World Cup 2022 ultimate draw round-up: Team-by-team and group guide for first-ever winter tournament in Qatar

THE 2022 World Cup draw is complete – with England joining the USA, Iran and one of Scotland, Wales and Ukraine in Group B.

So what the Three Lions’ chance of finally ending 56 years of hurt this winter in Qatar?

And, for that matter, what about the other 31 nations?

SunSport takes a look at every team set to take part in the 2022 World Cup – the first-ever to be held in winter.

From each nation’s manager and star men to their best-ever performance and chances for this summer, we take a look.

From Group A to Group H, check out our comprehensive guide, below…

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All the reaction as England get dream draw for World Cup group stage

GROUP A

Qatar

Coach: Felix Sanchez

Star man: Akram Afif

World Cup best: Never previously qualified

The hosts proved their mettle by winning the 2019 Asian Cup and Barcelona-raised Sanchez has melded together a genuinely integrated unit.

But the World Cup is another challenge altogether and expectations on a team which went eight games without a win last year are not entirely sky-high.

Offer them a last 16 spot and everyone would be delighted.

Ecuador

Coach: Gustavo Alfaro

Star man: Enner Valencia

World Cup best: Last 16 2006

South America’s surprise qualifiers made it to Qatar after a roller-coaster ride that saw seven wins and six defeats by the time their berth was confirmed – despite losing to eliminated Paraguay.

Argentine coach Alfaro took the job after leaving Boca Juniors in 2020.

West Ham and Everton fans will not recall skipper Valencia too fondly but he has a goal every other game for his nation.

Senegal

Coach: Aliou Cisse

Star man: Sadio Mane

World Cup best: Quarter-finals 2002

Repeated their African Cup of Nations shoot-out triumph over Egypt to earn a third finals appearance and fittingly it was Liverpool ace Mane who slotted the decisive spot kick.

Plenty of Prem stars including Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy give them plenty of top tier experience.

Birmingham and Portsmouth fans will remember Cisse as a defensive midfielder.

Holland

Coach: Louis Van Gaal

Star man: Virgil van Dijk

World Cup best: Runners-up 1974, 1978, 2010

Van Gaal’s third spell at the helm threatened to be cut short but having scrambled through to clinch an automatic slot, the Dutch will travel with less pressure than on previous occasions – which might let them relax and play.

Memphis Depay’s goals will be crucial to a deep run while Van Gaal will ignore the brickbats and play his own way. Hard to see them getting beyond the last 16, though.

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GROUP B

England

Coach: Gareth Southgate

Star man: Harry Kane

World Cup best: Winners 1966

Successive semi-final appearances have made Three Lions fans dream and this was the tournament former FA chairman Greg Dyke targeted for glory.

Southgate, though, knows he has to deliver on the biggest stage, against opponents who play keep-ball.

A fit Kane is a guarantee of goals and Southgate has arguably more attacking options than any of his predecessors.

This is, surely, England’s greatest opportunity in more than half a century – especially after their favourable group-stage draw.

Iran

Coach: Dragan Skocic

Star man: Mehdi Taremi

World Cup best: Group stage 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018

Asia’s strongest nation have yet to prove it on the biggest stage of all – just two wins in 15 matches – but maybe it is time for them to reach the knock-out rounds for the first time.

Qualification for Qatar was never in doubt and now two-thirds of Team Melli, including Porto striker Taremi, Leverkusen’s Sardar Azmoun and skipper and former Brighton midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh, are playing in major European leagues.

USA

Coach: Gregg Berhalter

Star man: Christian Pulisic

World Cup best: Semi-finals 1930

After missing out in 2018, Berhalter and his team at least cleared the first obstacle this time round, although their berth was not confirmed until the final game of the “Octagonal” qualifying round.

In Chelsea’s Pulisic, Dortmund’s Gio Reyna and Leipzig’s Tyler Adams, the US have some serious young talent.

This is probably about bedding a team down for their main hosting role in 2026.

Wales vs Scotland or Ukraine

GROUP C

Argentina

Coach: Lionel Scaloni

Star man: Lionel Messi

World Cup best: Winners 1978, 1986

This, surely, will be Messi’s last chance to crown his glittering career with the biggest prize of all and Scaloni’s side eased through what has frequently been a white knuckle qualifying process.

Plenty of familiar faces to Prem fans but the loss of Sergio Aguero and failure, so far, of Paulo Dybala to shine, means arguably too much on the shoulders of the little genius.

Saudi Arabia

Coach: Herve Renard

Star man: Fahad Al-Muwallad

World Cup best: Last 16 1994

The Green Falcons were never under any qualification threat despite being in the same group as Japan and Australia, although it is hard to see them making much more impression than in their tame exit in 2018.

