Fantasy Football

Jeremy Clarkson has selected the greatest Dream Team World Cup XI… in the world!Or at least that’s what would say… but can YOU do better?
The petrolhead and farmer invites you to put your football knowledge to the test and take him on in his Celebrity League this winter.
It’s very simple to enter. Simply pick your own team via Dream Team’s website or app and join Clarkson’s league using the PIN: WCJEZZAC – it will also be easily visible under the Leagues tab.

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Player prices will be finalised in the coming days once the official deadline for squad submissions has passed – until then you’re invited to pick a provisional team.
You can make as many changes as you like until the tournament gets underway so there’s no need to delay.
Let’s take a GRAND TOUR of Jeremy’s provisional team and see if you’ll have to engage TOP GEAR to beat him…
Can you do better than Jeremy Clarkson?Credit: DREAM TEAM
Despite Chelsea being on a downward spiral, Clarkson has shown a great deal of faith in his beloved side.
He’s selected no fewer than FOUR players from Graham Potter’s outfit, including Brazil captain Thiago Silva.
The legendary centre-back enters his fourth World Cup finals at the tender age of 38, and could bag his fair share of points if tournament favourites Brazil live up to the hype.
He’s joined in a 3-4-3 formation by Chelsea college and Senegal icon Kalidou Koulibaly, who’s no stranger to goals having scored 19 in his club career.
Alisson is chosen between the sticks, which could be a masterstroke IF manager Tite selects him ahead of Manchester City’s Ederson.
Federico Valverde is having an outstanding season for Real MadridCredit: GETTY
Guess what? There’s more Chelsea in midfield. Shock.
Half of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire presenter’s engine room includes Stamford Bridge stars with Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic included.
It could be viewed as a gamble with Kovacic a defensively-minded player and Mount not nailed-on to make Gareth Southgate’s starting XI for their opener with Iran.
Uruguay’s Federico Valverde is certainly not a gamble.
The 24-year-old is in blistering form having scored eight goals and provided four assists in 20 appearances under Carlo Ancelotti this season.
Leicester’s Youri Tielemans completes the midfield four, and could well make a mockery of his price against Group F opponents Canada, Morocco and Croatia.
Alisson Becker celebrates winning the Copa America Brazil 2019 FinalCredit: GETTY
No Chelsea in attack, which probably reveals Clarkson’s thoughts on Romelu Lukaku…
Instead he’s opted for Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe, who’s hoping to win his second successive World Cup with France.
Mbappe, 23, has 28 goals in 59 games for France and a further 190 in 237 appearances for PSG in all competitions. A reliable source of points? Absolutely.
He’s joined by Thomas Muller, who will have to shoulder a lot of the attacking responsibility for Germany with Timo Werner ruled out through injury.
The Bayern Munich star was once known as a major tournament specialist, could he roll back the years in Qatar?
The last player on the team sheet is Breel Embolo for Switzerland, who have the often devastating label of ‘dark horses’ for the competition.
Think you can pick a better XI than Clarkson? Prove it!

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BRAZIL are the pre-tournament favourites to win the World Cup this winter.Historical giants of the international game with five victories on the greatest stage, the Selecao’s only defeat in the last three years came in the final of the most recent Copa America, where they lost to rivals Argentina.
Tite’s side head to Qatar having won their last seven games, scoring 26 goals and conceding just twice in that time.
It’s no wonder Dream Team World Cup gaffers have been keen to include Brazil assets when constructing their provisional teams – their attacking talent is specially tempting.

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Brazil pack a punch going forwardCredit: getty
Neymar has played as a No10 in recent times, allowing Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior his preferred place on the left flank.
Raphinha will probably get the nod to play from the right, despite blowing hot and cold for Barcelona this term – the ex-Leeds winger has scored five goals and provided four assists in 11 appearances for Brazil.
The big debate right now concerns the centre-forward position, contested chiefly between Gabriel Jesus and Richarlison.
Premier League fans may see this as a no-contest in favour of the former given he’s been a key contributor to Arsenal’s flying start, scoring scoring five goals and providing five assists to help the Gunners top the table at the break.
In contrast, Richarlison is yet to score a league goal for Tottenham this term, although he’s played about a third of the minutes – and of course Harry Kane leads the line for Antonio Conte’s side.
This disparity is reflected in the pair’s Dream Team World Cup popularity.
With an ownership of 13.5%, Jesus is currently the sixth-most selected forward in the game whereas Richarlison features in just 2.1% of teams.
All is not as it seems…
But here’s the thing, the Spurs forward has scored seven goals in his last 303 minutes of international football – that’s one every 43.3 minutes since he returned to the squad in March.
In contrast, Gabriel Jesus has scored one goal in his last 21 appearances for Brazil and was left out of the squad by Tite as recently as September.
His impressive form under Mikel Arteta has earned him a spot on the plane to Qatar but whether he will immediately start at centre-forward is another matter entirely, especially given Richarlison’s prolific form for his country this year.
Dream Team World Cup bosses should concentrate on likely starters and so in that sense it seems 13.5% of them are making a mistake backing Jesus right now.
And in the same breath, far too many are overlooking Richarlison.
Richarlison has shone for Brazil in 2022Credit: getty
However, this is only educated guesswork, perhaps Tite has noted the pair’s respective club form in recent weeks and taken that into account when plotting his starting line-up for Brazil’s opening group game against Serbia.
But doesn’t it seem more likely that he will continue to show faith in the man who has scored seven goals in his last six international outings?
Just something to mull over, gaffers…

