OPINION: Few sporting events capture the imagination - and outrage - like the Football World Cup.
Organising body FIFA has a dubious reputation for some of the decisions it makes and awarding this edition of the tournament to politically incorrect Qatar - presumably for the money - has divided the game's fanbase.
The Middle East nation has a horrible human rights record and many of the competing teams have taken this opportunity to deliver their protests, while still turning up to play in the pinnacle event of their careers.
Once the first match kicks off on Monday, hopefully attention will focus more on the football, with this World Cup looming as a wide-open competition, before it expands to a 48-team lolly scramble in four years.
Here's how our Newshub footy fanatics see the tournament unfolding...
Teams to watch
Andrew Gourdie: Portugal might be the team with the box office factor at this World Cup.
With Cristiano Ronaldo packing a strop on the eve of the tournament, he's ensured TV cameras will be glued to the want-away Manchester United striker for the duration of his stay in Qatar.
Given he'll likely be looking for a new club next month, the 37-year-old will need to use this World Cup to prove his doubters wrong and secure a new deal. With a youthful, star-studded cast surrounding him, Portuguese fans might be in for a rollercoaster ride over the coming weeks.
Mark Quinlivan: England
After an abysmal lead-up to the tournament, can manager Gareth Southgate get the balance of his formation right and get his attacking stars to fire?
Alex Chapman: England, coz... funny.
James Regan: Probably Argentina purely for the Messi factor.
They have a decent squad, but will Lionel be able to inspire them to the one prize in football he hasn’t been able to claim? If he can’t win it, what kind of impact will it have on his legacy?
Only time will tell, but it would be something to see him win a World Cup.
Alex Powell: France
Italy in 2010, Spain in 2014, Germany in 2018... what do these three teams have in common? They all got turfed out in the group stage, after winning the previous World Cup.
If that same pattern applies, France will bomb out early and with some of the best players in the world playing for 'Les Bleus', I can't wait to see it happen.
Narelle Sindos: The Netherlands
Stacked at the back, with Liverpool's VVD running the show, the Dutch won't ship too many goals and going forward, they've got Depay and Gakpo! They also have arguably the best midfielder in the world - Frenkie De Jong.
Also great fans - up the orange!
Will Hewett: I'm really looking forward to watching Argentina, who come into the tournament among the favourites.
They're also in red-hot form and on a 33-game unbeaten run dating back to July 2019, when COVID-19 wasn't even around. It's Lionel Messi's swansong and he'll look to go out on a high, bringing his country their first World Cup title since 1986 and third ever.
But Argentina are not just a one-man team - they're stacked with talent like Inter Milan's Lautaro Martínez, Manchester City's Julián Álvarez and Ángel Di María from Juventus.
Mark Longley: Brazil
The once-mighty World Cup team has not lifted the Jules Remit Trophy for 20 years, but they look to have recaptured what once made those Brazilian teams so entertaining - the forward line.
Many are talking about this being the final World Cup for Argentinian forward Lionel Messi, but it could well be Neymar's as well and he will fancy himself to win the Golden Boot, if not the World Cup.
The Paris St-Germain striker forms part of the most mouthwatering line-up of forwards at the tournament, with Vinícius Júnior, Richarlison, Raphinha, Jesus, Martinelli, Rodrygo, Antony and Pedro also selected.
Their defence may be ageing, but if that forward line fires like it should, they will be hard to beat.
Brazil - like the All Blacks - are an iconic brand and this team could light up the finals.
Players to watch
Andrew Gourdie: Jude Bellingham
The Borussia Dortmund starlet is the shining light in an underperforming England team and the perfect example of a modern midfielder. Bellingham will be central to England's hopes in Qatar, and with a swag of English Premier League clubs queuing up to sign him, Dortmund will hope his performances double his price before a likely move next summer.
Mark Quinlivan: Marcus Rashford
A man who thoroughly deserves his recall to the England squad and someone who could be a supreme attacking weapon for Southgate on the left edge, whether that be the starting XI or from the bench.
Alex Chapman: I mean, it’s a short list, isn’t it?
Harry Kane will be Harry Kane, Messi is, well, Messi, and Mbappe is the highest player in the world and the second best U25 player (behind Garnacho).
I’m not looking forward to watching him, but after acting how he has lately, I’m intrigued to see how Ronaldo goes. Can’t be United’s fault when he’s playing for a country... or can it?
