters
will hope Afif will be able to deliver on
that promise.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will kick off in Qatar amid both
controversy and fanfare. As 32 teams get ready to fight for
the biggest prize in football, Lounge profiles one key player
from every team who could prove to be the difference
COVER S
will see the use of semi-automated offside
technology, Qatar will also be the last World
Cup to feature the 32-team format.
It is not easy winning a World Cup. Only
eight national teams—from two continents—
have managed it in 89 years. Football
is a team game but every squad will turn to
that one individual for an extra bout of inspiration
and magic.
Lounge looks at one standout player from
every team at this year’s World Cup and why
they could make all the difference. As Pele,
who lifted the trophy three times with Brazil,
rightly said: “The World Cup is a very
important way to measure the good players,
and the great ones. It is a test of a great
player.”
ENGLAND | HARRY KANE, 29
FORWARD, TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR,
75 CAPS
Harry Kane will head into the World Cup as the most
experienced striker in England’s ranks. The Tottenham
striker, who had an excellent scoring streak in
the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, has been in fine form
domestically as well, with 11 goals so far in the Premier
League. What makes Kane an asset is his ability
to drop into the midfield and assume the “playmaker”
role when needed. The top scorer in the
2018 World Cup, Kane is just three goals shy
of surpassing Wayne Rooney as England’s
record goalscorer. A World Cup
would be the perfect stage to
do it.
POLAND | ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI, 34
FORWARD, FC BARCELONA, 134 CAPS
Robert Lewandowski joined a new club in the
summer but his goal-scoring form has not
changed. The former Bayern Munich striker
has 18 goals in all competitions for Barcelona
this season and Polish fans will hope that their
record goalscorer can continue that run in
Qatar for the national team. In the 2018
World Cup, Lewandowski failed to score a
single goal as Poland crashed out in the
group phase. If Poland are to change that
and spring a surprise in Group C, then
they will need Lewandowski firing on all
cylinders.
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