The group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup is concluded. The group stage action in this season has been epic, with the fates of numerous great clubs deciding in the last round of games.
Some of the world’s biggest names have had their World Cup careers cut short before the knockout stage began. Teams like as Germany, Belgium, Denmark, and Uruguay, among others, will depart Qatar with their tails between their legs.
Meanwhile, numerous teams that were given little hope at the outset of the 2022 FIFA World Cup have advanced in their place. Without further ado, here are five dark horses that might surprise us in the Round of 16 and propel us farther forward in the campaign.
#5 Senegal
When Senegal suffered Sadio Mane’s injury just before the World Cup, it was largely seen as a setback from which they were unlikely to recover. However, they have avoided the terrible news and have simply gone on to clinch a spot in the Round of 16 in rather easy way.
Senegal defeated Qatar and Ecuador after losing their 2022 FIFA World Cup opener to the Netherlands. Aliou Cisse’s team dispatched the hosts quickly before putting forth an excellent effort against Ecuador.
So far, players such as Ismaila Sarr, Idrissa Gueye, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Youssouf Sabaly have risen to the occasion. Senegal will face England in the Round of 16 and will undoubtedly have the quality to take the game to the Three Lions.
#4 Switzerland
Prior to the commencement of the tournament, Serbia was considered a dark horse. They had beaten Portugal to top position in their 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers group, forcing Cristiano Ronaldo and co. to compete in the playoffs for a place in Qatar.
Serbia, on the other hand, was eliminated from the World Cup after failing to win a single game in the group stage. Switzerland advanced to the quarter-finals after finishing second in Group G behind Brazil. The Swiss men won 1-0 against Cameroon and 3-2 against Serbia. These victories came on the heels of a 1-0 defeat to Brazil.
Switzerland has a lot of talent in their ranks and has showed a lot of tenacity thus far in the competition.
#3 South Korea
South Korea advanced to the Round of 16 in spectacular fashion. They needed a win against Portugal and Ghana to lose their game against Uruguay. In the end, the Korea Republic made it to the knockout stages by a hair’s breadth.
South Korea scored four goals in the group stages, whereas Uruguay only managed two. Despite the fact that both sides had four points and a goal differential of zero, South Korea progressed since they scored more goals than their South American rivals throughout three matches.
Players like Cho Gue-sung, Son Heung-min, and Hwang Hee-chan can all deliver clutch performances. In the Round of 16, South Korea will face Brazil. The Selecao, long seen as the favourites to win the FIFA World Cup in 2022, were vulnerable in games against Switzerland and Cameroon.
#2 Morocco
Nobody could have imagined that Morocco would finish first in Group F, which also included Croatia, Belgium, and Canada. But that is precisely what they did. The African team has yet to lose a game at the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
They began their World Cup campaign with a scoreless draw against Croatia. Morocco followed with a 2-0 victory over Belgium. