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underlining the excitement of the expanded competition.

The group stage also witnessed Cape Verde’s remarkable run to the knockout stage on their World Cup debut, two-time champions Uruguay’s shock group-stage exit, surprise draws for Spain and Portugal against Cape Verde and DR Congo respectively, and all three host nations progressing to the Round of 32.

HOSTS FLY HIGH

Much of the pre-tournament speculation revolved around how the three host nations would perform. Mexico had failed to reach the knockout stage in 2022, while Canada had never won a World Cup match in their previous appearances in 1986 and 2022.

This time, however, all three hosts reached the Round of 32 by the end of the second round of group matches, winning five of their six combined fixtures. Mexico finished with a perfect record by winning all three group matches, while the US topped their group with two wins. Canada, meanwhile, achieved their first World Cup point as well as first win, and also qualified as runners-up behind Switzerland.

SURPRISES SUSTAIN

This World Cup produced its first major upset when tournament favourites Spain were held to a goalless draw by Cape Verde, inspired by a sensational goalkeeping display from Vozinha. The African nation then drew against Uruguay and Saudi Arabia to finish as group runners-up with three points, becoming the first team since Chile in 1998 to qualify for the knockout stage with three draws and the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup knockout rounds.

Elsewhere, Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo, Brazil were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Morocco, while Germany -- who began their campaign with a 7-1 win over debutants Curacao -- suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat to Ecuador.

RECORDS FALL

At the age of 38, Messi once again lit up the World Cup, scoring five goals in his opening two group-stage matches, including a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina’s campaign opener. He later netted twice against Austria to surpass Miroslav Klose’s long-standing record of 16 World Cup goals and now tops the all-time scoring chart with 18.

France’s Kylian Mbappé, Norway’s Erling Haaland, France’s Ousmane Dembélé and Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior have each scored four goals, setting up an intriguing race for the Golden Boot.

Ronaldo, after failing to score in Portugal’s opening match, responded with a brace against Uzbekistan, becoming the first footballer to score in six different World Cups.

Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne have also made their mark, while teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has continued to impress on the biggest stage. Although goals have dominated the headlines, the tournament has also featured several outstanding goalkeeping performances.

Meanwhile, Neymar Jr marked his long-awaited return from injury by coming off the bench in Brazil’s final group-stage match against Scotland.

The North American edition has also broken attendance records, with total spectator numbers already surpassing four million by the end of the group stage, eclipsing the previous World Cup record set by the United States in 1994.

PATH AHEAD

While the group stage featured relatively few heavyweight clashes, a series of surprise results has set up a fascinating knockout phase.

Despite topping their respective groups, the Netherlands and Brazil face difficult Round of 32 ties against Morocco and Japan respectively. France and Germany also find themselves in the same half of the draw, facing Paraguay and Sweden. Should both European giants advance, they will meet in a blockbuster Round of 16 encounter.

For Brazil, either Norway or Ivory Coast await in the last 16, while the winners of the Netherlands-Morocco tie will take on either Canada or South Africa.

Defending champions Argentina appear to have received a comparatively easier route, beginning with a Round of 32 clash against Cape Verde before a potential Round of 16 meeting with either Australia or Egypt.

Spain, Mexico, Belgium and Switzerland are still awaiting confirmation of their Round of 32 opponents following the conclusion of the remaining group-stage fixtures, while the United States will face Bosnia and Herzegovina.

With eight of the best third-placed teams joining the 12 group winners and 12 runners-up in the expanded knockout format, nations such as Senegal have progressed despite collecting only three points, while Iran also remain in contention after drawing all three of their group matches.

Although the tournament faced considerable scrutiny before it began, the quality of football and the drama produced throughout the group stage have largely silenced the criticism. With the knockout rounds now set to begin, the excitement is only expected to intensify as the race for football’s biggest prize gathers pace.