QATAR — To say that this World Cup has been an intriguing one is, to say the least. This has certainly been among the best editions of the competition of all time!

It’s been almost two weeks, and the group stage has come to an end, confirming the final 16 teams going into the knockout phases! Here’s how it all went down in Qatar (so far).

Group A consisted of Qatar, the Netherlands, Senegal, and Ecuador. From the opening match, this group promised to be a tight one. For the first time in history, the host nation lost the opening match of the FIFA World Cup! Following the 2-0 loss to Ecuador, it didn’t get any better for the host nation.

After losing 3-1 to Senegal and 2-0 to the Netherlands, Qatar has made its argument for the lowest-performing host in history. They and South Africa in 2010 are the only hosts not to proceed past the group stage. They only scored one goal and conceded seven. It’s definitely been a World Cup to forget for Qatar, but the nation is said to have been fantastic hosts so far!

Hospitality is being recognized as one of the best for traveling fans! The Netherlands have been the best team, having topped the group with seven points. Wins against Senegal and Qatar, and a draw against Ecuador saw the team finish first.

PSV winger Cody Gakpo has been phenomenal for the Orange Lions, scoring a goal in every game of the competition so far. Senegal finished in second with two wins and a loss. While Sadio Mane is a key man for the African Lions, they have managed to get to the knockout phases without him. Unfortunately, Mane won’t be able to feature for Senegal for the remainder of the tournament. However, Aliou Cisse will look to take his team far in the tournament.

Ecuador was ultimately knocked out, but not without a fight. They went down to Senegal but equalized just past the hour mark on the last group stage game, but would fall short as Koulibaly sent his team through not 15 minutes later.

Group B was a bit more straightforward. Favorites England topped the group with two resounding wins against Iran and Wales, but they drew in a lackluster match against the USA. As for the Americans, two draws and a win were enough to send them through to the next round. Wales proved disappointing, but Iran put up a decent fight, even getting a 2-0 win over Wales.

The players were devastated following their loss at the hands of the US, who did their best to console them. Iranian citizens are currently fighting for freedom from their government, and the men’s team carried on that spirit on the pitch.

Group C was one to remember! Argentina came into this group as clear favorites, but that confidence quickly dipped after they were handed a shocking 2-1 loss at the hands of Saudi Arabia.

Ochoa may have played his last World Cup for Mexico, but he will be remembered as a World Cup legend. Saving a Lewandowski penalty will definitely be his top highlight this year.

Poland and Argentina picked up 2-0 wins in Game Two, leading up to their meeting on the last day. However, it would be Argentina who came out on top with a 2-0 over the Polish. The two superpowers moved through at the expense of Mexico and Saudi Arabia.

Group D ended in the most predictable way possible, with France topping the group. 4-1 and 2-1 wins over Australia and Denmark were enough to send them through, even though they lost 1-0 to a brave Tunisia team on the last day!

Tunisia barely missed out, as a 1-0 from the Socceroos against Denmark punched their ticket in the last 16. Denmark came into this tournament as big favorites to leave the group, but a disappointing campaign was naturally met with a disappointing ending.

Group E. If one said this would be the most exciting group, they were either absolutely mad or a true football genius! While it would seem that Germany and Spain would be the ones to go through, it didn’t end that way.

The standings changed several times during the final match day, indicating how close it got. Germany had a rough two weeks, collecting a 2-1 loss to Japan, a 1-1 draw to Spain, and a 4-2 win over Costa Rica. As for the Latin American side, they want to forget this year quickly, with their opening game being a 7-0 (yes, 7-0) loss to Spain. However, they did manage a 1-0 win over Japan.

The same Japanese side finished at the top of the group, with Spain ending in second, after the Samurai took out the Las Rojas 2-1 on the last day. Their fans have been just as good as their team, staying behind after every game, even one where they didn’t play, to clean up the garbage left behind by other fans. Their etiquette has been truly class and should be a side to be taken seriously from here on out.

Germany, however, was massively disappointing, with a political agenda taking center stage. It would cost them, as their hypocrisy would be called out by Qatari fans, who held pictures of former player Mesut Ozil.

The midfielder was extremely vocal about human rights all over the world, including China’s mass genocide of Uyghur Muslims as well as the freedom of the people of Palestine. However, he was ostracized by his own fans and federation for his actions and would eventually fall out of favor with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.

Group F was full of surprises. A group consisting of Belgium, Croatia, Morocco, and Canada saw Morocco top the group. Wins against Belgium and Canada were enough to secure the top spot. Belgium was another disappointment.

Before the tournament, one could go as far as to say they are one the favorites to win it all, but lack of confidence and drive killed any hopes of that. Kevin de Bruyne commented that they’re too old to win the World Cup, ending their road to glory before it even started. The comment caused a rift in the dressing room, spelling bad news for the Devils.

Despite topping its qualification group, Canada certainly has much work to do before co-hosting in 2026. Two goals scored and seven conceded proved that Les Rogues are not ready yet. But, in good time, they can be a top side in the CONCACAF.

Group G may have gone down to the last day, but Brazil was the first team to lock in their spot in the last 16. Two wins against Switzerland and Serbia saw them through. A loss to Cameroon shocked the world, as Vincent Aboubaker scored the game’s only goal.

A team who lived up to expectations had to be Switzerland. The team environment and spirit from the Euros transferred over to this World Cup team, and manager Murat Yakin must be proud of his team. Unfortunately, for all their firepower, Serbia was quite lackluster, finishing bottom of the group.

Group H was another group full of top sides. Many questioned how Portugal would cope with the extra pressure given the attention they had since Cristiano Ronaldo’s interview with Piers Morgan regarding his situation with Manchester United. Since then, the English club has terminated his contract in a mutual agreement.

There was a bit of tension in the Portuguese camp, but following their successful group stage efforts, surely the air has cleared for now. Fernando Santos is doing his best to keep his side focused on achieving World Cup glory. However, they did lose to South Korea on the last day, who played with absolute heart.

Ghana and Uruguay met once more since that faithful day in 2010 when a Suarez handball ensured that Ghana would get knocked out in favor of a Uruguay progression. This time, Ghana would lose once more, but not without dragging Uruguay with them, who just needed another goal following their 2-0 over the African side.

And there we have it! The knockout phase is in full swing, and as it stands, an Argentina vs. Portugal final is very possible. Will we see Ronaldo and Messi battle it out for the greatest trophy known to man?