One-time Cambridge United boss Renard won the African Nations with both Zambia and Ivory Coast and was in charge of the Morocco side denied a famous win over Spain in 2018 in stoppage time.

Al-Muwallad is reputedly the fastest player in Asia.

Mexico

Coach: Gerardo “Tata” Martino

Star man: Hirving Lozano

World Cup best: Quarter-finals 1970, 1986

El Tri always light up a tournament off the field and their win over Germany in Moscow four years ago saw an explosion of delight.

Despite all that passion, though, Mexico have only reached the last eight in tournaments played at home and have gone out at the last 16 stage for seven World Cups in a row.

Argentine former Barcelona coach Martino took Paraguay to the quarter-finals in 2010 but many feel their desert hopes are a mirage.

Poland

Coach: Czeslaw Michniewicz

Star man: Robert Lewandowski

World Cup best: Third 1974, 1982

The runners up to England made it through via the play-offs, although aided by Russia’s disqualification.

Lewandowski’s goal sense remains undimmed by time while Aston Villa’s Matty Cash will certainly think he made the right choice if he is named in their Qatar squad.

Michniewicz picked up the pieces after Paulo Sousa’s end of year desertion although the win over Sweden was his first competitive match.

GROUP D

France

Coach: Didier Deschamps

Star man: Kylian Mbappe

World Cup best: Winners 1998, 2018

Les Bleus turned a limited game-plan into maximum reward in Russia, defending with resolve, showing poise in the middle and then attacking with pace and conviction.

They are a better side with Karim Benzema to augment Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann, though all of France wonders what version of Paul Pogba will show up.

Euro flop will burn deep, too.

Denmark

Coach: Kasper Hjulmand

Star man: Mikkel Damsgaard

World Cup best: Quarter-finals 1998

Denmark’s rebound from the depths of genuine personal despair after Christian Eriksen’s near-fatal collapse against Iceland was one of the feel-good stories of Euro 2020.

And even the surprise defeat at the hands of Scotland in their final match could not dampen joy at a superb qualification campaign.

Will back themselves to match that last eight run of 24 years ago, even more so if Eriksen’s return story ends in delight.

Tunisia

Coach: Jalel Kadri

Star man: Wahbi Khazri

World Cup best: Group stage 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018

The Carthage Eagles put up a hell of a fight before Harry Kane’s knock-out blow in Volgograd in 2018 but since then faith in the team has taken a knock.

Qualifying in the play-off with Mali, due to a disastrous back pass own goal, came after managing just two shots on target in 180 minutes, summed up their limitations.

Skipper Khazri is far from a regular for St Etienne in France.

Australia or UAE or Peru

TBD.

GROUP E

Spain

Coach: Luis Enrique

Star man: Pedri

World Cup best: Winners 2010

Spain underwhelmed with their last 16 exit in Russia, after a group phase debacle in Brazil.

But reaching the Euro 2020 semis suggested Luis Enrique and his young team can think of returning to former glories.

La Furia Roja, though, still lack the natural finisher that many of their rivals boast and that could be their downfall once again.

Costa Rica or New Zealand

TBD.

Germany

Coach: Hansi Flick

Star man: Leon Goretzka

World Cup best: Winners 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014

In hindsight, Joachim Low should have quit after Die Mannschaft’s group stage exit in Russia rather than after the Euro 2020 Wembley loss to England.

But Flick’s return to the international set-up brought a sea-change in mood music and confidence.

Germany look short of the standards they set in 2014 but nobody does tournament mentality better.

You wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the semis again.

Japan

Coach: Hakimi Moriyasu

Star man: Takumi Minamino

World Cup best: Last 16 2002, 2010, 2018

Victory in Sydney to consign Australia to the play-offs and confirm their passage was the perfect end to another solid campaign for the Samurai Blue, with former midfielder Moriyasu stepping up from an assistant role in 2018 to continue his country’s record of achievements.

Arsenal full-back Takehiro Tomiyasu and Liverpool’s Minamino are among a solid core of players with significant European club experience.

GROUP F

Belgium

Coach: Roberto Martinez

Star man: Kevin de Bruyne

World Cup best: Third 2018

The Red Devils’ near four-year reign at the top of the world rankings ended this week but Martinez’s side have nothing to show for it except a series of near-misses.

This feels like the last hurrah for Belgium’s Golden Generation and maybe a tournament too far for the likes of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld.

Still a class act and if Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku can get back to their best they will travel in hope, if not expectation.

Canada

Coach: John Herdman

Star man: Alphonso Davies

World Cup best: 1986 group stage

Consett-born former Sunderland youth team coach Herdman has made a name for himself in New Zealand and now Canada and qualifying before the US and Mexico was a genuine feat.