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PIERS MORGAN has selected his Dream Team World Cup XI as excitement for the tournament in Qatar builds by the day.The TalkTV presenter, who has eight million followers on Twitter, invites you to put your football knowledge to the test and take him on in his Celebrity League this winter.
All you have to do is pick your own team via Dream Team’s website or app and join Piers’ league using the PIN: WCMORGAN – it will also be easily visible under the Leagues tab.

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Player prices will be finalised in the coming days once the official deadline for squad submissions has passed – until then you’re invited to pick a provisional team.
You can make as many changes as you like until the tournament gets underway so there’s no need to delay.
Let’s take a closer look at Piers’ provisional team so you know what you’re up against…
Think you can do better? Prove it!Credit: DREAM TEAM
Piers is a long-time admirer of Cristiano Ronaldo so it’s no surprise to see the five-time Ballon d’Or winner leading the line.
Portugal start their tournament against Ghana, who the 37-year-old has scored against at the 2014 World Cup, if omens are your thing.
Man United’s No7 is joined by Thomas Muller, who will have to shoulder a lot of the attacking responsibility for Germany with Timo Werner ruled out through injury.
The Bayern Munich star was once known as a major tournament specialist, could he roll back the years in Qatar?
As an Arsenal fan, Piers know what Gabriel Jesus offers better than most but it remains to be seen whether Tite has as much faith in the Gunners’ striker.
In midfield, Piers has offset the experience of Luka Modric with the youthful exuberance of Pedri and Bukayo Saka.
The latter, another Emirates favourite, is likely to get the nod at right wing for England after making a massive difference off the bench against Germany in the Three Lions’ last outing.
Piers is backing Saka to excel for England in QatarCredit: getty
Barcelona’s 19-year-old midfielder is already one of the best players in his position on a global scale and casual onlookers should expect him to carry on in Spain colours where he left off at Euro 2020.
Pedri may be a joy to watch but he doesn’t specialise in plentiful goals and assists so you may be able to get the edge on Piers by selecting a more attack-minded asset in his place.
In defence, Piers recognises that injuries to Ben Chilwell and Reece James mean Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw are likely to start as full-backs/wing-backs for the Three Lions.
England defenders were hugely successful in Dream Team Euros and Trippier is raking in points for fun in the classic Season game this term so this combination should be a profitable one.
A class act between the sticks
Dream Team World Cup bosses will have a £50million limit once player prices are finalised so it’s likely you’ll have to identify some value-for-money options to accommodate your top-of-the-range superstars.
Piers has picked out Arsenal’s William Saliba and Man City’s Manuel Akanji, who represent France and Switzerland respectively, the latter may be worthy of the dark horses tag.
Finally, Piers has opted for proven quality between the sticks in the form of Manuel Neuer.
The 36-year-old returned from injury last week and will once again be Germany’s last line of defence on the big stage.
Think you can pick a better XI than Piers? Prove it!

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PEOPLE have been saying “this is the Belgium Golden Generation’s last chance” for about three tournaments now but the 2022 World Cup really does feel like the last-chance saloon for this particular crop.The Red Devils finished third in Russia and Dream Team World Cup bosses will definitely be backing them to progress from Group F, where they’ll meet Morocco, Canada and Croatia.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the star players, potential flops and bargain options among Roberto Martinez’s squad.