James Regan: Jude Bellingham
He’s had an outstanding season at Dortmund and is, for many, a nailed-on starter for England. He’s such a promising young talent and this tournament is a chance for him to make a real statement.
Keep in mind, a lot of Premier League clubs have him on their radar.
Alex Powell: Lionel Messi
If Messi is truly to be considered the greatest of all time, he has to win a World Cup.
Club titles with Barcelona (the ones with PSG don't count) will only get him so far, if Messi is to overtake Diego Maradona as the greatest to ever lace up for Argentina.
And at 35, this is almost certainly Messi's last chance to bring home the Jules Rimet.
Narelle Sindos: I think I can safely say all eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo.
It's likely to be his last FIFA World Cup dance and given the off-field drama at his below-average club Manchester United, he's not short of critics to silence.
Will Hewett: I know a lot of people will immediately say Neymar, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe or Cristiano Ronaldo, but my pick is a little left-field in Gareth Bale.
After 64 long years of waiting to make an appearance in the World Cup, Wales have finally qualified and talisman Bale will be out to put on a show. He's a consistent performer for his country and he knows how to stand up in the big games, just like he did with his overhead kick in the 2018 Champions League final.
I can't wait for him to play England, as he'll be out to make a statement against his country's arch-rivals.
Mark Longley: Jude Bellingham
The Borussia Dortmund player was given the CIES Football Observatory's slightly meaningless tag of being the player with the highest transfer value at the tournament, estimating Bellingham would be worth 202 million euros, if sold after the World Cup.
If only hypothetical, it shows that among the galaxy of stars at the tournament, he is on the rise.
At 19, he may be too young to be the standout player, but he oozes potential and will be one to watch. Paul Gascoigne was 22 when he made his name at Italia '90 and Bellingham could be on a similar trajectory - at least on the pitch, but hopefully not off it.
Darkhorse contenders
Andrew Gourdie: The Netherlands
Impressive in the UEFA Nations League this year, with home-and-away wins over Belgium, they dominated a group that also featured World Cup-bound Poland and Wales. With key players like Frenkie De Jong, Virgil Van Dijk and Memphis Depay in their prime, the Dutch should have little trouble topping a soft group and from there... who knows?
Mark Quinlivan: Denmark
Bolstered by the inspired return of Christian Eriksen, the Danes - on paper - remind me of the Luka Modric-led Croatian team beaten by France in the 2017 final. I believe an Eriksen-led Denmark team could go one better and beat anyone, on their day.
Alex Chapman: Denmark
Do I genuinely think they’ll win? No, but it’s so hard to see a darkhorse actually winning a tournament like this.
Led by 'The Resurrection', aka Christian Eriksen (insert Stone Roses here), the Danes will be a fun team to watch and should finish second in their group (Australia, France, Tunisia).
They’re built around their physicality and defence, conceding just four shots in their first eight games of qualifying. Nuts.
They’ll also massively rely on their fans to be their extra man.
Notable mention to Wales as well.
James Regan: Maybe the Netherlands.
Strong defence and always a chance, if they get their ducks in a row.
Alex Powell: Belgium
This seems like the third World Cup that Belgium will head to as 'darkhorses', but they are simply too good to not win anything.
In Kevin De Bruyne, they have the world's best playmaking midfielder and Thibaut Courtois in goal has guided his club side to more than one trophy (sorry Liverpool fans). Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard loom as players to watch, if they can rediscover their former selves.
After missing out in 2014 (quarter-finals) and 2018 (semi-finals), third time could be the charm for the 'Red Devils'.
Narelle Sindos: Senegal
There were absolute scenes, when Senegal earned their ticket to Qatar - and here's hoping for more memorable scenes in the Middle East.
Although the champs of Africa will be without Bayern Munich star Sadio Mane (RIP), they have a couple of English Premier League-quality players in their ranks.
Will Hewett: With the tournament wide open, there are so many teams that you could make a case for to win the World Cup, but my darkhorse is Switzerland.
When you look at their recent results in Nations League and their potential pathway, they could go deep in Qatar. I see them going over to a relatively easy side of the bracket and a manageable pathway for them.
They should face Portugal in the round of 16 and then the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, which are both winnable matches.
Mark Longley: I am going for Spain, who aren't really darkhorses, but there is not a lot of attention on them in the run-up.
They had a good tournament at Euro 2020, losing to winners Italy in the semi-final.
This may not be the team that dominated between 2008-12, winning two European championships and a World Cup. but they could be a good bet as relative outsiders.
Favoured to win
Andrew Gourdie: I find it hard to look past France.
The defending champions have quality across the pitch and can now call on the services of the Ballon D'or holder Karim Benzema, who returns to the national team. Even though 'Les Bleus' will be without injured midfield duo Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante, they now have Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni - the Real Madrid pair, who appear to be stars in waiting.
With Kylian Mbappe now in his prime, France will again be hard to beat.
Mark Quinlivan: You simply can't go past Brazil.
The Brazilian teams of recent World Cups have relied heavily on the attacking prowess of superstar Neymar, but even if he's injured in Qatar, Brazil could still remain the favourites - given the amount of world-class attacking options at their disposal.
None more so than Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr, whom I predict will be close to - if not THE - player of the tournament.
Alex Chapman: Brazil are the favourites to end their 20 year drought, but I reckon Argentina will.
Consistent team who have played a lot together, and potentially the crowning moment for Messi at a time when his greatest rival has gone down hill and is acting like a knob.
James Regan: This is hard.
There are a handful of teams - France, Brazil, Belgium, Argentina who could win, but no team is really miles ahead are they? I think it’s wide open.
Alex Powell: Germany
More often than not, the best team - and not the best players - win the World Cup. For Germany, playing as a team is the foundation their entire philosophy is based on.
While other teams boast nicknames like the 'Three Lions' (England) and 'Les Bleus' (France), Germany's nickname 'Die Mannschaft' literally translates to 'the team'.
After a miserable outing in 2018, expect Germany to come back in style in Qatar.
Narelle Sindos: You don't have to be a regular TAB customer to know Brazil are the faves, and given what happened in 2018... they'll be pretty pissed off and ready to go.
Will Hewett: In my mind, this is one of the most open and hard-to-pick World Cups in a long time.
It's being held for the first time in the middle of the European club season, so many teams are out of form. One team flying under the radar are Belgium and they have a great draw to go deep in the tournament.
In the group stages, they should qualify top of their pool and face Germany in the round of 16. After sneaking by the four-time winners, they should have too much firepower for either Portugal or Switzerland to advance to the semi-finals.
The big test comes next where they'll face France. The quality of Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard will see them sneak by the defending champions in extra time.
In the big dance, there would be no fitting farewell for superstar Lionel Messi, with Belgium claiming their first-ever World Cup over Argentina.
Mark Longley: England
Expectations for England are always high before they head into a tournament, but between Euro '96 and Russia in 2018, they have always failed to deliver.
Gareth Southgate's men reached the semi-final in Russia and the final of Euro 2020, and they are genuine contenders for at least a semi-final spot this time around.
The defence looks a bit weak, but they have an array of attacking options to choose from, and players like Grealish, Bellingham, Madison and Kane have the potential to shine in the tournament.
Will football finally come home?
Andrew Gourdie: It's impossible to make a case for England.
Their form has fallen off a cliff this year. They still have quality across the field, but I think football's best chance to come home was when it was literally at home in the final of Euro 2020.
Sorry, but it's a no from me.
Mark Quinlivan: That entirely depends on Southgate's formation and whether he can get his world-class attacking options to create chances and put the ball in the back of the net.
To do so, he must - as much as possible - ditch his 'safe' back-three formations and play with a back four. He also must have star child Jude Bellingham in his starting XI - ideally in a no.10 role.
If the 19-year-old can live up to his hype, if captain Harry Kane can stay fit and continue netting goals, and if England's somewhat limited centre-half options can provide some solidity at the back... anything is possible.
Alex Chapman: Already did with the 'Lionesses', but for the men... lol, no.
James Regan: Yes.
Watchparty on the Viaduct for the final... England win on penalties... scenes!
Alex Powell: Football came home in July when the 'Lionesses' won the women's Euros.
England are covered for the next 72 years.
Narelle Sindos: I wish, imagine the scenes. It would take something extraordinary for the English to bring home that trophy.
Will Hewett: Unfortunately, it's not coming home and the wait is going to stretch to 60 years.
England come into the tournament in poor form, without a win in their last eight matches. Manager Gareth Southgate is struggling to get the support of fans, despite guiding England to two impressive tournament results.
They have should qualify top of their pool and ease past Senegal in their first knockout match, but the quarter-finals are where things get tricky and I have them losing to France here.
Mark Longley: Part of being an English sports fan is having your hopes raised that this could be the year - then watching your team snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Now 56 years since England won a major football tournament, I hope they win, so people will stop talking about that stat - but I fear there are better teams in their way.
