Brazil’s Possible Route to the 2022 World Cup Final

The Group Stage

Brazil have been drawn in Group G where they have to play against Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon. According to a supercomputer generator, Brazil have been branded with a 67.6% chance of topping the group and an 88.5% chance of qualifying to the round of 16.

The winners of Group G will face the runners-up in Group H. Group H includes the likes of Portugal, Uruguay, South Korea and Ghana. Portugal have a 55.7% chance of topping the group whilst Uruguay are tipped to finish second with a 35.3% chance. If Uruguay indeed finish second and Brazil top their group, the round of 16 will feature an all-South American knockout fixture.

The Round of 16

At this point, the round of 16 is more than likely going to be Brazil against Uruguay. The Brazilian national team have beaten Uruguay in their last two encounters. In the World Cup CONMEBOL Qualifications, Brazil beat Uruguay 2-0 away and 4-1 at home. If the two nations are going to play each other in the round of 16, it is likely that Brazil will beat them.

The Quarterfinals

According to the supercomputer generator, Brazil have a 64.4% chance of making it to the quarterfinals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Their opponents will either be the winners of Group E or the runners-up in Group F. The most likely candidate to face Brazil in the quarterfinals is Spain.

The last competitive match between Brazil and Spain was the Confederations Cup final in 2013. Brazil beat Spain 3-0 and won the trophy. To look at the last time the two teams faced each other in the World Cup, you would have to go as far back as 1986. In the match, Brazil beat Spain 1-0 in the group stage but both teams advanced to the knockout round.

The Semifinals

If Brazil can repeat the same trick and defeat Spain in the quarterfinals, they will advance to the semis. The supercomputer has given Brazil a 41.1% chance of making it this far, where the national side will face their fierce South American rivals, Argentina.

Argentina are likely to win Group C with a 90.2% chance. If they win the group, they will likely face Denmark, who are predicted to finish second in Group D. In the quarterfinals, Argentina are tipped to beat Group A winners the Netherlands to set up the South American semifinal.

The most recent meeting between Brazil and Argentina resulted in a goalless draw. However, Brazil will still feel the 1-0 pain of losing the 2021 Copa America final to Argentina. The last time Argentina faced Brazil was in the 1990 World Cup, where Seleção lost 1-0 in the round of 16. If the team is going to play in the World Cup final, chances are they will have to beat Argentina, who are tipped as one of the favourites for the competition.

The Final

The 2022 Qatar final will be played on the 18^th of December. According to the supercomputer, Brazil have a 25.7% chance of reaching the final. Their predicted opponents are France. This sets the 2022 Qatar World Cup final to be another classic clash between the two nations, 24 years after meeting each other in the 1998 final.

France are expected to finish top of their group and will play Mexico in the last 16. After beating Mexico, Les Bleus are expected to defeat England (assuming they beat Senegal) in the quarterfinals. The semifinals of the World Cup predict a European clash between France and Germany. This leads us to the final between France and Brazil.

In World Cup history, Brazil beat France in the 1958 semifinal to go on to win their first ever World Cup. However, after the triumph, France have beaten Brazil on three separate occasions. The obvious one is the 1998 World Cup final, where France triumphed to a 3-0 win. They also knocked out Brazil in the 1986 and 2006 quarterfinals.

Brazil have only ever lost more than once by four teams in the World Cup. France is one of the teams, beating them three times. They have also lost three times to the Netherlands and twice to both Hungary and Italy.

Brazil to Win the 2022 Qatar World Cup

The supercomputer backs Brazil as the favourites to win the World Cup. They have a 16.3% chance of winning it, whilst Argentina have a 13.1% chance and France a 12% chance. Brazil’s road to the final includes an 88.5% chance of qualifying to the round of 16, a 64.4% chance of advancing to the quarterfinals, a 41.1% chance of reaching the semifinals and a 25.7% chance of making it to the final.