«Messi and Neymar, in Qatar the fantasy of South America»- Corriere.it

a World Cup that has many favorites and some chances for surprises, but the feeling that the time of the South American national teams is returning. Not much more than that, a feeling. There is no supporting data, except that it will be the last for people like Messi and Neymar who would have deserved a World Cup anyway. A tournament between national teams lowers the importance of tactics because the teams are more random compositions. This could free the South American imagination, carry it forward to European organizations. Brazil hasn’t won for twenty years, Argentina since 1986. As they set Maradona and Ronaldo stopped. Argentina has a mature squad, four out of eleven players over 34 years old. Brazil has young people and experience, by now accustomed to obeying European tactics, so within limits, they try to be concrete. Argentina like Messi, very fond of the simple, careful not to look for dangerous plays. In his current role, Messi has found a way to go beyond time. He has more space in front of him, he makes better use of his need to be indispensable. It is enough for him to skip a man and give the ball well. And this he knows how to do very well.

Pochettino, who coached him and Neymar, says it’s surprising: in training when he plays the bull, Messi never ends up in the middle of the circle because he never fails to return the ball. Neymar capable of making a tunnel inside his own area, any gesture must leave a trace in the show. There is a strong parenthesis between them and Mbapp. Mbapp is 23 years old, he won the World Cup at 19, today the best but not yet complete. He doesn’t like to keep the ball, immediately focused on finishing. He plays faster than his opponent thinks and keeps working on tempo. It seems to me that in front of the goalkeeper today one also takes the appropriate taste in placing the ball, that is, he guides his instinct, he doesn’t suffer it. France will miss Pogba and Kant, and above all the Ballon d’Or Benzema, who had to surrender yesterday. In the meantime, Rabiot and the boy Tchouameni from Real have grown a lot. France has a lot to win, but not too much. Mbapp is still the most decisive player of the tournament. England is slowly shutting down its golden generation without any satisfaction. Perhaps there is a mentality gap between the richest team in the world and its coach who comes from a long career in the youth teams. However, Harry Kane also braked sharply, who scores but does not decide the big appointments. This is the last chance for everyone.

A safe used Germany. He doesn’t have the colors to win, but he’s very team. It lacks a centre-forward, even Werner was injured, but it has one of the best players ever and still not fully discovered: San. The last of the favorites is Spain, driven by the renewal of Barcelona (Pedri, Gavi, Ferran Torres) and by Luis Enrique, perhaps the most prepared technician. Not even Spain has a safe center forward, Morata is still playing, a classy striker not very suitable for Luis Enrique’s game. These are the classic favorites, even if today there are different starting suggestions than in the past. It’s unlikely that there will be a real surprise at a World Cup, something always prepares it. Today this drive could be Leao, a mix between his youth and Cristiano Ronaldo’s need to resist. Portugal is the most technical team in Europe and is used to living the big tournaments as a protagonist. I don’t know what reaction Leao might have on a stage like this, but if he enters the game he risks being the strongest.