The schedule of the 2022 World Cup groups stage has been released for a while now, letting The 2022 World Cup groups stage schedule has been released for a while now, letting punters see the first games of the tournament. It will be an extremely competitive World Cup starting with the group stage. 

Almost every soccer fan in the world is looking forward to the World Cup, and the group stage is set to be a fun experience. Most groups will be competitive, but some matches from each group have separated themselves from the rest of the pack. 

Let's take a look at some of the 2022 World Cup's most awaited games: 

Group A: Netherlands an11d Senegal 

Group A has some fun games to kick off the World Cup. Host country Qatar will be in this group which makes for a fun experience since they will have the home crowd cheering for them. This group consists of Qatar, Ecuador, the Netherlands and Senegal. 

While Qatar and Ecuador will try to fight, the two biggest favourites in this group have to be the Netherlands and Senegal.

The Dutch team has been a natural powerhouse for a long time. They have some phenomenal players on the team in almost every position, headlined by Virgil van Dijk and Frenkie de Jong. They will be managed by Louis Van Gaal, who wants to play at a faster pace. 

Senegal will be a tough team to beat as the winner of the most recent African Cup of Nations. They have not been under the spotlight, but they have a strong roster that people might get surprised by. Senegal can pull off surprises with players like Kalidou Koulibaly and Sadio Mané.

Bet on the Netherlands and Senegal groups match here

Group B: England and the United States 

Group B will be one of the most competitive groups at the 2022 World Cup. Wales and Iran have a solid chance of pulling off upsets to make it to the knockout stage. However, this group's favourite match is England and the United States. 

As one of the top four contenders to win this tournament, England is the favourite to win this group. They have a solid cast of players like Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, and Jude Bellingham, who can help them get huge victories. With Gareth Southgate at the helm, this will be a stable team with a counter-attacking strategy. 

Often tapped as the underdog, the US has a big chance of making it to the knockout stage since they built a squad with talented players like Sergiño Dest, Christian Pulisic, and Giovanni Reyna. They match up well against Wales and Iran in this group while they can put up a fight against England. 

Who wins the England vs USA game?

Group C: Argentina and Mexico

In one of the most lopsided groups at the tournament, Argentina and Mexico are the heavy favourites against Saudi Arabia and Poland.

With Lionel Messi on the team, Argentina always has a chance to win because of his fantastic skill set. However, Argentina is considered one of the most prominent dark horses in the World Cup. They are not the heavy favourites, but they have a strong chance of easily winning their group. Players like Ángel Di María and Lautaro Martínez will be vital to their campaign.

Mexico is not as strong as Argentina, but they have a talented squad, with star players, like Raúl Jiménez and Andrés Guardado, ready for the World Cup. Gerardo Martino is the manager, which means this will be a high-octane team looking to out-score their opponents.

Place your wagers on the Argentina vs Mexico game

Group D: France and Denmark

As the defending World Cup champs, France is the obvious favourite in this group. They will have Kylian Mbappé on the squad and have retained most of their core from the World Cup-winning side. They even added Karim Benzema, which makes them hard to stop. Didier Deschamps will make his team play the usual methodical yet dangerous style because they can score from nowhere. 

On the other side, Denmark has continued to improve through the years. They broke out as a top European side back in the 2020 European Championships. They have some underrated players, headlined by Christian Eriksen, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, and Martin Braithwaite. 

The two European squads will be in the same group as Australia and Tunisia, who are talented teams. Australia and Tunisia have had a good track record in recent years, but France and Denmark are levels above them due to their vibrant history and stacked rosters.

Bet on France vs Denmark match markets here

Group E: Spain and Germany

While Japan and, to a lesser extent, Costa Rica will put up a fight, Spain and Germany should be the runaway favourites in this group. 

Spain has a potent mix of youngsters and veterans. They are still led by Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Koke. Pedri, Gavi, and Ferran Torres are all promising because they are all fantastic playmakers or goalscorers at a young age. Luis Enrique is arguably the best manager at the World Cup, and with weapons like these on his squad, they can be a strong contender.

Germany wants to bounce back after their embarrassing 2018 World Cup run, where they didn't make it out of groups. They still have Thomas Müller as the captain, but he is surrounded by younger players now, like Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, and Jamal Musiala. Hansi Flick at the helm will be excellent for this side as they play his uber-aggressive style. 

Will Spain win over Germany in their groups stage match?

Group F: Belgium and Croatia 

Another group arguably the hardest to call, Group F has some strong teams with Belgium, Canada, Morocco, and Croatia. Despite the potential that Canada and Morocco possess, Belgium and Croatia have squads that are too strong for them.

Belgium has a talented squad led by Eden Hazard as the captain. Roberto Martinez is still the manager, which means he's familiar with what Belgium has to offer, and they're ready to win this group and the World Cup itself. Kevin de Bruyne is the team's biggest star, but remember that Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans are talented enough to contribute to both the goals and playmaking. 

Croatia was the second-placed team back in the 2018 World Cup. They lost to France, and they are looking to bounce back. Of course, many players have grown older, but they still have some gems on the team. Luka Modrić, Ivan Perišić, and Dejan Lovren are still mainstays for Croatia, and they are ready to be winners this time around with their manager Zlatko Dalić. 

Bet on the outcomes of the Croatia vs Belgium match

Group G: Brazil and Switzerland

Group G is another competitive group, but it will likely be Brazil and Switzerland who come away as the winners. Serbia and Cameroon can fight, but these two teams might be too strong to overcome. 

Brazil is the favourite to win the entire World Cup, with stars like Neymar Jr. and Vinícius Júnior leading the way. It will be the most formidable Brazil team, with world-class players in every position. With Andres Leonardo Bacchi still on as the manager, they have a fast-paced system that can overpower any team in this group and the knockout stage. 

Switzerland is not as strong as Brazil, but they are pretty solid. They are headlined by Arsenal's Granit Xhaka as the captain and midfielder but do not forget the other stars like Xherdan Shaqiri and Haris Seferovic. 

Can Switzerland pull an upset against Brazil? Place your bets here

Group H: Portugal and Uruguay

Group H is another competitive group, but Portugal and Uruguay are too deep for Ghana or South Korea to overcome. 

Portugal is one of the most significant dark horses for the entire event, especially with Cristiano Ronaldo as the captain and star striker. At the same time, he is flanked by some fantastic talents like João Cancelo, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, and Rafael Leão. With Fernando Santos as the manager, they are comfortable with how they play enough to win this group. 

On the other side, Uruguay has an underrated squad. Luis Suárez and Darwin Núñez headline them, but players like Federico Valverde and Giorgan de Arrascaeta can be massive for this team. Their system is focused on finding opportunities to score in transition from defence, and with Diego Godín as the manager, you can expect hard-nosed soccer to be played.

Which team wins: Portugal or Uruguay?

The 2022 World Cup will have an exciting group stage

All the teams at the World Cup are motivated to perform at the highest level to hoist the trophy. With Sportsbet.io, you can make the most of the event by wagering on the games with the help of reliable odds and a variety of betting markets. Every group will be exciting and set the stage for arguably the most promising World Cup ever. 

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Words: Cholo Martin