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Belgium take on Canada in their opening fixture at the World Cup
STAR PLAYERS
With an ownership of 39.2%, Kevin De Bruyne is currently the most-popular midfielder among Dream Team World Cup gaffers and it’s hardly a surprise.
The Man City playmaker is arguably the best player in his position in the world right now – he’s registered 12 assists in all competitions at club level already this season.
De Bruyne averages a goal involvement every 104 minutes for Belgium – he’ll be Dream Team World Cup’s most-expensive midfelder when prices are finalised but immense quality comes at a price.
The last 18 months have been the best of Thibaut Courtois’ career from an individual perspective – he was a key contributor to Real Madrid’s latest Champions League triumph.
If you back Belgium to keep clean sheets in Qatar then you’re probably best off going straight to the source as the ageing defenders in front of him may be shuffled.
Up top, Romelu Lukaku remains the main man, despite limited involvement for Inter this term.
The hulking No9 has scored 68 goals in 102 appearances for Belgium – at 29 years old he’s already one of the most prolific goalscorers in international football history.
His preparation for the tournament may not be ideal but by the time the action is under in Qatar, Lukaku will be the focal point for a team stacked with creative talent – it’s always tempting to back the striker on the end of De Bruyne’s crosses.
Hazard warningCredit: getty
POTENTIAL FLOPS
Eden Hazard was one of the best players on display at the last World Cup but the last three years have been miserable for the ex-Chelsea star.
Constantly dogged with injuries, he’s looked a shadow of his former self in a Real Madrid shirt – he’s mustered just four goals in 51 La Liga outings since 2019.
As Belgium captain, Hazard will surely start in Qatar but, realistically, how many Dream Team World Cup points is he going to earn given his current form?
The truth is that Leandro Trossard is more deserving of a spot in the starting line-up – Martinez may be able to fit both in.
Axel Witsel is unlikely to flop as he’s a reliable anchor in the middle of the park but his profile simply isn’t conducive to Dream Team World Cup success – stay clear of defensive-minded midfielders.
Incredibly, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are both still knocking about for the national team.
Both excellent centre-backs in their prime, they have 264 caps’ worth experience between but Father Time comes for all players eventually and the pair will not be relishing the prospect of taking on the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vincius Junior and company if they progress to the latter stages of the tournament.
A familiar faceCredit: getty
BARGAIN OPTIONS
True bargains are hard to come by when shopping around the top teams but there some assets capable of providing value for money in Belgium’s ranks.
Youri Tielemans’ provisional price range of £3m – £3.5m feels generous given the Leicester man’s quality.
If he’s finalised at the lower end then he could well be worth a whirl as there have been plenty of goals and assists to share around among Martinez’s side in recent times.
It’s a similar story for Thomas Meunier, who has a sharper eye for goal than almost anyone else in his position.
If the Borussia Dortmund man continues as Belgium’s right wing-back then £3.5m – £4m could be reasonable – he’s been a notable performer at the last two major tournaments.

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IF you want to gauge how football literate somebody is then simply ask them their opinion of Neymar.This is a useful litmus test.
If they focus primarily on the Brazilian’s penchant for diving and his perceived prima donna attitude over his outrageous talent then that should raise red flags.
If they dare label him ‘overrated’ then that’s your cue to disregard their footballing intellect entirely.
You don’t have to like Neymar, the way he carries himself on the pitch (and off it) may rub you up the wrong way, that’s fine, but if you allow your assessment of his character to blur your opinion of him as a footballer then you commit foolish mistake.

