Underdog teams in FIFA World Cup likely to surprise fans [Iran]
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Loading...Boomlive.in – TEHRAN, The FIFA World Cup 2022 is likely to see several underdog fairytales like the Croatian golden generation’s run till the finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 is less than a month away and Qatar is going to make history by becoming the first Arab country to host football’s most prestigious title. A total of 32 teams will be playing for the coveted trophy and aim to achieve the World Champion dream.
While some top-ranked, seeded teams are often considered favourites to progress ahead in the knockout stages and eventually win the title, the FIFA World Cup has witnessed stories of many underdog teams that have written history during their time at football’s biggest stage.
From the Croatian golden generation’s dream run in 2018 to Costa Rica’s campaign in 2014, football as a game always remains unpredictable until the end and these teams left a legacy as an example.
Here is one of the underdog teams that can script fairytales in Qatar during the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Iran
To begin with, Iran is going to Qatar as the highest-ranked Asian team in the World Cup, representing the Asian Football Confederation. Currently ranked at number 20 globally, they find an experienced coach in Carlos Quieroz, who has managed the national team in the last two world cups (Brazil 2014, Russia 2018). Under Quieroz’s management, Iran was able to stop Argentina until the final minutes before Lionel Messi curved the ball to beat Iran 1-0 in 2014. Iran proved to be a challenging opponent for Argentina, who later cruised to the finals of the World Cup.
Fast forward to Russia 2018, when Quieroz guided the team against Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo’s decisive penalty got saved and a late penalty helped Iran finish the match with a 1-1 draw. They also faced Spain in that edition of the World Cup.
This time, a series of uphill tasks awaits Iran after getting drawn into Group B alongside the US, England and Wales. The US vs Iran match is one of the most anticipated in the upcoming world cup, especially from the lens of history and contemporary politics. Quieroz and his team will also count on the Iranian fanbase that will travel to Qatar and support their national team at a time when the World Cup is being played in close proximity to Iran.
