Who will be the contender for
the cup in Qatar?
Five-time champions Brazil, two-time winners Argentina, England and France are considered strong contenders for the World Cup. It is also possible that a team may surprise everyone by pulling off a coup.
Brazil has been waiting for the trophy for 20 years: Brazil is waiting for the title of 20 years. This time there are big expectations from coach Tite's team. The team will begin their campaign against Serbia in Group G on 24 November. Brazil last won the trophy in 2002 and have never reached the final since then.
Will African teams be able to break the magic: In the 92-year history of the World Cup, no African team has been able to reach the last four. Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) reached the last eight. Senegal is the only African team to reach the quarter-finals by remaining unbeaten in the group stage. This time, miraculous performances are expected from Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, Tunisia and Morocco.
Chance for Asian teams as well: The five best Asian teams will also have a chance to upset. With the World Cup being held in Asia, these teams can 'get advantage' of it. Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia and South Korea can prove to be the dark horse. First-time hosts Qatar can also do wonders for the home crowd.
First time in World Cup
1. Women referees: Three women referees will also officiate in the men's World Cup. Among them are Yoshimi Yamashita of Japan, Stephanie Frepart of France and Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda. There are also three assistant referees, Nuja Bacque of Brazil, Karen Diaz of Mexico and Katherine Nesbitt of America.
2. Use of Offside Technique: Use of Semi-Automated Offside Technique (SAOT). In this, many cameras keep an eye on the movement of the player. Additionally, the ball will be fitted with a sensor that will instantly display three-dimensional images on stadium screens to help fans understand the referee's decision. This new off-side system will result in more accurate and quicker decisions than the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.
3. After Corona, each team was allowed to replace five players instead of three. This rule will be applicable in the World Cup as well.
4. Smallest host country: Qatar (11500 sq km) with a population of around 3 million is the smallest country to host the World Cup. All eight stadiums are within 50 km radius of Doha.
5. For the first time ever, the World Cup is being held in November and December. This usually happens in June-July.
6. 26 players in each team Till now there were a total of 23 players in each team, but after Corona this number increased to 26. The same will happen in the World Cup.