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Neymar is a divisive character but he really shouldn’t beCredit: getty/DREAM TEAM
Forget detailed analytics for a moment – although the spreadsheet enthusiasts will tell you PSG’s No10 is freakish talent – and consider this: every player can be judged in terms of style and substance.
There are individuals who look slick and effortless on the pitch but perhaps don’t boast the necessary quantifiable returns to be ranked among the game’s greats.
Then there are players who are mightily effective but are somehow lacking in aesthetic beauty – this isn’t a major flaw by any means but we must remember that sport is something to be enjoyed, an entertainment product we seek out between the hours donated to work or sleep.
In both aspects, style and substance, Neymar excels.
The 30-year-old needs just two more international goals to equal Pele’s all-time record of 77 for Brazil having already surpassed the likes of Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Zico, Romario and Ronaldo.
He has over 600 goal involvements in his professional career at a rate of one every 82 minutes.
His trophy case has been reinforced many times over, not least in 2015 when he won a memorable treble with Barcelona – his goal in the Champions League final to seal the feat was his 39th of the season.
Style and substanceCredit: getty
His numbers alone are astonishing and yet it would be a crime to judge Neymar on stats as he is one of the most entertaining players to ever grace a pitch.
He is one of the greatest dribblers of all time and he is blessed with a distinctly Brazilian flair for showmanship: rainbow kicks, nutmegs, spins, backheels, that midair rabona first touch thing he does.
His highlight reel ranks alongside those of the most skilful players in history.
And yet he is mocked for the doing the very same things that made Ronaldinho a hero to millions – a bare-faced hypocrisy – because he is not seen as affable as his compatriot.
To deny Neymar the footballer is to deny a joyous phenomenon.
However, while many the of the sticks used to beat the Selecao’s No10 are hollow, criticism of his failure to deliver Brazil a major international trophy are partially valid.
The 2013 Confederations Cup is his only honour in international football – the Copa America and the World Cup have both eluded him.
More generally, Brazil’s lack of success on the grand stages in recent years has caused much pain and frustration in a country that is arguably more entwined with the sport than any other.
Brazil crumbled at the 2014 World Cup after Neymar was sidelined with injuryCredit: getty
As his nation’s best player, Neymar has often had to shoulder the responsibility and it will be no different this winter with Brazil the bookmakers’ favourites to triumph in Qatar.
2014 was Neymar’s first World Cup – Dunga famously ignored a public petition calling for his inclusion in the 2010 squad – and he was brilliant on home soil, scoring four goals and providing two assists before his campaign was cut short by an injury sustained in the quarter-final.
You don’t need reminding what happened when Brazil met Germany in the semi-final without their top scorer or suspended captain Thiago Silva…
Neymar was pretty good again in 2018 although his inclination to buy free-kicks instead of riding challenges disrupted his side’s rhythm at times – still he scored two goals and provided an assist before being dumped out by Belgium in a quarter-final remembered for an Eden Hazard masterclass.
2022 may not necessarily be Neymar’s last chance to claim Brazil’s sixth World Cup but it’ll be the last tournament that coincides with his peak years – he’s been sensational for PSG this term.
If he were to inspire the Selecao to glory then perhaps he would finally earn the reputation he deserves as a generational footballer – surely even the most stringent naysayers would nod their approval if he were to sprinkle the true samba style on this winter’s tournament?
Dream Team World Cup gaffers will probably need a Brazil or three in their XICredit: getty
Nearly a quarter of Dream Team World Cup managers are backing him to do something special – his ownership of 24% makes him the fourth-most popular forward in the game.
Tite’s side face Switzerland, Serbia and Cameroon in Group G and are heavy favourites to progress to the round of 16 having won their last seven games in a row, scoring 26 goals in the process.
With a provisional price range of £6.5m – £7m, Neymar is one of the most-expensive players in Dream Team World Cup but he is likely to end up a fraction cheaper than the likes of Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe when prices are finalised next week.
Is 2022 Brazil’s year? All eyes on Neymar for the answer.

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DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP gaffers should definitely be considering Netherlands assets carefully when constructing their XIs.The Oranje are undefeated in their last 15 games, a run which includes meetings with Belgium, Germany and Denmark.
Not only are they playing some great football under Louis van Gaal, they were gifted a relatively friendly World Cup draw in Group A alongside Ecuador, Senegal and hosts Qatar.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the Netherlands squad and single out their best players, potential flops, and bargain options.

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Memphis Depay has scored goals for fun in internationals recently
BEST PLAYERS
Virgil van Dijk is the established leader at the back but gaffers might be better off backing Denzel Dumfries.
The Inter Milan wing-back was one of the stars of Euro 2020 and his attacking threat makes him an extremely tempting option – he’s scored five goals and provided four assists in his last 19 international appearances.
In midfield, most eyes will be on Frenkie de Jong but the Barcelona star operates in deeper areas – gaffers should focus on playmakers and wingers who come alive in the final third.
Steven Berghuis is a better fit, he’s scored eight goals and provided six assists for Ajax already this season – the 30-year-old is an underrated talent outside his homeland.
Total Football is in the Dutch DNA and the current squad pack a serious punch in attack.
Goals are flowing freely for Steven Bergwijn and Cody Gakpo this season but Memphis Depay remains the main man.
The 28-year-old has been starved of action at club level recently but he’s scored 21 goals in his last 20 outings for Netherlands – he’s a dark horse for the Golden Boot.
Dumfries deserves to be a popular selection among Dream Team World Cup bosses
POTENTIAL FLOPS
Obviously there are no genuine flops heading to Qatar with Netherlands but there are some Dream Team trap doors to swerve.
For example, gaffers should be aware that Matthijs de Ligt is not a certain starter despite the fact Van Gaal prefers three centre-backs.
Nathan Ake is highly likely to start to left of Van Dijk which leaves De Ligt battling it out with Stefan de Vrij and Jurrien Timber on the right-hand side of the back three.
The Bayern Munich defender may well get the nod but it’s not a sure thing, so tread lightly.
Ryan Gravenberch was a Netherlands regular last year but a transfer to Bayern has killed his momentum, he’s played just 165 minutes of league football this season and will likely be benchwarmer in Qatar too.
BARGAIN OPTIONS
Value for moneyCredit: getty
It’s rare to find a true bargain among the top teams as quality usually comes at a price but there is one value-for-money option in the Dutch ranks.
As previously mentioned, Ake is likely to start as the left-sided centre-back and so his provisional price range of £3m – £3.5m looks potentially generous.
Sadio Mane’s Senegal are not to be underestimated but Netherlands will fancy their chances of keeping clean sheets against Qatar and Ecuador – the Man City man is definitely a viable option.

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