
Away from the glitz, glamour and extravagance, one recurrent theme at the ongoing 2022 World Cup in Qatar is the unpredictability of the tournament.
Hosting the competition in the middle of the club football is an abnormal circumstance for fans to process, and so have been some of the results in the tournament thus far.
The first notable result was Saudi Arabia defeating one of the tournament favourites in Argentina. It was a game the Albiceleste were expected to dominate and for superstar captain Lionel Messi to have a field day. However, it was not to be as the Saudis, under former Zambia and Ivory Coast manager Herve Renard, won 2-1 which sent shockwaves across the world. The significance of the result prompted the declaration of a public holiday in the gulf kingdom on the following day. Saudi Arabia won with just 31% possession, two shots on target and an Expected Goals (xG) of 0.15 compared to Argentina’s 2.26, 15 total shots of which six were on target.

Another major upset followed in Group E’s clash between Germany and Japan. Die Mannschaft, like Argentina, were one of the World Cup favourites, but the Blue Samurai had other ideas. The Germans were tactically outclassed with Japan coming back from behind to claim a famous 2-1 victory. The Japanese would go on to beat Spain by the same scoreline (and fashion) to ensure a 1st place finish in the group, with the latter narrowly sealing the second and last slot and the Germans suffering another disappointing group stage exit.
The next surprise result was the Group F game between Belgium and Morocco. The Belgians and their ‘Golden Generation’ were also amongst the tournament favourites with their array of star, experienced players. The Red Devils crumbled under the spotlight and suffered an embarrassing 2-0 defeat to the Moroccans, who had more shots on target — 4 to Belgium’s 3. The North Africans also put up a solid defensive performance, dominating in tackles (22), interceptions (9) and clearances (21).

Other African sides to cause upsets were Cameroon, who saw off five-time champions Brazil in the final game of Group G and Tunisia getting the better of France in their final Group D match, both games ending 1-0. Both Les Bleus and the Selecao had already progressed to the Round of 16, using the last game as a chance to field fringe players in the squad. Regardless these were significant and historic results, as Cameroon became the first African team to beat the South American giants at the World Cup.
The final shock of the group phase came in the Group H clash between South Korea and Portugal. The European giants had made it through to the Round of 16 with victories over Ghana and Uruguay hence fielded a second string side. The Koreans needed a result to progress and took full advantage, upsetting the Portuguese and winning 2-1 to send both rivals Uruguay and Ghana home in the progress.
The Round of 16 is done and dusted with the leading contenders getting comfortable wins. France saw off Poland 3-1, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a brace to take his tally in Qatar to five goals (current leader in the competition) while Olivier Giroud scored his record-breaking 52nd goal for France. He is now the outright top goalscorer for Les Bleus.
Argentina got the better of Australia 2-1, the game saw talisman Lionel Messi net in the knockout phase of the World Cup for the first time. Brazil meanwhile thrashed South Korea 6-2 in a game that was filled with flair, trickery and all sorts of dance moves from the Samba Boys. England also had a comfortable 3-0 win over Senegal with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Jordan Henderson, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane all dazzling with their goal involvements.
The above four (Brazil, Argentina, France, England) that have progressed to the quarter-finals are previous world champions, with a combined 10 titles between them. It’s worth noting and assessing the other half of the quarter- finalists, and their chances at claiming a maiden World Cup title.
To start with, Croatia deserves immense credit for their efforts. The country of less than five million people made their World Cup debut as an independent nation in 1998 following the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. The Blazers reached the semi-finals, beating the likes of Germany along the way. They ultimately finished third beating the Netherlands. Twenty years later, the Croatians made it to the final, losing 4-2 to an imperious France squad.
In Qatar, they finished second in Group F behind Morocco and got the better of Japan in the Round of 16, needing penalties to dispatch them. If Croatia has one thing, it’s resilience, with a talented crop of experienced players. The likes of Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic, Marcelo Brozovic, Mateo Kovacic and Dejan Lovren are operating at their peak and seem at another gear when representing the national team as they age like fine wine. Most of the current squad have been part of the Croatian set up for over a decade, led by 2018 Balon d’Or winner Modric. With a trip to the final last time out, victory is the sole marker this time around. However they face an arduous journey to get there, with Brazil their next opponents in the quarter-finals.

