What did you miss last night? And what’s on the schedule for today? Our daily concise roundup—this time featuring a rampant French team, a disappointed Uruguayan squad, an overjoyed World Cup debutant, and goal-hungry Belgians.
France Dismantles Norway’s B Team
The World Cup group stage is drawing to a close—and more decisions were made on Friday. In the evening, all eyes were initially on Group I, where France and Norway battled for first place. However, the Scandinavians fielded a second-string squad (without Haaland, among others) and were consequently completely overwhelmed.
Thanks in part to Dembelé’s hat trick, the Equipe Tricolore won 4–1, finishing the World Cup group stage with nine points from three games for the first time since 1998. The French could thus face the German national team in the Round of 16. Norway, meanwhile, advanced as the group’s runner-up and will now face Ivory Coast.
Meanwhile, Senegal celebrated a resounding 5–0 victory over Iraq, boosting its chances of advancing to the round of 32 as one of the eight best third-place teams. However, the “Lions of Teranga” must still wait for the remaining results, while Iraq can begin its journey home.
Uruguay Eliminated in Group Stage – Cape Verde’s Fairy Tale Continues
World Cup debutant Cape Verde secured a 0–0 draw against Saudi Arabia last night, sensationally qualifying for the Round of 16, where none other than Argentina awaits.
Meanwhile, Spain secured first place in the group with a 1-0 win over Uruguay, thereby sealing the two-time world champions’ World Cup exit. In a tough, low-scoring match, a costly blunder by Muslera led to the goal of the day, scored by Alex Baena. The 40-year-old Muslera made a mistake for the third straight game and was substituted at halftime; it is very likely that this was his final World Cup match for La Celeste.
Iran Helps Belgium Win the Group
Belgium remained unbeaten for the 16th consecutive international match, celebrating a 5-1 rout of New Zealand. In the end, that victory was enough not only to qualify for the knockout round but also to finish first in the group. This was made possible by Iran’s help in the other match. Team Melli showed resilience after falling behind early against Egypt, equalizing shortly after missing a penalty kick. The Iranians also benefited from the fact that the Pharaohs were down a man when the equalizer was scored, as Mohamed Abdelmonem had been injured.
After the 1-1 draw, Egypt struggled greatly, coming up short against a defensively solid opponent and were even lucky in the end not to lose. A late 2-1 lead was overturned following a VAR review due to a razor-thin offside call, before the Pharaohs were also saved by the crossbar. Iran remained in third place and must continue to wait anxiously to see if they will advance as one of the eight best third-place teams.
Here’s what today’s World Cup action brings—and what’s next for Germany
For the German team, preparations for the Round of 16 are picking up steam in Winston-Salem, before the squad heads to Boston on Sunday for their next match. The key will be to put the disappointment of the 1-2 loss to Ecuador behind them and learn from the experience. Late Saturday night, it was finally decided who Germany will face on Monday (10:30 p.m., CEST)—they’ll take on Paraguay.
The group stage is coming to an end
On Saturday and into Sunday night, the group stage will finally conclude with the last six matches. That will put an end to all the mathematical scenarios, and the tournament can then move on to the knockout stage. Group L kicks off the day’s action, with England looking to secure first place against the massive underdog Panama. The parallel match between Croatia and Ghana promises even more excitement.
At 1:30 a.m., Portugal faces the tricky task of taking on Colombia, which has earned six points from its first two matches and is determined to maintain its perfect record. The Cafeteros need just one point to secure first place in the group. Portugal, meanwhile, can feel secure in second place, as it has three more points and a goal difference six goals better than that of its closest pursuer, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Central Africans, meanwhile, must beat Uzbekistan if they don’t want to be eliminated.
Last but not least, things are getting serious for Argentina. The defending champions have already secured first place in the group, however, and will therefore not field their strongest lineup. It has already been announced that Lionel Messi will not be in the starting lineup against Jordan. Even without their superstar, however, the Albiceleste are overwhelming favorites against the World Cup debutants, who have already been eliminated. Austria and Algeria are tied on points in their parallel match, but Ralf Rangnick’s team has the better position due to goal difference and would secure second place even with a draw.
