World Cup preview: Everything you need to know about Group H
With the 2022 World Cup just days away, we're taking a deep dive into all eight groups, highlighting the star players to watch, examining the biggest storylines to follow, and offering up some predictions for how things may play out. Here's everything you need to know about Group H, which features Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, and South Korea.
Group A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H |
Group schedule ๐
Portugal ๐ต๐น
- Manager: Fernando Santos
- Nickname: Selecao
- FIFA ranking: 9
- Best World Cup finish: Third place (1966)
- Betting odds: +1400
Player to watch
Cristiano Ronaldo. The 37-year-old is in an unusual position heading into his fifth World Cup. His powers clearly waning, Ronaldo is no longer Portugal's best player. That distinction could now be applied to any of Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo, Bruno Fernandes, or Rafael Leao. But Ronaldo's influence and presence still cast an enormous shadow, even if his talents no longer match his reputation. The all-time leading scorer in men's international football is still the first name on Santos' team sheet, even if he probably shouldn't be. Ronaldo's still the most interesting player to watch for the Selecao - just not for the reasons we've grown accustomed to.
Projected starting XI (4-3-3)
Costa; Mendes, Dias, Danilo Pereira, Cancelo; Fernandes, Carvalho, Neves; Leao, Ronaldo, B. Silva
If Ronaldo is willing to operate as a traditional No. 9 who occupies central areas in and around the box, things should all fit together nicely. But his propensity to drift out wide and infringe on the spaces where the likes of Leao and Silva thrive causes frustration. And that's to say nothing of the apparent friction between Portugal's captain and influential playmaker Fernandes in the wake of Ronaldo's ill-timed interview about Manchester United. As has long been the case for this team, the lineup is outstanding on paper. How it works in practice is the question.
Key question
Will Santos ever abandon his conservative approach and actually allow this supremely gifted squad to flex its attacking muscle and play with freedom? Wishful thinking. The 68-year-old is wedded to his defensive mindset, even as the country is rapidly producing exuberant, creative players who'd flourish in a more uninhibited system. While winning Euro 2016 brought great joy to a country that was desperate for a major international title after coming so close on several occasions, it had the unfortunate side effect of making Santos even more indebted to his ways. Portugal is paying for that now.
On pure talent, this is one of the best teams in the world. But managers have an outsize impact, especially at the international level when the difference between good and bad coaches is stark. Santos is holding his team back.
Ghana ๐ฌ๐ญ
- Manager: Otto Addo
- Nickname: Black Stars
- FIFA ranking: 61
- Best World Cup finish: Quarterfinals (2010)
- Betting odds: +25000
Player to watch
Mohammed Kudus. Don't look now, but Ajax have another burgeoning superstar on their hands. Kudus, 22, is blossoming into a complete attacker. He's capable of playing several different positions and thriving in all of them; the Accra native can line up out wide, through the middle as the chief scoring threat, just behind a central striker, or in midfield. A unique talent who has Ghanaians dreaming of something special this winter, Kudus is positioned very well to be a household name coming out of the World Cup. He already caught the eye in the Champions League this season - who can forget his stunner against Liverpool? - and the World Cup is the next step up from there.
Projected starting XI (3-4-3)
Ati-Zigi; Salisu, Djiku, Amartey; Mensah, Partey, Abdul Samed, Lamptey; J. Ayew, Williams, Kudus
Addo, who replaced Milovan Rajevac in February, guided the west African nation to the World Cup by defeating bitter rival Nigeria in the final round of qualifying. He experimented with many different systems and players since then but has seemingly settled on a 3-4-3 setup that includes Tariq Lamptey and Inaki Williams, two players who recently changed allegiances in order to represent the Black Stars. There are big concerns in goal, though, where top two shot-stoppers Jojo Wollacott and Richard Ofori were ruled out of the competition because of injuries.
Key question
Will it all come together for Addo? Current evidence is unconvincing - excluding a shootout victory over Chile in the Kirin Cup, Ghana won just two matches in 2022. Those came against Madagascar and Nicaragua. There's plenty of room for growth, and it needs to happen quickly. "Ghana have proven in the past that we are a tournament team," Addo said in October. "I know we have to improve, but I'm looking forward to the tournament."
Ghana's the last African team to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup. That match, the infamous 2010 defeat to Uruguay in which a certain Luis Suarez did his best goalkeeping impression in the waning seconds of extra time, still stings for Ghanaian players and fans. Addo and Co. have a chance to vanquish some of those demons in Qatar on Dec. 2.
