He expects a "dark horse" to surprise everyone in the World Cup

Del Piero: The 2022 World Cup is a unique version... and the Arab teams are facing a golden opportunity

• Italian soccer legend Del Piero.

  From the source

• Del Piero during the celebration of the World Cup title in 2006. From the source

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The former Italian football star and World Cup holder in the 2006 World Cup with the “Azzurri”, Alessandro Del Piero, revealed that “The World Cup 2022 is a unique version in the history of the World Cup tournaments, not only because it is held for the first time in the warm winter and the Arab region, but also because it is an opportunity.” Gold for the Middle Eastern and Arab teams.

Del Piero said, in statements to the Spanish newspaper Marca, that the Arab teams, in particular, have an irreplaceable opportunity to enhance their position in world football.

Regarding the most prominent teams nominated to compete for the 2022 World Cup title, he said that the title will be limited to Spain, Argentina, Portugal, France, England and Brazil, while stressing that the surprise is always present in football and world championships is no exception, noting that the presence of stars the size of Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Mbappe and De Bruyne makes their teams Able to decide matches at any moment.

Del Piero expressed his sadness at the absence of his country, which was crowned four times in the World Cup, from the current version, and following is Del Piero’s dialogue:

■■ What distinguishes the 2022 World Cup from the rest of the World Cup?

■ The current version of the World Cup is “unique” in many respects, as it is the first time that it is held in the Middle East, in addition to being held between the months of November and December, and the players are not used to the World Cup being held in this period of the year, and we will see how the teams will adapt, and I think It will be a great tournament, especially since its new date comes in the midst of the football seasons of the leagues of most countries around the world, which gives them momentum in the players’ readiness to present strong matches.

■■ Which teams would you recommend to win the world title?

■ The teams of Spain, Argentina, Portugal, France, England and Brazil are the most likely to win the Qatar World Cup 2022, but the previous editions of the World Cup have always witnessed surprises, and showed the ability of non-candidate teams to compete for the title and reach the final, in the same way as the World Cup Russia 2018 with the Croatian national team, which lost final against France.

I expect this version to continue on the same approach in terms of excitement and the emergence of surprises, but in general the big teams are the most likely to reach the final and win the title.

■■ How do you see the chances of the Arab teams in the World Cup?

■ The holding of the World Cup for the first time in the Middle East, and for the second time in Asia after the South Korea and Japan edition in 2002, gives additional impetus to the teams in the region, especially the Arab countries (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Tunisia), in order to perform better compared to the previous editions, and thus enhance their presence on World Ball Arena.

There are many Arab stars currently who are distinguished players in the major international leagues, and they have the capabilities to help their country’s teams and appear in a strong way.

■■ What about the absence of the Italian national team?

It is sad to watch the 2022 World Cup without the Italian national team, which records its absence from the World Cup for the second time in a row, especially since the “Azzurri” has a golden record in the history of the World Cup, having won the title on four occasions, starting with the 1934 and 1938 editions, and then 1982 and the last 2006. In fact, I follow the current World Championship with a broken heart, because the absence of Italy is very sad, but at the same time we have to look to the future, towards creating a new generation of players capable of returning Italian football to its usual place on the world stage.

in lines

■ Del Piero started his career at Vendomonoa Padova in the second division between 1991 and 1993, before joining Juventus in the summer of 1993.

■ Del Piero is one of the most important players in Juventus' history, as he won 16 championship titles and scored 231 goals for the club.

■ His stardom shone in the 2006 World Cup, especially after the fatal goal in the second half of extra time in the semi-finals against Germany, guiding Italy to win by a clean double.

■ In September 2007, he won the Golden Foot award for his footballing achievements, whether with his club or the Italian national team that won the World Cup with him in 2006. “I watch the World Cup in Qatar with a broken heart because of the absence of Italy.”

To view an electronic supplement .. the World Cup teams,

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