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Rafael Nadal acknowledged that predicting a World Cup winner is always "very difficult" since there are many great nations capable of winning it all. The 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place in Qatar, from November 20 to December 18.
Nadal, who is known as a big football fan, named Spain among the favorites but added that there is always room for a surprise in such a strong competition. “It’s difficult. The World Cup is a very difficult competition to predict.
I would say the favorites are Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain. There are many games but these are the favorites although there is always a chance for a surprise,” Nadal told Brazilian media ge.globo.
Nadal on Real Madrid's success
While Nadal was in Paris for the French Open, he also witnessed his favorite club Real Madrid beating Liverpool in the Champions League final. Real Madrid also won the Spanish LaLiga last season.
"I'm happy because Madrid won the League and the Champions League. We are a young and exciting team. We have Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo, who are having an incredible season, and there's Eder Militao too. I'm very happy with the Brazilians on the team," Nadal said.
During the same interview, Nadal admitted that Novak Djokovic is his biggest rival. Nadal owns a record 22 Grand Slams, while Djokovic is second with 21 Majors in his collection. This year, Nadal and Djokovic have clashed only once.
En route to winning the French Open, Nadal defeated Djokovic in the quarterfinal. "My greatest rival is Novak Djokovic. After all, he is the one who is closest to the number of Grand Slams, with 21. And for all the times we face each other, for our history.
Out of all the active players, my most dangerous rival, without a doubt, is Novak," Nadal said. Meanwhile, Nadal is getting ready to compete at the Atp Finals. Nadal and Djokovic weren't placed in the same group as they could only meet in the semifinal or final stage.