Last Updated on December 3, 2022 by
With 48 games and the entire group stage in Qatar now behind us, here are some of the things we’ve learned so far…
1. Time flies when you’re having fun
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1. Time flies when you are having fun

Fifa insisted that referees accurately add up the time that was “wasted” in goal celebrations, VAR decisions and general time wasting. At first it was surprising to see nine or ten minutes added on at half-time and at the end of games, but halfway through the group stage, the fans seem to have mentally adjusted to the disappointment of the officials adding only six or seven minutes of extra play. . And when game finishes have been as entertaining as Portugal vs. Ghana or as tense as Ecuador vs. Senegal, who wouldn’t want more?
Qatar: beyond the football
It’s a world cup like no other. For the past 12 years, the Guardian has reported on issues surrounding Qatar 2022, from corruption and human rights abuses to the treatment of migrant workers and discriminatory laws. The best of our journalism is collected on our dedicated home page, Qatar: Beyond Football for those who want to delve into issues off the pitch.
The Guardian’s coverage goes far beyond what’s happening on the pitch. Support our investigative journalism today.
2. One excitement is not enough
2. Pulling off one upset isn’t enough

Morocco and Japan have killed off their chances of topping their respective groups, but both needed more than one shock result to do so. Japan managed to come back with a goal to beat Germany and Spain 2-1 to advance. Morocco added the defeat of Belgium to the draw with Croatia, which is thus a springboard for success. But one shock is not enough, as Saudi Arabia has proven. They couldn’t capitalize on a stunning opening win against Argentina. Although it will still go down as one of the biggest World Cup shocks of all time, and it gave the Saudis a public holiday, Argentina finished top of their group and in the round of 16, while Saudi Arabia did not.
And imagine if Cameroon were told before the tournament that they would beat Brazil and draw with Serbia and still fail to qualify?
3. Semi-automatic offside is a job
3. Semi-automated offside is a chore

The idea of using in-ball sensors and tracking player movements to help make peripheral offside decisions isn’t terrible in itself. However, rather than speeding up decision-making, implementation seems to have created a plague of agonizing decisions. Goals are scored or penalties are denied based on microscopic offside offenses in the making that no human has noticed or even complained about. Surely the offside wasn’t so broken that it needed to be fixed like this?
4. The golden boot is still ready
4. The golden boot is still up for grabs

Enner Valencia went home with his Ecuador team-mates, but while they wouldn’t be backed against Kylian Mbappé, who is thriving as France go deeper into the competition, England’s Marcus Rashford, Dutchman Cody Gakpo and Spain’s Álvaro Morata have more minutes ahead and are tied . with Mbappé with three goals.
Lionel Messi, Richarlison, Bukayo Saka, Olivier Giroud, Ritsu Dōan, Bruno Fernandes, Breel Embolo, Andrej Kramarić and Ferran Torres all also have two goals, with second-round matches ahead of them. One hat-trick could swing.
5. This was one of the most disciplined group stages ever
5. It has been one of the most well-disciplined group stages ever

World Cups are often marked by a flurry of red cards after Fifa issues new refereeing guidelines – think of the current red for a tackle from behind that came out of the blue in 1994 and saw Bolivia’s Marco Etcheverry sent off in the opening game against Germany and was only the first of many. Not this year.
Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was sent off for a high challenge and Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar received a second yellow card for taking his shirt off in celebration of the winner against Brazil, and that was it for the players throughout the group stage. Otherwise, South Korea’s Portuguese coach Paulo Bento was also shown a red card for protesting after South Korea’s defeat to Ghana, but it was all friendly child’s play compared to 18 red cards in the group stage in 2006 and 13 in 2002.
6. Brazil will always be Brazil – almost
6. Brazil are always going to be Brazil – just about
They won their group for the eleventh time in a row. A goal may have been the difference after that surprise loss to Cameroon, but 1978 was the last time Brazil failed to win their opening World Cup group. The lesson remains: if you’re tied with Brazil, aim for second place.
7. Balance of confederations (slightly) established after 2018
7. Balance of the confederations (slightly) restored after 2018
Uefa nations tend to be overmatched at World Cups held in Europe, and in Russia 2018 – as in Germany in 2006 – ten of the 16 places in the second round were taken by European teams. This time around, a greater mix will emerge from the groups – eight European teams, two from South America, one from North America, two from Africa and an unprecedented three from Asia make up a more globally balanced last 16 team.
8. Europe’s star-studded teams can’t just turn up and expect to go through
8. European teams with star players can’t just turn up and expect to go through
Denmark, Belgium, Germany and Wales all went into the tournament confident of promotion, with some even thinking they had an outside chance of getting far enough to lift the top prize. All turned in a string of lukewarm performances against teams from other confederations, which meant Christian Eriksen, Kevin De Bruyne, Thomas Müller and Gareth Bale all ended up on early flights home despite being big names ahead of the tournament.
9. The spectrum of human rights issues remained on the Qatari holiday
9. The spectre of human rights issues remained at Qatar’s feast
The constant back-and-forth between organizers and Fifa over whether captains can wear LGBTQ+ armbands or if fans can bring rainbow clothing meant the issue of human rights in Qatar was never out of the question. Qatar got no consolation on the pitch. With 12 years to prepare and a reported $200 billion spent on the privilege of hosting, Qatar put in the worst World Cup performance in a host country’s history. Was it worth it?
10. We’ll never see anything like this again
10. We will never see its like again
The 32-team format was first introduced in France in 1998 and this year for the last time. In 2026, co-hosts USA, Mexico and Canada will host an expanded number of 48 teams. This means, according to the current plans, 16 groups of three. The seeding will mean that the chances of ‘groups of death’ are slim and there is a good chance that the groups could descend into tepid final matches where two teams know the draw will suit their purposes and both see them through. But there are whispers that Fifa may reconsider this decision. Regardless of the format they ultimately chose, this was the final group stage of the World Cup as we’ve known it for the last 24 years.
How many teams qualify for round of 16?
The round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will feature 12 teams: England, Netherlands, Argentina, Australia, Senegal, USA, France, Poland, Morocco, Brazil, Croatia and Portugal. Qatar were the first team to exit the competition for a place in the round of 16 after losing their first two matches.
How is the World Cup round of 16 decided? How is the Round of 16 of the World Cup determined? The top two teams from each group advanced to the knockout round, where they competed in a single-elimination competition.
How does round of 16 work?
In each group, each team plays each other in a one-hit round and the top two teams from each group qualify for the round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup – the first of the knockout stages.
Which teams qualified for round 16 World Cup?
The 2022 FIFA World Cup has qualified countries for the Round of 16 in Qatar.
- The Netherlands.
- England.
- Senegal.
- United States.
- Australia.
- France.
- Argentina.
- Morocco.
Which teams qualified for knockout stages?
Portugal qualified as Group H winners, while South Korea finished second ahead of Uruguay. Meanwhile, Brazil won Group G ahead of Switzerland.
Who will Brazil face in round of 16?
WHO ARE BRAZIL’S OPPONENTS IN THE EIGHT FINALS? * Brazil will face Group H runners-up South Korea in the Round of 16.
Is Argentina out of World Cup 2022?
Argentina defeated Poland 2-0 to qualify for the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup. They will play Australia in the round of 16.
Is Argentina out of the World Cup? Is Argentina still playing in the 2022 FIFA World Cup? Argentina qualified for the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup with a 2-0 win over Poland. The opponent in the round of 16 will be Australia.
Who is eliminated from World Cup 2022?
These are the countries that have been eliminated from the 2022 tournament so far.
- Group A: Ecuador, Qatar.
- Group B: Iran, Wales.
- Group C: Mexico, Saudi Arabia.
- Group D: Tunisia, Denmark.
- Group E: Costa Rica, Germany.
- Group F: Canada, Belgium.
- Group G: Cameroon, Serbia.
- Group H: Ghana, Uruguay.
How many teams are left in World Cup?
After almost two weeks of matches, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is moving into the knockout stages. Of the original 32 national teams that applied for the competition, only 16 are left.
Who is out of World Cup 2022?
Both Ghana and Uruguay were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup. Andre Ayew missed a penalty in the 21st minute before Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored a first-half double for Uruguay to win 2-1.
Can Argentina qualify for round of 16?
How did Argentina qualify for the round of 16? After a shock 1-2 loss to Saudi Arabia in their opening game, Lionel Messi and the boys beat Mexico and Poland back-to-back, scoring twice in the matches. With six points behind, Argentina made it to the round of 16 as the first in the group.
What teams are still in World Cup?