Uruguay ๐บ๐พ
- Manager: Diego Alonso
- Nickname: La Celeste
- FIFA ranking: 14
- Best World Cup finish: Two-time champion (1930, 1950)
- Betting odds: +5000
Player to watch
Darwin Nunez. Liverpool's lavish summer signing took some time to adapt to life in the Premier League, but he's heading to Qatar on a heater; the imposing forward has seven goals in his last 10 club matches across all competitions. More than any player at the World Cup, Nunez is pure chaos in the best possible way. A physical specimen who harries defenders with his speed and relentless effort, he's simultaneously capable of the sublime and bizarre. He delivers goals, mesmerizing misses, and consistent action. It's fascinating to watch, and there are very few parallels in world football. Federico Valverde is Uruguay's best player, and Suarez remains a protagonist at 35, but Nunez is the most entertaining of the lot.
Projected starting XI (4-3-3)
Rochet; Olivera, Araujo, Gimenez, Varela; Bentancur, Vecino, Valverde; Nunez, Suarez, De Arrascaeta
Diego Alonso had the unenviable task of replacing Oscar Tabarez, the iconic manager, with Uruguay reeling during CONMEBOL qualifying and in serious danger of missing the World Cup. Alonso, aided by a more favorable schedule down the stretch, steadied the ship and got La Celeste to Qatar. Once there, he'll continue to count on many of the veteran players that formed the core of his predecessor's teams, though Nunez, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Valverde provide dynamism. The Real Madrid man, with his incredible energy and versatility, is especially vital, helping to launch counterattacks and get the team out in transition where Nunez is at his best.
Key question
How influential will the old war horses be this time around? Suarez, Edinson Cavani, and Diego Godin, three pillars of Uruguayan football, have a combined age of 106 and are clearly on the decline. Suarez, in particular, is still relied upon up front, even if it's fair to question whether his presence actually creates an imbalance within the team and makes Uruguay less explosive on the break.
Uruguay, which continues to punch way above its weight on the world football stage considering the nation's modest population, is in the midst of a transition that started while Tabarez was still in charge. This will be the final chance for a memorable generation of players to express themselves on the sport's grandest stage. That could give La Celeste an extra jolt in Qatar.
South Korea ๐ฐ๐ท
- Manager: Paulo Bento
- Nickname: Taegeuk Warriors
- FIFA ranking: 28
- Best World Cup finish: Fourth place (2002)
- Betting odds: +25000
Player to watch
Son Heung-Min. The greatest forward to ever suit up for the Taegeuk Warriors, Son is one of football's true unicorns in that he is universally adored. In this age of extreme tribalism, that's exceedingly rare. The affable 30-year-old, who shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah last season, is racing against the clock to be ready for South Korea's opening match against Uruguay on Nov. 24. The Tottenham star hasn't played since suffering a facial fracture around his left eye during a Champions League match Nov. 1, which required surgery. He'll need to sport a face mask. For South Korea's talisman and superhero, it's almost too on the nose.
Projected starting XI (4-4-2)
Kim Seung-gyu; Kim Jin-su, Kim Min-jae, Kim Young-gwon, Kim Tae-hwan; Hwang Hee-chan, Jung Woo-young, Hwang In-beom, Lee Jae-sung; Son Heung-min; Hwang Ui-jo
Since taking over after the 2018 World Cup, Bento faced criticism in some circles for the team's measured, conservative style of play that values patient buildup over the more gung-ho approach of prior years and managers. He silenced a fair number of doubters during a comfortable qualifying run, though, and his base 4-4-2 formation can morph into a more attacking system that's dangerous in transition if needed. With the obvious concerns over Son's fitness, Bento will likely need others to step up in Qatar. Freiburg's Jeong Woo-yeong, whose opportunities have been limited because he plays a similar position to Son and Hwang Hee-chan, could be a breakout candidate.
Key question
How much will Son actually play? It's that simple, really. Yes, Bento found an excellent pairing to anchor his defense - Kim Min-jae is flourishing at Napoli, and Kim Young-gwon, 32, provides a calming veteran presence going into his third World Cup. But, when push comes to shove, Son's availability is the most pressing concern for this team by a sizeable margin. "I will do the best I can under the circumstances," Son said Wednesday. "But it's tough for me to say right now that I will play every game." Gulp.
Even from a neutral perspective, the prospect of not being able to see Son, one of the sport's most delightful attacking players, is upsetting. Imagine, then, what South Korean supporters must be thinking right now.
Predictions ๐ฎ
Despite the aforementioned concerns about Santos' tactics and Ronaldo's diminishing impact, Opta gives Portugal an 82.6% chance of reaching the knockout stages, while Uruguay is favored to join the Selecao. Concerns over Son's fitness are too great to overlook here, while the same can be said about Ghana's uninspiring form in 2022.
- Portugal
- Uruguay
- Ghana
- South Korea