Who will win the FIFA World Cup? Spartak's coach backs his own, Škrtel placed a bet and is certain

Spanish coach Antonio Muñoz, quite naturally, is rooting for his compatriots. They dominated their group, which included Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde, and then progressed through the knockout stages by defeating Austria (3-0), Portugal (1-0), and Belgium (2-1).

"We face France in the semi-finals, which is an incredibly tough opponent, but I believe in our team. I hope we get through the semi-final and ultimately lift the trophy," stated the 36-year-old Muñoz.

Sporting director Martin Škrtel, on the other hand, is backing England. "I placed a bet on England to win the whole tournament even before it started. I think England could very well be the new world champions," said Škrtel, who spent a significant part of his career in the English Premier League with Liverpool.

The English also topped their group, where they faced Croatia, Panama, and Ghana. In the knockout rounds, they successively overcame the Democratic Republic of Congo (2-1), Mexico (3-2), and Norway (2-1 after extra time).

Spartak captain Martin Mikovič responded to ŠPORT.sk's question succinctly but convincingly: "Argentina."

The reigning champions, led by legendary captain Lionel Messi, who has already scored 8 goals in the tournament across Canada, the USA, and Mexico, comfortably won their group against Austria, Algeria, and Jordan.

In the subsequent playoff bracket, they successively dealt with Cape Verde (3-2 after extra time), Egypt (3-2), and Switzerland (3-1 after extra time).

In the semi-finals, Spain will face France, while Argentina will battle England.