The World Cup kicks off on Sunday November 20 with Qatar vs Ecuador.
It is the first time there has ever been a winter World Cup, though the weather in Qatar means it will still be very hot for the players.
Harry Kane heads into the tournament looking to win a second Golden Boot after his triumph in 2018 and Rooney believes he is among the favourites to do so:
“Mbappé, Benzema and Harry are all strong contenders. As I said, I think Havertz will have a good tournament. You cannot rule out Messi and Ronaldo I’m sure will chip in with a few goals. You never know with Romelu Lukaku . . . he could be the difference for Belgium in terms of how they do.”
Rooney also named his favourite to lift the World Cup, backing Argentina: “For me, Argentina are the favourites. Unlike in 2018, they have plenty of good, solid players around Lionel Messi such as Lautaro Martínez, Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul and of course Ángel Di María.
“Winning the Copa America last year will have given them confidence and has taken a bit of pressure off them. The climate will suit them too. The only thing they are missing is a No 9, that focal point in attack, but I think they will be really dangerous.”
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