5 best candidates to win the WWE World Cup

With the announcement of WWE Crown Jewel to take place in Saudia Arabia on November 2nd, we learned that the company would be holding its own World Cup tournament. We don't have many details as of now, but we can expect various wrestlers from around the world to compete, each one representing his respective country.

Aside from bragging rights, it's unclear if the winner of this tournament will get anything important. Braun Strowman didn't exactly get anything as a result of his victory at the Greatest Royal Rumble, after all. At this point, it's likely that the WWE World Cup falls into that category.

Still, the WWE World Cup tournament could be a very good way to highlight the winner and heat him up heading into Survivor Series and ultimately the Royal Rumble. Done properly with good follow up (which is admittedly optimistic), the WWE World Cup could be a launching ground as the biggest part of the company's calendar dawns and the bright lights of WrestleMania at last start shining over the horizon.

With that in mind, here are the five ideal winners for the WWE World Cup tournament.

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#5 Finn Balor (Ireland)

Might he get second wind?

Finn Balor has floundered these past couple of years. With 50/50 booking and a boring gimmick when he isn't the demon, Balor at first glance doesn't appear a likely or a deserving winner of the WWE World Cup.

Yet, he remains popular with fans. A victory in the World Cup could be a good launching pad to give Finn Balor's career a much-needed second wind. Though no one should expect him to be in a world title match at WrestleMania 35, he can at least do a lot better than the utility player/enhancement role they have him in now.

#4 Seth Rollins (United States)

Burn the World Cup down.

Seth Rollins might be defending the Intercontinental Championship at Crown Jewel, but if he isn't, a strong run in the WWE World Cup tournament would be a great choice. Seth Rollins has been one of the hottest acts in the company this year, and crowning him the World Cup winner would be a perfect feather in the cap to his fantastic 2018.

Besides, with Seth Rollins going the distance in the tournament, you'd have a guaranteed series of fantastic matches throughout the contest.

Winning the tournament would send him strong into Survivor Series as a potential champion vs. champion match with Shinsuke Nakamura looms.

#3 Aleister Black (Netherlands)

Make the World Cup fade to black.

This is admittedly a wild card, but NXT should be represented in the WWE World Cup, and who better to represent the yellow brand than the former NXT Champion? Aleister Black returned from injury at the latest set of NXT tapings and one has to think that a main roster call up is coming sooner rather than later.

What better way to debut him as a big deal than have him be the surprise entrant and victor in the WWE World Cup tournament? Aleister Black's participation would also let us see a number of dream matches with the likes of Seth Rollins, Shinsuke Nakamura, and so on.

#2 Andrade "Cien" Almas (Mexico)

Staying tranquilo in the heat of the desert.

Having already made an impression on SmackDown Live and reportedly with Vince McMahon behind him, Andrade "Cien" Almas checks all the boxes for an ideal WWE World Cup winner. While Almas has had fantastic matches on SmackDown, he still needs that signature big victory to take his career to the next level, and this would be it.

Unless the company has lost its mind, Almas should be a big part of WrestleMania season, and a victory here would be an ideal launching pad. If Almas wins in Saudi Arabia, and then becomes a sole survivor at Survivor Series less than three weeks later, big things would certainly be in store for him.

Plus, we can get dream encounters with the likes of Seth Rollins and Finn Balor!

#1 Drew McIntyre (Scotland)

The Scottish Psychopath might be an early favorite.

There's no better choice to win the WWE World Cup than Drew McIntyre. The current Raw Tag Team Champion and former Intercontinental and NXT Champion has been on a tear since his return to the main roster this April. He still hasn't been pinned on the red brand and now has a match of the year candidate under his belt after his fantastic title defense at Hell in a Cell.

Drew McIntyre might (and, at this point, should) be Roman Reigns' successor as Universal Champion, and there would be no better way to start him on that journey than by winning the WWE World Cup on November 2nd, especially since it's likely he'll be in a champion vs. champion match at Survivor Series.