Top 5 Teams That Could Win Their First World Cup
Tired of seeing the same teams lift the cup at each and every tournament? From Sweden to Mexico and Croatia, these underdogs might just take the win home. WatchMojo counts down the Top 5 Teams That Could Win Their First World Cup.
Script written by Justin Giglio
#5: Mexico
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Mexico faced a daunting task right from the start, opening their World Cup campaign with a match against the defending world champions Germany. They somehow managed to shock the world with a 1-0 win over the Germans and followed that up with a 2-1 win against Korea. Despite looking outmatched in a 3-0 loss to Sweden in the final game of the group stage, Mexico hopes to build on their early tournament success knowing that if they can take on the defending champs and win, the sky’s the limit.
#4: Sweden
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Things looked shaky there for a moment for Sweden. Despite playing in their first World Cup in the post-Zlatan era, and losing a heartbreaker to a Germany side thanks to a brilliant free kick in the dying minutes of a tightly contested game in which the German were down to 10-men, Sweden’s quality was tested on their way to locking down the top spot in Group F. They’re certainly underdogs entering the Round of 16, but closing out the group stage with 3 goals and a clean sheet is precisely the kind of momentum-booster that can unify and motivate a side to achieve greatness in spite of the odds.
#3: Croatia
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Many expected good things from Croatia in the weeks and months before the tournament began, and the Croatian team certainly delivered. Winning all of their group stage matchups, including an upset against Argentina, and scoring a total of 7 goals while conceding just one, Croatia has shown no signs of slowing down as they get set to take on Denmark in the Round of 16. The anchor of their team is Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric, who scored one of the best goals in a tournament that's been full of incredible finishing.
#2: Portugal
When you’ve got Cristiano Ronaldo on your side, there’s always a chance. Portugal opened the tournament with an instant classic against Spain in which CR7 scored a hatrick, and while they haven’t been in top form since game 1, defeating a sub-par Morrocco side by just one goal and tying Iran in a game that could have gone either way, the defending European champions have the quality and the experience to go far in the tournament if they play up to their potential. While it can’t all be placed on Ronaldo's shoulders, his performance in the round of 16 will likely determine Portugal’s fate.
#1: Belgium
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Of all the teams who have never won a World Cup entering the tournament in 2018, Belgium looked the most likely to lift the trophy thanks to their roster of top-tier players. From their world-class goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to their world-class midfielder Kevin De Bruyne to their world-class winger Eden Hazard to their world-class striker Romelu Lukaku… you get the idea. It’s easy to see thatBelgium’s golden generation has a golden opportunity to win the nation’s first ever World Cup. It’s a tall order, but one their well positioned to take head-on.