The Netherlands, Senegal, England, USA, France, Australia, Argentina, Poland, Morocco, Croatia, Japan, Spain, Brazil, Switzerland, South Korea and Portugal qualified for the round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Which teams are in the round of 16? Round of 16: Brazil, Portugal, South Korea v; Uruguay eliminated The World Cup knockout bracket is set. Two daily games over the next four days, with the winners then making quarter-final matches.
Who qualified for round 16 World Cup 2022?
2022 FIFA World Cup: Round of 16 teams France, the reigning champions, were the first team to progress to the round of 16 after comfortably winning their first two group games. Les Bleus beat Australia 4-1 and then Denmark 2-1.
Who advanced to round of 16 World Cup?
Reigning champions France lived up to expectations and became the first team to reach the final with back-to-back Group D wins over Australia and Denmark, followed by a 1-0 loss to Tunisia. Australia secured a place in the Round of 16 as runners-up in Group D with 6 points from wins over Tunisia and Denmark.
Which teams have qualified for the round of 16?
Which teams made it to the round of 16? Netherlands, USA, Argentina, Australia, France, Poland, England, Senegal, Japan, Croatia, Brazil, South Korea, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland. How can I watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 matches in India?
How many teams are left in the World Cup?
After almost two weeks of matches, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is moving into the knockout stages. Of the original 32 national teams that applied for the competition, only 16 are left.
Which team is out of FIFA World Cup 2022?
Mexico beat Saudi Arabia 2-1 but are now out of the 2022 World Cup.
What teams are still in the World Cup 2022?
Here are the 16 nations still alive in the World Cup, ranked by FIFA:
- Brazil (1)
- Argentina (3)
- France (4)
- England (5)
- Spain (7)
- Netherlands (8)
- Portugal (9)
- Croatia (12)
Who is out of World Cup 2022?
Both Ghana and Uruguay were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup. Andre Ayew missed a penalty in the 21st minute before Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored a first-half double for Uruguay to win 2-1.
Is Argentina out of the World Cup 2022?
Argentina lose to Poland Any combination of results in the Mexico v Saudi Arabia match will see one of the two teams take four points, knocking Argentina out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Who has not qualified for the World Cup 2022?
World Cup 2022: List of sides that did not qualify
- Italy. In March, Italy lost to North Macedonia in the semi-finals of the playoffs and fell one place behind them.
- Colombia. …
- Sweden. …
- Chile. …
- Nigeria. …
- Russia. …
- Egypt. …
- Algeria.
Can India still qualify for World Cup 2022?
India qualified for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2022 on Sunday after the Netherlands defeated South Africa by 13 runs at the Adelaide Oval.
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How many rounds are in the World Cup?
What is the format of the soccer world cup? 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four countries. The top two in each group will advance to the knockout stages. The competition then moves to the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
How many matches are played in the World Cup? A total of 64 matches will be played to decide the winners of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022â¢. See when and where the campaign will take place.
How does the round of 16 work on World Cup 2022?
The 16 teams that have qualified from the group stage compete in the knockout stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Matches in the knockout stage are played to the end. If the score of the match is the same after 90 minutes of playing time, extra time is played.
Who qualified for round 16 World Cup 2022?
2022 FIFA World Cup: Round of 16 teams France, the reigning champions, were the first team to progress to the round of 16 after comfortably winning their first two group games. Les Bleus beat Australia 4-1 and then Denmark 2-1.
How do World Cup rounds work?
How do World Cup rounds work?
In the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup, the two teams will play each other only once, and the winning team will advance to the next round. There are four rounds in total: round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final, which will take place on December 18.
How does round of 16 work?
In each group, each team plays each other in a one-hit round and the top two teams from each group qualify for the round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup – the first of the knockout stages.
Which players are not playing in the World Cup?
Ten players are missing from the 2022 World Cup due to injuries
- Frenchman Paul Pogba (c) was an integral part of the national team [Vadim Ghirda, Pool] …
- Mane led Senegal to AFCON glory earlier this year REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo. …
- Marco Reus has missed two World Cups through injury REUTERS/Hannah McKay
Is France out of the 2022 World Cup? France are the defending champions at the 2022 World Cup and head coach Didier Deschamps will be hoping his men can become the third country to win back-to-back titles after Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962).
Which team are not playing in FIFA 2022?
Italy (UEFA) European champions Italy will not play at the 2022 World Cup after being beaten by North Macedonia in the play-off in Palermo. Italy have now failed to qualify for a second consecutive World Cup.
Which team is out of World Cup?
Germany beat Costa Rica 4-2 in their final Group E match, but it was not enough to qualify for the FIFA World Cup thanks to Japan’s shock victory over Spain. Germany’s national soccer team crashed out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar despite a 4-2 win over Costa Rica in their final Group E match on Friday.
Which team eliminated in World Cup 2022?
Qatar crashed out of the World Cup after losing 3-1 to Senegal as Iran scored twice in stoppage time to hand Wales a 2-0 defeat. World Cup host nation Qatar has been kicked out of the tournament, less than a week after kicking off the first edition of the Middle East’s biggest football event.
Who is out of World Cup 2022?
Both Ghana and Uruguay were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup. Andre Ayew missed a penalty in the 21st minute before Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored a first-half double for Uruguay to win 2-1.
Is Argentina out of the World Cup 2022?
Argentina lose to Poland Any combination of results in the Mexico v Saudi Arabia match will see one of the two teams take four points, knocking Argentina out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Are Qatar eliminated?
Qatar’s exit was confirmed following the Netherlands’ draw against Ecuador in their second Group A match – the first time a host nation will be eliminated after just two games in the tournament’s history.