Five dark horses at the FIFA World Cup

Every FIFA World Cup has a surprise contender that shakes up the competition and shocks fans. This year's World Cup, which begins Nov. 20 in Qatar, should be no different. Here are five dark horses heading into the big event.

5. Canada (Group F: Canada, Croatia, Morocco, Belgium)

Last Cup: 1986

Top players: Alphonso Davies (Defender), Jonathon David (Forward)

Davies, who has played well for Bayern Munich, is a world-class talent and will be the driving force for Canada. Along with Davies, forward Jonathon David is a great goal-scoring option. He helped Lille lift the Ligue 1 trophy in 2021. 

Canada head coach John Herdman has a 70% win percentage with the national team through 43 games. He will look to sneak past the group stage against 2018 World Cup runner up Croatia and FIFA world-ranked No. 2 Belgium.

Quotable: “I do know that we’ve built a strong culture here," said Herdman, via Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star. "We have got a good ‘next man up’ sort of chemistry in this group, but we are aware that this is the world stage now."

4. Senegal (Group A: Senegal, Netherlands, Qatar, Ecuador

Last Cup: 2018

Top players: Sadio Mane (forward), Kalidou Koulibaly (defender), Edouard Mendy (goalkeeper)

Senegal is in top form after defeating Egypt, 2-1, in the Africa Cup of Nations. Mane will be the lead attacker for Senegal while Koulibaly and Mendy make up a strong defensive support. 

Senegal first qualified for the World Cup in 2002, advancing to the quarterfinals of that tournament. But it has struggled in the Cup since. It qualified in 2018 but was a quick out. Senegal's young stars from 2018 have matured and are in the primes of their careers. 

Quotable: "Mendy and Koulibaly might be as important for Senegal as Mané. The Chelsea teammates are among the best in the world in their positions and give Senegal the kind of solidity it will need at the World Cup," the team at sportsstar.thehindu.com observed.

3. Wales (Group B: Wales, Iran, USA, England)

Last Cup: 1958

Top players: Gareth Bale (forward), Aaron Ramsey (midfielder)

Bale and Ramsey are the most notable players to come out of Wales in recent memory. Both found new homes in the offseason, with Ramsey going to French club Nice and Bale joining Los Angeles FC in the MLS. Bale helped secure the first MLS title for LAFC. 

In the 2016 European Championship, Wales advanced to the semifinals.

Quotable: "After all these years, Bale can do still things that no other player on that field can do," former Wales international Iwan Roberts told Fox Sports' Martin Rodgers. "No other player in that game will have as much potential power to influence the result."

2. Croatia (Group F: Croatia, Belgium, Morocco, Canada)

Last Cup: 2018 (2nd Place)

Top players: Luka Modric (midfielder), Marcelo Brozovic (midfielder), and Mateo Kovacic (midfielder)

No one expected Croatia to make the knockout stage of the 2018 Cup, let alone play in the final where it lost to France. Multiple star players from Croatia's 2018 World Cup team have retired from international play.

Croatia will count on Modric to lead it on another miracle run. Along with Brozovic and Kovacic, he will be key in the meshing of the offense. 

Quotable: "Modric’s natural talent and tireless work ethic have allowed him to become one of the greatest players of his generation," opined vanguardngr.com.

1. Netherlands (Group A: Netherlands, Senegal, Qatar, Ecuador

Last Cup: 2014 (3rd Place)

Top players: Memphis Depay (forward), Virgil van Dijk (defender), Cody Gakpo (forward)

Netherlands, coached by Louis Van Gaal,  has young talent at many positions and quality veterans to back them up. The Dutch aren't considered favorites after failing to qualify for the last World Cup and not seeing much success since 2014. 

For the Netherlands to make a World Cup run, star striker Depay must perform as he did in qualification (12 goals). Van Dijk is regarded as one of the best defenders in the world. Gakpo has shined this season, earning multiple player of the month awards in the Dutch Eredivisie. He could be the team's future star.  

Quotable: "It's hard to win against this Dutch team. In the third spell under Van Gaal, the team are still unbeaten after 11 wins and four draws," ESPN notes. 

For Yardbarker's ranking of World Cup favorites, go here.