What does your FIFA 2022 World Cup bracket look like?
That’s the question many will be asking – and looking to answer – over the next few days as the tournament begins on Nov. 20th in Qatar.
Picking a champion is never an easy task. Projecting the path of that champion is even more daunting. To some, it’s a balance between passion and analysis; for others, it's an exercise of patriotism or a desire to get it just right.
With the World Cup quickly approaching, we asked some experienced World Cup protagonists to provide us with their respective brackets. And their answers were… interesting.
Bruce Arena's World Cup Bracket
New England Revolution head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena went with logic.
The legendary US men’s national team coach listed what would be an exhilarating final between Brazil and France on Dec. 18, with Les Bleus successfully defending the title they won in Russia four years ago.
DaMarcus Beasley's World Cup Bracket
DaMarcus Beasley, the only American to ever play in four World Cups, agreed with his former coach on the final – but picked the South American juggernaut as the winner.
Both Arena and Beasley have the USMNT, who open Group B play on Nov. 21 against Wales, going out in the Round 16 at the hands of the Netherlands.
But don’t worry US fans, it could always be worse: they both predicted arch-rivals Mexico will fall in the group stage.
Alan Pulido's World Cup Bracket
Sporting Kansas City Designated Player Alan Pulido, a 2014 World Cup veteran with Mexico, selected another South American powerhouse as the champion in Qatar, with Lionel Messi’s Argentina lifting the third World Cup trophy in the country’s history.
The 31-year-old attacker, who missed the 2022 season with SKC after undergoing knee surgery in January, also predicted there will not be a Concacaf representative in the knockout stages.
Kaylyn Kyle's World Cup Bracket
Like Pulido, Canadian Olympic medalist and World Cup veteran Kaylyn Kyle selected Argentina as the 2022 FIFA World Cup champion.
Unlike Pulido, she projected a strong showing from her home country. She has Canada moving past Spain in the Round of 16 before falling to Brazil in the quarterfinals.
Rodney Wallace's World Cup Bracket
Lastly, Portland Timbers legend and Costa Rica World Cup veteran Rodney Wallace went with his heart in his selections. He's got Los Ticos winning the first World Cup for the Concacaf region.
Wallace predicted Costa Rican victories over Belgium, Brazil and Senegal before defeating Cameroon for the title. It’s a bold choice, to say the least, as Costa Rica are tied with two other nations (Saudi Arabia and Iran) for the worst odds of winning the World Cup (+50000), per BetMGM.
Get your own predictions going and win prizes by playing the Qatar Quest Bracket Challenge now.
