A picture of how this World Cup is developing after a group stage that was more unpredictable than ever is starting to take shape.
There have been surprises and standout performances throughout the groups, and the knockout phase could be fascinating now that some of the important players are beginning to perform well.
What, then, were the most important developments from the first round of the competition?
Nobody is safe from an unexpected result.
The path has not been simple, despite the fact that most of the favorites—with the exception of Belgium and Germany—managed to escape their groups.
The first surprise happened on day three when Argentina was startled by 51st-ranked Saudi Arabia.
In order to win the group, Japan, not to be outdone, repeated the comeback victory over Spain in the final match. Japan beat Germany the following day despite falling behind early on due to a penalty. To be fair, however, Costa Rica's triumph over Japan in their second game may have been the biggest surprise in Group E.
It seems that we have seen Belgium deteriorate. Roberto Martinez's team, ranked second in the world, undoubtedly had their old backline exposed by a lively Moroccan performance, and they were forced to withdraw from the match.
Even France and Brazil were open to an unanticipated result. Nine different players made up Didier Deschamps' starting eleven, but Les Bleus' 1-0 loss to Tunisia did highlight some defensive weaknesses for the reigning world champions. Brazil is in a similar situation as they also made nine changes in their 1-0 loss to Cameroon.
Ultimately, six different nations made their first-ever appearances in the knockout rounds.
According to Nielsen Gracenote's analysis, Cameroon's victory over Brazil was the tournament's 12th upset (games in which the winners' probability of success were between 16.7% and 33.3%) or shock (less than 16.7%).
As a result, the 2022 World Cup had more group-stage upsets and shocks than any of the six previous 32-team tournaments, breaking the previous record of nine in the 2002 and 2010 World Cups.
Argentina's loss to Saudi Arabia (8.7%) seemed to be the only unexpected result in the group stage until Cameroon's victory over Brazil (5.9%) on Friday, when the Selecao had already qualified and made 10 changes.
The biggest stars keep on performing...
Superstars from the World Cup have received some notice. Does it still belong to them? Can you do it in the desert?
Many of them have resoundingly said "yes."
After having a rough start to the competition, Lionel Messi has led Argentina in Group C. He impressed against Poland, pushing his team to the knockout rounds despite missing a penalty, and then scored an important first goal against Mexico.
Cristiano Ronaldo, a longstanding foe, has struggled in club football, but he has been the voice of Portugal on the pitch. The 37-year-old made history by winning and then converting a penalty against Ghana to become the first player to score in five World Cups. After the victory over Uruguay, he exulted that he had scored the game's opening goal by gleefully claiming that he had glanced it in. However, it was later discovered that his claim was false, as Bruno Fernandes' cross had not even touched his forehead.
In addition, Robert Lewandowski has joined the party. Poland put on a poor effort, but their top player scored his first World Cup goal to help his country reach the round of 16 for the first time since 1986.
however, the new generation is beginning to show itself.
Although Kylian Mbappe has received a lot of attention, the French attacker has not disappointed. His club got to the round of 16 thanks to his electric performances and three goals during the group stage.
The 17-year-old Gavi became the youngest World Cup goal scorer since Brazilian legend Pele in their opening 7-0 triumph over Costa Rica, adding to the youthful excitement of Spain's collection of gifted young players.
Cody Gakpo, 23, of the Netherlands, one of the most sought-after forwards in Europe, may have raised his value by being the first player from a European country to score in each of the group games since 2002.
On the biggest platform, Canadian Alphonso Davies, Ghanaian Mohammed Kudus, and the English duo of Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka showcased their prowess.
Another England player, Jude Bellingham, has gained enormous popularity as a result of his goal and all-around performance in the Three Lions' 6-2 victory over Iran, which enabled them to take first place in Group B.
Still the frontrunner is Brazil.
When a radically altered team lost to Cameroon, the top-ranked team in the world had already qualified after defeating European opponents Serbia and Switzerland.
Richarlison's magnificent second goal signaled Brazil's approaching arrival, and BBC pundit Chris Sutton referred to their 2-0 triumph over Serbia as "a display of true authority."
Despite the tragic loss of Neymar to injury, the depth of their roster is still remarkable owing to the reserves Vinicius Jr., Raphinha, Gabriel Martinelli, and Antony.
The Paris St. forward from Germany may also return for the knockout stages to aid in a possible road to the championship that includes contests against Spain and Argentina.
With Casemiro in the form that has earned him everything at the club level and attackers who can score from everywhere, the five-time World Cup champions are still the side to beat, in many eyes.
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