Brazil, Portugal and African contenders lead TVJ World Cup squad debate

TVJ’s sports panel turned its attention to World Cup squad selections, with football coach Andrew Price weighing the strength of several national teams as the tournament build-up continued with 21 days to go and more announcements expected before June 11.

Brazil drew the earliest focus after the release of its squad. Price said he was not especially surprised by the exclusions, arguing that some omitted players had not shown enough form at club level. He said Neymar’s inclusion made sense because coach Carlo Ancelotti appeared to believe the forward could still influence matches at the World Cup. Price added that Neymar was likely delighted by the call-up and expected him to perform well.

Germany was described as a side with a useful blend of established talent and younger players. The discussion noted Manuel Neuer’s return as the first-choice goalkeeper and considered how far the German team could progress.

Portugal’s hopes were framed around Cristiano Ronaldo, who was discussed as the likely focal point of the attack. Price said Ronaldo still had strong players around him, but would remain the man Portugal tried to find in key moments. The panel noted that this would be Ronaldo’s sixth World Cup, putting him alongside Lionel Messi in that record discussion.

Belgium was also identified as a team with enough quality to matter, despite the passage of its much-discussed earlier generation. Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans and Manchester City’s Jérémy Doku were among the players mentioned.

Egypt’s chances were linked to Mohamed Salah’s fitness, with Price saying a fully fit Salah from the start would make Egypt difficult for many opponents. Omar Marmoush was also cited as part of the attacking threat. Senegal, led in the discussion by former Liverpool forward Sadio Mané, was described as another African side capable of making an impact.

The panel also touched on England’s pending provisional 26-man squad, with Harry Maguire, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden named among players reportedly being discussed as possible omissions.