Cape Verde has finally stolen my heart. Spain has redeemed itself. And Belgium continues to search for its identity – with a bit of luck, the team might find itself before the last group match. In short: An evening that has made this World Cup a bit more unpredictable.
What if …?
In this new section, I take a purely hypothetical look at the knockout stage. Although the group stage is still ongoing, football fans notoriously love calculators just as much as they love matches. So let’s see what the playoffs would look like if the group stage were to end right now.
Especially exciting from a DACH perspective: Germany would meet Scotland in the Round of 16. Austria would face one of the title contenders directly in Spain, while Switzerland would have to take on South Korea. And beyond that, there would be some real blockbuster matches as well.
Here are the current, of course purely fictional, knockout games:
Germany vs. Scotland
Norway vs. Sweden
South Korea vs. Switzerland
Netherlands vs. Morocco
Portugal vs. Ghana
Spain vs. Austria
USA vs. Ecuador
Egypt vs. Czech Republic
Brazil vs. Japan
Ivory Coast vs. France
Mexico vs. Cape Verde
England vs. DR Congo
Argentina vs. Uruguay
Australia vs. Iran
Canada vs. Belgium
Colombia vs. ParaguayMy personal highlight? Argentina against Uruguay. That would be about as peaceful as a family gathering with an open inheritance dispute.
Group H: Spain vs. Saudi Arabia 4:0
After the surprising 0:0 draw against Cape Verde, Spain clearly didn’t want to engage in another discussion. The Iberians got off to a blazing start, leading 3:0 after just 24 minutes. Lamine Yamal scored early, Oyarzabal netted a brace, and by this point, the match was practically decided. In the second half, Saudi Arabia even contributed to the 4:0 with an own goal. Spain then eased off the gas, conserving energy for upcoming tasks. Nevertheless, the message has been received by the competition: The European champions are to be taken seriously.
Group G: Belgium vs. Iran 0:0
After the 1:1 draw against Egypt, Belgium aimed to collect its first three World Cup points. Instead, there was another disappointment. The “Red Devils” pressed for 90 minutes but consistently failed against the outstanding Iranian goalkeeper Beiranvand, who seemed to save everything that wasn’t in the stands. When Belgium also found itself a man down after a red card, they had to hold on for dear life at the end.
And it’s becoming increasingly clear: This is no longer the skillful Belgian generation that has been touted as dark horses before nearly every major tournament over the past ten years. Iran celebrates the point, while Belgium continues to search for its World Cup form – now presumably looking for it with a flashlight.
Group H: Uruguay vs. Cape Verde 2:2
Cape Verde is increasingly becoming the darling of this World Cup. After the surprising 0:0 against Spain, the “Blue Sharks” also managed a 2:2 against Uruguay, suddenly putting them one step away from the playoffs. Particularly nice: after Pina’s opening goal, there was a brief scare about the goalscorer – but not because of an opponent, rather because of his own teammates, who nearly crushed him in the celebration pile😄
While Cape Verde can qualify for the knockout stage unbeaten with a victory against Saudi Arabia on Saturday, the alarm bells are ringing for Uruguay. The South Americans must secure points against Spain, or risk an early World Cup exit.
Group G: New Zealand vs. Egypt 1:3
New Zealand got off to a better start and surprisingly took a 1:0 lead. However, in the second half, Egypt turned up the heat. Mo Salah took charge, assisting on two goals and scoring one himself. In the end, it was a well-deserved 3:1 victory for Egypt, giving them an excellent position in the battle for the group win. With a Mohamed Salah in this form, Egypt can certainly harbor hopes for a longer World Cup journey.
Upcoming Matches
Group J: Argentina vs. Austria – 7:00 PM
Messi against the Alpine republic.
Argentina started the tournament with a commanding 3:0 win over Algeria and aims to secure the group win with a second victory. Austria also showed a strong performance in their 3:1 win against Jordan and likely possesses more quality than many experts expected before the World Cup. The big question: Can Austria trouble the world champion – or will Messi once again show his fans why he is still, at nearly 39 years old, one of the greatest magicians on the green pitch? My tip: Messi will do it. Argentina will narrowly win 2:1.
Group I: France vs. Iraq – 11:00 PM
France has already hinted in the second half against Senegal why many experts see the Équipe Tricolore as strong title favorites. Iraq suffered a 1:4 defeat against Norway and is already backed against the wall. Everything points to a favorable outcome for France. I don’t believe the French will let this slip and they will win comfortably 4:0. Mbappé & Co. will thoroughly disrupt Iraq.
Group I: Norway vs. Senegal – 2:00 AM
When Erling Haaland hears the alarm clock in the morning, he probably scores a goal first. After the convincing 4:1 win against Iraq, the Norwegians want to take the final step towards the knockout round tonight. I expect a truly open game here. Norway has plenty of quality, and Senegal needs to play aggressively after their opening loss. This smells like chances on both sides, pace, transition moments, and hopefully little tactical nonsense.
The only catch: The match starts at 2:00 AM German time. My tip: Norway wins 3:2. And Haaland? He’ll definitely score. Twice!
Group J: Jordan vs. Algeria – 5:00 AM
It’s all or nothing for both teams. Whoever loses can pretty much pack their bags for the flight home. Whoever wins gets to keep dreaming. The problem from my perspective: The kickoff is at 5:00 AM. I will likely only catch the last ten minutes of this match after getting up. If five goals have been scored by then, I ask for your understanding. My feeling tells me we can expect a surprisingly wild game. My tip: Algeria wins narrowly 2:1.
Group H: Spain vs. Saudi Arabia 4:0
After the surprising 0:0 draw against Cape Verde, Spain clearly didn’t want to engage in another discussion. The Iberians got off to a blazing start, leading 3:0 after just 24 minutes. Lamine Yamal scored early, Oyarzabal netted a brace, and by this point, the match was practically decided. In the second half, Saudi Arabia even contributed to the 4:0 with an own goal. Spain then eased off the gas, conserving energy for upcoming tasks. Nevertheless, the message has been received by the competition: The European champions are to be taken seriously.Group G: Belgium vs. Iran 0:0
After the 1:1 draw against Egypt, Belgium aimed to collect its first three World Cup points. Instead, there was another disappointment. The “Red Devils” pressed for 90 minutes but consistently failed against the outstanding Iranian goalkeeper Beiranvand, who seemed to save everything that wasn’t in the stands. When Belgium also found itself a man down after a red card, they had to hold on for dear life at the end.
And it’s becoming increasingly clear: This is no longer the skillful Belgian generation that has been touted as dark horses before nearly every major tournament over the past ten years. Iran celebrates the point, while Belgium continues to search for its World Cup form – now presumably looking for it with a flashlight.Group H: Uruguay vs. Cape Verde 2:2
Cape Verde is increasingly becoming the darling of this World Cup. After the surprising 0:0 against Spain, the “Blue Sharks” also managed a 2:2 against Uruguay, suddenly putting them one step away from the playoffs. Particularly nice: after Pina’s opening goal, there was a brief scare about the goalscorer – but not because of an opponent, rather because of his own teammates, who nearly crushed him in the celebration pile😄
While Cape Verde can qualify for the knockout stage unbeaten with a victory against Saudi Arabia on Saturday, the alarm bells are ringing for Uruguay. The South Americans must secure points against Spain, or risk an early World Cup exit.Group G: New Zealand vs. Egypt 1:3
New Zealand got off to a better start and surprisingly took a 1:0 lead. However, in the second half, Egypt turned up the heat. Mo Salah took charge, assisting on two goals and scoring one himself. In the end, it was a well-deserved 3:1 victory for Egypt, giving them an excellent position in the battle for the group win. With a Mohamed Salah in this form, Egypt can certainly harbor hopes for a longer World Cup journey.