The Netherlands, Denmark and England arrived in Qatar yesterday as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 opening match draws near.
England, led by striker Harry Kane will be seeking to finally lift the trophy, which they came close to but lost in the semi-finals in 2018.
The Three Lions have picked a strong side for the tournament, and Gareth Southgate, who recently extended his contract until 2024, will hope to cap the team’s growth over the last few years with football’s top prize.
The Netherlands also arrived last night. Louis Van Gaal’s side is back in football’s top competition after missing out in 2018.
For a footballing powerhouse such as the Dutch, the eight years since 2014 must have felt like an eternity.
The 71-year-old took the Netherlands to their last World Cup and came out of retirement in 2021 to replace Frank de Boer after a disastrous start to their World Cup qualifying campaign.
A 4-2 defeat in Turkey in March 2021 and, after victories against minnows Latvia and Gibraltar, a frustrating Euro 2020 – a laboured performance against the Czechs in the last 16 at the Euros, meant Ons Oranje needed a steady hand.
The current squad is a perfect mix of experience and exciting talent with an elite coach.
However, they boast a sturdy defence led by Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk; though the team has no traditional forward, they have won seven of their last 10 matches.
They face an uphill task in Group A, which includes the host nation Qatar, Senegal and Ecuador. The Dutch kick off their campaign against Senegal on November 21 at the Al Thumama Stadium.
Meanwhile, Denmark have enjoyed a good run of form and have Christian Eriksen back in the squad. Making their sixth appearance at the World Cup, The Red and Whites have lost just twice in their last 10 matches.
Denmark are heavily touted to progress from Group D, which includes Australia, France and Tunisia. Their first match will be against Tunisia on November 22 at the Al Thumama Stadium.
