The most popular competition in the world is back. The World Cup will start with the game between Qatar and Ecuador on November 21st at 1 AM KST. This World Cup will be held in Qatar. We only have 15 days left until the World Cup starts, and football fans should remind themselves of some key points to look out for before the competition starts. I’ve prepared some things to focus on.

To begin with, the Qatar World Cup will be the first World Cup to be held in the winter. That's right. For the first time since 1930, the World Cup will be held in the winter. This is mostly owing to the high temperatures in Qatar. Based on the health of the players and fans, FIFA agreed to hold the World Cup in the winter. Because of the unusual date, the European professional leagues had to start earlier than usual, with more congested schedules. Some outstanding players may miss the World Cup because of various injuries.

www.si.com/soccer/liverpool/news/confirmed-fifa-2022-world-cup-draw-groups-revealed-for-qatar

Both Paul Pogba and N'golo Kante, France's defending champions, are injured and will miss the World Cup. Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, and Diogo Jota, among others, are virtually probably out of the World Cup. Son Heung Min, Reece James, Paulo Dybala, and Raphael Varane are all working hard to recuperate and rejoin their national teams.

Secondly, this World Cup will be the last one for many footballers fans have come to love. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Eden Hazard, and other fan favorites have announced their retirement from the World Cup. The thought of it is watering the eyes of countless fans who have grown up with them. The eyes of billions are on Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo, the two players who have formed the greatest sports rivalry in the 21st century. They are the two most popular and celebrated players of this generation, and this World Cup will mark the end of their era. If either of them manages to win the World Cup, they just might be able to become the Greatest Footballer of All Time, surpassing the likes of Pele and Maradona. I know that I am not the only one that wishes for a World Cup final between Argentina led by Messi and Portugal led by Ronaldo. It would be the most-watched sports match of all time. 

유승현 강남포스트 학생기자  webmaster@ignnews.kr

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