The group stage has concluded, and now the round of 16 bracket is set for the 2022 World Cup. Which team has the easiest path to the final? Two nations stand out, and we’ll break it down below.
Easiest path to 2022 World Cup final
Argentina have a straightforward path to the 2022 World Cup final. Lionel Messi and company drew Australia for their round of 16 match, the lowest-ranked team (No. 38) remaining in the tournament — according to FIFA’s World Rankings. Argentina has -1100 odds to advance over Australia per DraftKings Sportsbook, and the next round would be against either the Netherlands or United States. Neither of those are bad matchups for Argentina. That especially holds true when considering England and France as well as Spain and Portugal are on a collision course for the quarterfinals. By comparison, Argentina has it easy.
Brazil’s round of 16 match against South Korea is tougher than Argentina’s contest, but the Brazilian side can’t complain about the overall path. Per DraftKings Sportsbook, the “Selecao” are -800 to advance against South Korea, and they would face either Croatia (ranked No. 12 by FIFA) or Japan (No. 24) in the quarterfinal. Brazil’s path to this point doesn’t have a ton of resistance but they are set to meet Argentina in the semifinal.