World Cup 2018: 5 predictions on how far the teams will go
The biggest sporting event in the world is just under a week away and the excitement is building up. The World Cup is an event that usually ignites the patriotism of people and this year is no different. Iceland and Panama are going to make their first-ever appearances while powerhouses like Italy and Netherlands missed out on qualifying.
This year's World Cup is really special because this could be the last world cup where Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will be at the peak of their ability because by the time the 2022 World Cup comes around Ronaldo will be 37 and Messi will be 35.
#5 Belgium will finally live up to their potential
The current Belgian national team has a lot of talented young players who are playing all across Europe, with the majority of them playing in the Premier League. They are currently ranked 3rd in the world, but they were ranked 1st in 2015.
Although their rankings have been great they have massively underperformed at recent tournaments. They went into the 2014 World Cup ranked 4th in the world and although they reached the quarterfinals they didn't perform to the standards expected of them. Similarly, they went into Euro 2016 as favourites but they were defeated by Wales in the quarterfinals.
This tournament will be different for Belgium. Their young squad has matured well and their two best players Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne are at the peak of their careers, with the latter having one of the best seasons of his career where he guided Manchester City to an incredible title triumph.
Although Belgium are unlikely to win the World Cup, they will have a long run and they will impress everyone.