World Cup – Asia and Africa records, six continents, centenary England: the figures of the 1st round

1

Sixteen years later, Australia will again pass the group stage of the World Cup, thus offering Oceania their second round of 16 after 2006. In Germany, they were accompanied by Europe, America North, Africa and South America. In Qatar, it is quite simply the six continents that will be at the rendezvous of the eighth – a first – with the presence also of Asia, which equalizes its record of representatives (2, as in 2002 and 2010).

2

Winning the opening match has almost always been an open door to the round of 16. Since France in 1930, no one had ever been eliminated after triumphing in the first match of the World Cup. to the equator. Winner of Qatar (2-0), the “Tri” then came up against the Netherlands (1-1) and Senegal (2-1) to become the second country in history to be eliminated in the group stage after winning the opening game at the World Cup.

2/5

Absent from 2018 (no representative in the round of 16), Africa this time saw some of its nations manage to emerge from the group stages with the qualifications of Morocco and Senegal. Enough to equal the 2014 record (2, with Algeria and Nigeria), even if Africa hoped for better with its five representatives still in the race before the last day.

5

Twenty-four years after the 1998 World Cup, Africa rediscovers the joy of dominating a World Cup group. First group of F, Morocco becomes the fifth African team to finish at the top of a group stage after Nigeria (1994, 1998), Cameroon (1990) … and itself (1986). Morocco’s seven points are also a record for an African country in the group stage, which had only done better than six (Ghana in 2006).

2

Ayew-Asamoah, same fight. Ghana had missed its qualification for the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup by missing a penalty against Uruguay, it missed that for the eighth of the 2022 edition in the same way. The Black Stars thus become the first selection to miss two penalties against the same opponent in the history of the World Cup. Damn.

3

Since 2006, the Asia Zone has also been home to Australia, which moved from the Oceania Zone to the Asia Zone and which had never left the pools since this change. It is now done, with this second place in Group D, behind France. With the qualification also of Japan and South Korea, it is therefore the first time in history that the Asia Zone places three nations in the round of 16 of the World Cup.

0

2018 had been a big slap for Germany, the reigning world champion then. 2022 will be a new one, with a second elimination in the first round. If the Germans were not expected as strong as in 2018, it is a real historical surprise since Germany had never been out in the first round two editions consecutively. Downgrading.

0

As Kylian Mbappé would say: “Football has changed“. And this is also valid in the World Cup, like the six continents represented in the round of 16. Unfortunately for the European nations, this complicates their task even more. In 2022, no group allowed the qualifying from two European nations, which had only happened once since 1970. That was in 2010.

100

England will have been there in the first round. Quite easily qualified, first in Group B, the “Three Lions” have also reached the legendary bar of 100 goals scored at the World Cup. England thus became the seventh nation to turn centenarian, after Brazil (232), Germany (228), Argentina (140), Italy (128) and France (126) and Spain (107).

28

Qatar – United States, same fight. As in 1994 during the American World Cup, no nation will have managed to refuel in this first round of the Qatari World Cup. No one will have done better than the Netherlands, England and Morocco, authors of seven points. It is quite simply a first in the World Cup for 28 years.

7

By dint of chaining them, Mexico had almost forgotten what it was like to miss the round of 16 of the World Cup. Since his absence from the 1990 World Cup due to suspension, the “Tri” had always passed the first round, qualifying seven times for the knockout stages. Until this 2022 edition and this failure in group C yet within their reach.

3

To score against his native country is always a special moment but to succeed in the World Cup is downright historic and extremely rare. The Swiss Breel Embolo (against Cameroon) and the Tunisian Whabi Khazri (against France) succeeded in Qatar and thus joined the Swiss Alfred Bickel (in 1938 against Germany), the only player so far in history to having already scored against his native country in the World Cup. They are now three.