Bayern Munich left-back Davies and Lille striker Jonathan David are among more than half the likely squad plying their trade in Europe.

Outsiders, of course, but making to Qatar was a massive success.

Morocco

Coach: Vahid Halilhodzic

Star man: Youssef En-Nesyri

World Cup best: Last 16 1986

Crushed DR Congo to earn their place but the biggest thing veteran Bosnian coach Halilhodzic could do between now and November is beg Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech to reverse his international retirement.

Hard to see the Atlas Lions making much of a roar without their most talented player although Sevilla striker En-Nesyri is proven at the top level.

Croatia

Coach: Zlatko Dalic

Star man: Luka Modric

World Cup best: Runners-up 2018

So nearly the ultimate triumph in Moscow but Dalic and his men looked off the pace and struggling to keep up in Euro 2020.

Still good enough, just, to see off Russia and claim their automatic place in the desert.

Much depends on Modric, Chelsea’s Mateo Kovavic and Inter’s Ivan Perisic but the international retirement of Ivan Rakitic has made a negative impact.

GROUP G

Brazil

Coach: Tite

Star man: Neymar

World Cup best: Winners 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002

Expectations on the “Selecao” are always mountainous but the past four World Cups have been a huge disappointment.

Neymar’s reputation hinges on him making a real impact on the game’s biggest stage.

Tite has built a functional side, rather than one in the grand Brazilian traditions.

But Qatar will be neutral territory and his side will be the local “favourites” once the Arabic nations are eliminated. That could prove a factor.

Serbia

Coach: Dragan Stojkovic

Star man: Aleksandar Mitrovic

World Cup best: Fourth (as Yugoslavia) 1930, 1962; group stage (as Serbia) 2010, 2018

“Piksi” Stojkovic – nicknamed after a cartoon character – had 18 years as the key attacking schemer of the former Yugoslavia team.

Now, following the Balkan fracturing, he is in charge of his homeland alone.

And ousting Portugal from top spot in their qualifying group was a significant feat, especially after missing out on Euro 2020 in that shoot-out defeat to Scotland.

Switzerland

Coach: Murat Yakin

Star man: Xherdan Shakiri

World Cup best: Quarter-finals 1934, 1938, 1954

After ousting France and also taking Spain to a penalty shoot-out in the Euros, the Swiss took a further step forward by edging Italy into the play-offs after an unbeaten qualifying campaign.

Still a sum greater than their individual parts and likely to be one of the oldest squads in Qatar.

Would expect to make the last 16 but going further might be a stretch.

Cameroon

Coach: Rigobert Song

Star man: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

World Cup best: Quarter-finals 1990

England fans of a certain vintage will never forget the Indomitable Lions but that 1990 run to the last eight is the only time they have escaped the group phase.

Former Liverpool and West Ham defender Song over-achieved by steering a modest group past favourites Algeria with a 124th minute winner after Bayern’s former Stoke striker Choupo-Moting scored the opener.

GROUP H

Portugal

Coach: Fernado Santos

Star man: Cristiano Ronaldo

World Cup best: Third 1966

Portugal could have done without the stress of the play-offs, although Italy’s debacle against North Macedonia did them a favour.

Ronaldo remains untouchable, even if, perhaps, the team can actually look more cohesive when they do not have to feed his demands.

Familiar faces abound in Diogo Jota, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes and Joao Moutinho but they were ordinary in last summer’s Euros and might be past their best.

Ghana

Coach: Otto Addo (interim)

Star man: Thomas Partey

World Cup best: Quarter-finals 2010

The Black Stars are back on the biggest stage after missing out in 2018, with Arsenal midfielder Partey’s strike squeezing them past bitter foes Nigeria on away goals.

Whether Addo’s interim status will be made permanent for November is less clear and he seems likely to be replaced by a European.

Ayew brothers Jordan and Andre have played for plenty of Prem clubs between them.

Uruguay

Coach: Diego Alonso

Star man: Edinson Cavani

World Cup best: Winners 1930, 1950

The decision to dismiss long-serving Oscar Tabarez after 15 years in November, with Uruguay winless in five qualifiers and down in seventh, was a gamble.

As was replacing him with former national team striker Alonso.

But the turnaround was spectacular, three successive wins earning a Qatar spot with a game to spare.

Cavani and Luis Suarez are no longer spring chickens, though. And they will be six months older by November.

South Korea

Coach: Paulo Bento

Star man: Son Heung-min

World Cup best: 4th 2002

Tottenham star Son is one of the most recognisable and popular players in world football and the Koreans eliminated Germany in Russia four years ago.

Now back for a 10th straight World Cup – a run only bettered by Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Spain – after easing through alongside Iran.

Former Portugal midfielder and 2014 World Cup boss Bento knows he is expected to aim for the last eight, although that might be a stretch.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk