Seagulls at the World Cup: Who should Brighton fans be cheering for?
Back in the days when Premier League status was a pipe dream for Brighton fans, the only excitement that many of us got at the time of a World Cup – aside from the hope that England would stop the clock at 32, then 36, then 40 (and so on) years of hurt – tended to come from watching the lower-tier nations and wondering whether some of their players might do a job in League One.
Since 2017, though, the football gods have been kind and – as well as becoming a solid fixture in the top flight – we’ve accumulated a squad with actual international regulars.
This year – alongside betting on the World Cup and praying that the “years of hurt” counter stops at 56 – there will be additional legitimate reasons to follow the tournament as a Seagulls fan.
Yes, there were some Brighton players at Russia 2018, but this time around there are more of them, they’re attached to better teams, and they could be involved in the latter stages of the competition.
If you want to back them with a wager or two at sites offering odds, or even if you want to hope for their opponents to win so Graham Potter can have them back under his control sooner rather than later, here are the key teams to focus on.
Belgium
It seems that with every passing tournament, Belgium’s Golden Generation looks more like a highly-polished Brass Generation, but there is no doubt the talent still exists to get them some way into the latter stages of the tournament.
If Leandro Trossard is to get his hands on a medal, les Diables Rouges will need to win a group featuring Croatia, Canada and Morocco (achievable) and then get past Germany or Spain in the last 16 (awkward).
After that, it’s (probably) the small matter of brushing off Brazil again like they did four years ago, and the semi-finals await.
They’re still ranked second in the world, and while we personally wouldn’t bet on the World Cup coming “home” to Brussels, this is probably their last chance.
Argentina
Freed from the responsibility of being the only player to have scored for Manchester United this season, Alexis Mac Allister will be hoping he can pick up a medal in Qatar after missing out on his country’s Copa America triumph last year.
The Santa Rosa-born midfielder is not guaranteed a place on the plane, but he’s been in the last few squads and certainly has a chance of adding to his five caps in Qatar.
Argentina are in a group with Poland, Mexico and Newcastle-funding petrostate Saudi Arabia, so they should at least make the knockout stages. Realistically, they’ll hope to top that group and therefore avoid France in the last 16.
Ecuador
There may be no fewer than three Brighton and Hove Albion players on show in the tournament’s opening game as Ecuador face hosts Qatar.
Moises Caicedo will surely start, fitness permitting, as should new signing Pervis Estupiñán, a man who was under contract at Watford for four years and never played for them.
We may also get to see Jeremy Sarmiento add to his eight caps, particularly if the club’s Young Player of the Season 2021-22 can break into the team between now and November.
England
Go on Gareth, select Danny Welbeck. You know you want to.
