SO often a topic of intense debate, the oddity of the Qatar World Cup was reflected in RTE pundits all agreeing on who will win it.
Former Ireland internationals Karen Duggan, Richie Sadlier, and Liam Brady were all on duty for the tournament’s opener between the host nation and Ecuador.
They discussed a wide variety of topics, including and especially the disturbing backdrop against which the World Cup is being played.
As for the football-related discussion, all three were asked for their predictions for which nation will win the competition, which nation could be dark horses, and which nation would FLOP.
When it comes to the victors, Sadlier, Brady, and Duggan all hitched their horses to Argentina’s wagon.
They all shared the same rationale, too; a desire to see Lionel Messi get his hands on the trophy.
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Duggan also threw a cheeky dig in at Messi’s career rival Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming that the Argentine players who do more to help the former lift the trophy than the Portuguese would for CR7.
Argentina are one of the bookies’ favourites to win the tournament for the first time since 1986.
They have not lost a game since 2019 – a run of 36 games – with Lionel Scaloni’s men winning the Copa America in that time.
In addition to Messi, Argentina boast a plethora of stars in their ranks, including Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Angel di Maria, Paulo Dybala, Lautaro Martinez, and more.
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Meanwhile, both Duggan and Brady singled out Uruguay as dark horses for the tournament.
Both highlighted their extraordinary squad depth, including Luas Suarez, Edinson Cavani, Darwin Nunez, Diego Godin, Federico Valverde, and others.
Surprisingly, Richie Sadlier, chose the Qatar as the side that he thought could do better than people expect.
Duggan selected Portugal as potential flops, singling out Bruno Fernandes being unable to manifest his Man Utd form for his country.
Liam Brady, meanwhile, claimed BRAZIL could have an underwhelming campaign, despite being one of the favourites.
The Ireland legend called them “overhyped” before quipping that Casemiro is “getting on” in the midfield while his Man Utd teammate Fred has “never gotten on” in the position.
When it was pointed out to him that Casemiro had become a standout at Old Trafford since moving from Real Madrid, Brady dismissed it by saying the Red Devils have been “average”.
As for Richie Sadlier, who chose FIFA and its President Gianni Infantino as his hopeful flop.
He said: “The flops of this tournament, maybe more wishful thinking than anything, Gianni Infantino.
“Every time the man speaks, the little speech we heard earlier – the little snippets of it – relating to all the suffering and discrimination and all that, simply because he had freckles and red hair as a kid.”
“He’s an absurd, laughable figure, at this stage.
“If the issues weren’t as serious, there should be a laughing track just in the background every time the man speaks.
“He is my flop and I am fairly confident he will deliver on that front. Just give him a microphone.”