Croatia have lost to Brazil in three of their last four previous meetings. Two have been at the World Cup group stage (1-0 and 3-1 in 2006 & 2014 respectively). History suggests this will be a difficult challenge for them. If they can slow down the pace of the South American giants, and drag the game into extra time/penalties they may stand a chance. Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic has already showcased his capabilities from the spot, saving three penalties against Japan to win the tie. An interesting fact going back to Euro 2008, seven of Croatia’s last eight knockout stage games at major tournaments have gone to extra time and they have progressed from all four such games at the World Cup – three via penalty shootout.
For Morocco, it’s a first quarter-final and a fourth appearance by an African team after Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010. It is also the first time an Arab country has gone this far at the World Cup.
The Atlas Lions’ group campaign was nothing short of phenomenal, finishing top of a competitive Group F with seven points- going unbeaten in the process. Before the tournament commenced, many expected Belgium and Canada to progress, but Walid Regragui’s men defied the odds to top the group. And in what was one of the biggest upsets of the World Cup in Qatar, Morocco dismissed 2010 champions Spain in the Round of 16 on penalties to set up a date with Portugal in the quarters. At this point Regragui claims his team can dream of winning the competition.
“We want to win the World Cup,” Regragui told FIFA+. “Why shouldn’t we dream? Dreaming is human nature. If you don’t have a dream, you’ll never achieve anything.”
“Since the start of the competition, we’ve been playing with a team that’s not 100 percent, that’s why it’s even more extraordinary.”
“We’ve managed to create a family, and we feel that we have the people behind us.”
“If you had told me before starting that we would face Croatia, Belgium and Spain without losing a match, I would have signed for it.”
Morocco have conceded just one goal in this World Cup, which came courtesy of an own-goal, a sheer testament to their defensive solidity and team chemistry where they had averaged 23 tackles per game (the most of any team in the competition), 10.5 interceptions, 25.5 clearances and zero errors leading to goal.
Morocco’s achievements don’t seem to be a one- off. They have worked their way to get there. Asides from the return of Hakim Ziyech, who had retired from the national team after falling out with former manager Vahid Halilhodzic, the Moroccan government has invested in football infrastructure such as the revamp of the Mohammed VI Football Academy at the cost of an estimated $13 million to scout and develop talent within the country. The result of this and other developments have seen different Moroccan teams dominate the African continent. The women’s team won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022. Morocco are also the current holders of the African Nations Championship while Moroccan clubs in Wydad Casablanca and RS Berkane are holders of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup respectively. In the women’s Champions League, AS FAR are the current champions.
Moroccan football is dominating the African continent and perhaps, the men’s national team are about to make their own mark in what would be a fairytale story if they were to become champions come December 18th at the Lusail Stadium.
Portugal are usually one of the favourites at the World Cup, owing to the talents in their squad. Indeed, with players like Luis Figo, Deco Pedro Pauleta, Ricardo Carvalho, Rui Costa among others in the past, they were expected to win a handful of major tournaments. That generation of stars fell short. Fortunes changed in 2016 when they won the European Championship, their first ever major title. The Uefa Nations League title followed in 2019.
At the World Cup, their best finish was third place in 1966 and fourth place 40 years later. In Qatar, there is special attention on Portugal because of talisman and all-time top scorer in International men’s football, Cristiano Ronaldo. This would most likely be the 37-year-old’s last World Cup and all eyes are on him if he can win the tournament to edge his long-time rival Lionel Messi in the GOAT conversation. It’s not been a plain-sailing tournament for Ronaldo so far with just one goal to his name.

Portugal comfortably topped Group H with six points and produced one of the biggest results of the tournament, with a 6-1 demolition of Switzerland in the Round of 16. This was without Ronaldo in the starting lineup, with his replacement, 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos netting a fantastic hat-trick after 67 minutes. That is a testament again to the quality in the current crop that has top players like Bruno Fernandes, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, Joao Felix and many others. Ronaldo’s possible last dance and the oozing quality at Fernando Santos’ disposal makes the prospect of Portugal winning the World Cup for the first time a very interesting one.
Finally, the Netherlands are the last quarter-finalist in Qatar to have never won the World Cup. They’ve come within touching distance on two previous occasions (1974 and 1978) but were undone by West Germany and Argentina in the final. Like Portugal, the Dutch boast a very talented squad, good enough to take on any side.
Rising star Cody Gakpo scored in all three games in Group A as the Oranje finished top with seven points. In their Round of 16 tie, they faced a stern test against a youthful, energic United States side that had more possession (58%) but still won comfortably 3-1. Coming up against Argentina in the quarters will be a tricky test, but the Dutch squad look motivated and ready to go all the way in the tournament especially for coach Louis van Gaal, who will be stepping down after the World Cup following his revelation of having prostate cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2020. Indeed, Ajax midfielder Daley Blind revealed the team’s extra motivation to give Van Gaal – who is managing the national team for the third time after stints between 2000 and 2001 and 2012 to 2014 – a lovely parting gift.

“He is a great personality and we are very happy that he is with us. He always knows how to [inspire] players,” Blind previously told the BBC.
“It’s in the back of our heads, but we don’t need any extra motivation. We want to win every game, we want to play for our coach and we want to go as far as we can.”
The 2022 World Cup has been unique from any other for a host of reasons including the first tournament held in winter, the first Arab nation host a World Cup, the smallest host nation in geographical size (11,571 km²) and population (2.7 million people), the most expensive hosting expenditure ($220 billion) among others. Thus it would be fitting for all these firsts to go with a first-time World Champion.


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