Beijing, December 3 (Reporter Wang Yu) In the early morning of the 3rd Beijing time, the group stage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup ended all competitions. With 13 matchdays and 48 matches, 32 teams representing the strongest teams on all continents played the ups and downs of the World Cup Rhapsody during the winter days in Qatar.
The quadrennial football feast is halfway through. Only 16 teams got their tickets to the knockout rounds, which means the remaining teams can only stop there. Over the past 13 days, cheers, reversals, killings and tears, world football has enjoyed victory and witnessed the birth of miracles, some singing and others leaving the field.
Fiery Qatar is a little "cold"
Why is the final round so surprising?
As the first World Cup to be held in the northern hemisphere winter, although the wind is still warm in Qatar, the "chill" in the stadium is frequent. After three rounds of group stage matches, no team has achieved a complete victory record to qualify, and the narrowing of the strength gap between the teams is visible to the naked eye. Behind the unpopularity is the counterattack of the civilian team, and there is also the "sad song" of the giants.
On November 22, local time, the first round of Group C of the Qatar World Cup group stage, Argentina vs Saudi Arabia, after trailing by one goal in the first half, Saudi Arabia scored two goals in the opening 8 minutes of the second half to temporarily overtake the score. The picture shows the moment when Saudi player Salim scored.
Argentina were reversed by Saudi Arabia and lost in the first round to the Pampas Eagles in the final two rounds. Although Argentina then won two consecutive victories to qualify first in the group, Messi's last dance almost broke into the sand, leaving many Argentine fans in a cold sweat.
Argentina's experience was like a disaster for the rest of their lives, but the Germanic tanks once again broke down in the group stage. The opening game was reversed by Japan, Spain scored just one point, and the German striker finally regained its form in the final game, but the belated victory did not help them secure a ticket to the knockout rounds. This time, though, the Germans won't be alone, and the Belgian team, mired in rumors of "infighting", will join Morocco and Croatia on their flight home after they have qualified.
In the World Cup, there is never a lack of weak teams to upset, and everyone is equal in front of football, which is the excitement of the World Cup and the charm of football. Whether it is a defending champion or a traditional giant, if there is the slightest slack, it is bound to be seized by the opponent and give a fatal blow.
I believe France, Portugal and Brazil feel the same way. Although they had secured a place in the group after two rounds, either considering the next "back-to-back" 1/8 final, or deliberately preserving strength for rotation, or the team's mentality was lax, they lost the third game.
Losing a game that doesn't have the big picture is fine, but if they don't learn from it and unify their thinking, their path to advancement will be even more perilous.
Those broken records
The story of "peerless double pride" continues
In the 92-year history of the World Cup, there have been many bizarre "curses". One of the most impressive is undoubtedly the "defending champion group stage out". Since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, three world champion teams from Italy, Spain and Germany have been defending their titles four years later, and have not even reached the knockout rounds.
In this World Cup, defending champions France secured a place in the group with two victories. Meanwhile, the spell of knocking the defending champions out of the group is in history. Kylian Mbappe and Griezmann continued to show their talent up front, but lost to Tunisia in the final round, conceding goals in all three games, and there were hidden worries behind the Gallic Roosters moving forward.
France got their way through the barrier of history, while hosts Qatar lost themselves in pressure and tension. Three defeats, one goal, one point unscored, and they handed over a report card with few highlights. "Breaking the unbeaten record in the opener of the host" and "the worst host in history" will become an embarrassing label that Qatar will not be able to shake off for a long time to come.
16 years ago, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, the "peerless double" of world football, stood on the World Cup together. During this period, the two led their respective teams to attack the Hercules Cup many times, but to no avail. Now they are simultaneously in Qatar for the final dance of their World Cup.
Messi and Ronaldo, who have already won numerous individual honors, have once again set their own records. Among them, Ronaldo became the first person to score goals in five consecutive World Cups, and Messi contributed at least one assist in five consecutive tournaments. Next, they and the team will enter an even more brutal knockout round, and the story of the peerless double pride is still unfolding.
On December 2, Beijing time, in the third round of Group E of the Qatar World Cup group stage, Japan played against Spain. The picture shows the moment when the Japanese player (right blue) scored.
Seize Power and "Asia and Africa" will stir up the situation
Can emerging forces shape the World Cup?
In the World Cup, Asian and African teams that have never lifted the championship trophy have never been able to enter the mainstream. At one time, they were recognized as supporting roles and the backdrop for the legends of European and American powerhouses. Confusion and defeat turn into depression and fear over time. But it all became history at the World Cup in Qatar.
With 7 wins, 1 draw and 10 defeats, the clear record is not enough to depict the grandeur of the Asian team in the group stage of this World Cup. 4 games 2:1, 4 defeats World Cup champions, European championships, Asian teams won the victory, but also explored a way of playing that meets the characteristics of the team and efficiently cracks the high-pressure tactics of European and American teams.
The return of the World Cup to the Asian continent after 20 years has also rekindled the hope that Asian football will once again enter the world's football team. Twenty years ago, South Korea reached the semi-finals at home and set the best record in Asian football; After 20 years, Asian teams that have broken a new high number of qualifications are expected to reach a new peak.
Of the eight teams that qualified as the first in the group, Morocco's name was both familiar and unfamiliar. A televised commentary, "The football is pure there," sent them out quickly. Now, beating Belgium and Croatia has made this team's results extremely valuable and convincing, and Morocco has become one of the focus of the World Cup with its strength.
Morocco became the first African team to finish first in the group since 1998, joining Senegal to qualify for the knockout round and equalling the African zone's best record in the World Cup group stage. Asian and African teams in the Qatar World Cup overcame their weakness and eliminated Germany, Belgium and Uruguay as a force to be reckoned with.
Ragnarok is full of sorrow and joy
Suarez's tears are "all tasteful"
On the last matchday of the group stage, tears became the theme of the arena. South Korean star Son Heung-min led the team to the last 16 for the first time, and in an interview, he recalled the joy of victory, and his past sadness turned into tears. Meanwhile, in another arena, Uruguayan legend striker Suarez was unwilling to accept the fate of his team's exit, sitting alone on the sidelines and crying.
The 35-year-old Suarez completed his final journey at the World Cup. Helping the team win but not enough to qualify for the team, the regrets of this past night, together with his past rebellion and even recklessness, will constitute Luis Suarez's legacy to the World Cup.
Halfway through the World Cup in Qatar, some people marched and some left the arena sadly. In the crowd where the final whistle blows and waves their hands, there will always be people who say goodbye silently. They walked back to the tunnel for the last time under the watchful eyes of the audience, and since then the familiar face will no longer run from the tunnel to the cheers of the fans.
In the crowd leaving Qatar, Bale is saying goodbye, he led Wales back to the World Cup after half a century, although he has not been able to go further, but there are no regrets in his heart; Müller is saying goodbye, he hinted that he was about to leave the national team, and after turning around, he also took the last glory of the German team; Eden Hazard is also saying goodbye, and the Belgian golden generation is only sighing.
We don't even have time to miss it, the wheels of the World Cup in Qatar are still rolling forward, and the remaining 16 matches will gradually bring the quadrennial football feast to a climax. What remains unchanged is that the legends and farewells continue, and that's what makes the World Cup fascinating.