Front Burner

World Cup 101: The stars, underdogs and favourites

We’re covering the World Cup basics as Canada returns to the tournament after a 36-year absence.
Alphonso Davies, right, Jonathan David, middle, and Tajon Buchanan are all part of Canada's 26-man roster for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar. (Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

After nearly three decades of trying, Canada qualified for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and proceeded to not score a goal. 

But Canada could write a new chapter in its soccer history, starting Sunday, when the Qatar World Cup kicks off. 

We've covered the controversy surrounding soccer's biggest tournament — from human rights abuses to allegations of bribery, and corruption at FIFA.

Today, we're focusing on the tournament itself. Roger Bennett is back to give us a primer on the favourites, the underdogs and some of the big storylines expected to unfold on the pitch in Qatar. He's the founder of the Men in Blazers Media network, co-host of the Men in Blazers podcast and co-author of the newly published book Gods of Soccer.

Listen on Google Podcasts

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify