The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is just 10 days away and coaches might be racking their brain to pick their final squads for the global showpiece event. In this segment, we take a look at the four teams drawn in the final group – Group H – which pits three star strikers in world football – Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Uruguay's Luis Suarez, and South Korea's Son Heung-Min – against each other. The other team in the fray is four-time African champions Ghana, who will have the chance to exact revenge on Uruguay for their controversial exit on penalties from the 2010 edition's quarterfinals. Portugal too have a score to settle with Uruguay, who dumped them out in the last 16 four years ago.
Let’s take a look at the teams from four different continents drawn in Group H:
Portugal
FIFA ranking: 9
Head coach: Fernando Santos
At 37, Cristiano Ronaldo may be on the decline, but he can definitely inspire Portugal's new generation with his greatness. Portugal have some of the most talented midfielders of the era and among those to watch out for are Manchester City's Bernardo Silva and Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes. Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix, who will be partnering Cristiano up front, is known for his versatility and scoring abilities.
Strengths
Many in the Portugal squad play for the same club in European leagues. While Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo, and Ruben Diaz play together at Manchester City, Cristiano and Bruno are teammates at Manchester United. Left-back Nuno Mendes, centre-back Danilo Pereira, and midfielders Vitinha and Renato Sanches play for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain.
Weaknesses
Portugal were dealt a blow ahead of the World Cup after forward Diogo Jota was ruled out of the tournament due to a calf injury. Many football pundits are of the opinion that coach Santos's tactics are outdated.
Uruguay
FIFA ranking: 14
Coach: Diego Alonso
Uruguay were the world's first football powerhouses. They were world champions in 1930 and 1950 and finished fourth in 1970 and 2010. In Qatar, they will be relying on a mix of youth and experience to bring success. Apart from veteran strikers Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, they have some talented youngsters in their ranks. In place of veteran coach Oscar Tabarez, who led the team's training sessions from a motorized wheelchair at Russia 2018, Uruguay have a young coach – the 47-year-old Diego Alnoso – to guide them in Qatar.
Strengths
Uruguay no longer rely on counter-attacks to score goals. They now play a high-press quick passing game. Liverpool's young striker Darwin Nunez is a key player in this transitional squad.
Weaknesses
Centre-backs Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez are known for their power and aerial dominance, but both are slow movers and are expected to struggle against teams like South Korea and Portugal that attack with blistering pace.
South Korea
FIFA ranking: 28
Head coach: Paulo Bento
South Korea will be making their 10th successive appearance in the World Cup, and 11th overall. They are only behind Brazil, Germany, Argentina, and Spain when it comes to number of appearances. However, they could reach the knockout rounds only twice — making the semifinals at home in 2002, and the last 16 in the 2010 tournament in South Africa. Paulo Bento, who was a member of the Portugal team that lost to South Korea at the group stage of the 2002 World Cup, is their head coach.
Strengths
South Korea have plenty of strength up front. Led by Son Heung-Min, they are quick and skillful in attack. The backline marshalled by Napoli's Kim Min-jae will be a tough nut to crack for even the fancied teams in the fray.
Weaknesses
South Korea lack a creative midfielder in their line-up. That is the reason why Son, who scores at will for Tottenham Hotspur, struggles in the national colours.
Ghana
FIFA ranking: 61
Head coach: Otto Addo
Ghana will head to Qatar as the lowest ranked country in the fray. Despite being dubbed as the weakest national team in recent history, the Black Stars managed to seal their place at the finals ahead of the formidable Nigeria. They battled the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their play-off to earn their spot at Qatar 2022 by virtue of away goals. Securing a spot in the last 16 from this extremely competitive group will be a tough task for them.
Strengths
Ghana's squad is filled with some of the best players from across the world with Ghanaian origin. Athletic Bilbao striker Inaki Williams, who has previously played for Spain at youth level, former England U-21 player Tariq Lampte , who plays as a defender for English Premier League side Brighton, and Hamburger winger Ransford Yeboah, a former youth international for Germany, switched allegiances to represent Ghana internationally.
Weaknesses
Ghana did not get much time to gel together and get the combinations right. Most of their players including Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey were busy with their club commitments. Besides, they are forced to find a replacement for defender Stephan Ambrosius, who sustained an injury while playing for Bundesliga 2 side Karlsruher SC last week.
