World Cup Fantasy Football: A few dark horses to consider
With a World Cup around the corner, it’s officially permissible to get excited. It may be three months away, but bear in mind that three months ago now, the Premier League season 2021/22 was just finishing up, and you’ll see how quickly those months can pass. There’s obviously still time to go – and some of the most unfortunately-timed injuries in football to be commiserated over – before the first whistle blows, so at this point it would be premature to put together your perfect squad and a World Cup betting strategy.
However, it would be perfectly reasonable to start having a few ideas. We’ve all checked the betting odds on World Cup winners, and more can be found here, so let’s look at the possible fantasy selections.
Bearing in mind the opportunity to make changes to your side as the tournament goes on, it’s not essential to confine your selections to teams who will go a long way into the competition. Ideally, you’ll hit on the perfect setup with your first selection and won’t need to make many changes, but if that’s the case you don’t really need tips anyway. So this selection is more about the players who could be surprisingly valuable in the first three rounds of fixtures before the knockouts – and who will then hopefully stick around a while longer accumulating points.
Brennan Johnson (Wales)
It’s easy to see Wales as Gareth Bale and ten others, or Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and nine others if the latter is fit. However, that’s needlessly harsh on a team that qualified for its first World Cup in 64 years and which has been competitive at consecutive Euros. Among the more interesting selections possible from their likely squad is Brennan Johnson, who has stood out as one of the best players in Nottingham Forest’s decent beginning to the Premier League campaign even among their signing spree. Johnson has an eye for goal, should be a starter for his country, and with a forgiving group in their favour he could well be around for more than just the group games.
Kamaldeen Sulemana (Ghana)
Never underestimate the scouting system at Stade Rennais. Despite not being one of the richest sides in France, Rennes are perpetually in the running for European competition and in Eduardo Camavinga and Arnaud Kalimuendo, have uncovered some of the most exciting players in French football in recent years. Sulemana is another, sourced from Nordsjaelland in Denmark, and one who could light up the World Cup from the wing for the Black Stars. Being drawn in a group with Uruguay and Portugal has hurt Ghana’s standing in World Cup betting, but wouldn’t it be a great story if Sulemana and his teammates could get some revenge for that moment in World Cup 2010?
Piero Hincapié (Ecuador)
Few people will be picking Ecuador to come out of a group containing the Netherlands and Senegal, but there is always a surprise package at a World Cup, and why not them? Ecuador have a deceptively decent squad with talent to be plucked from across European leagues, and in Hincapié they have one of the best young defenders in the world. Aged just 20, he’s already played 27 games for Bayer Leverkusen after a move from Argentinian side Talleres. He’s also able to get forward to good effect, which could be good for a few assists and goals.
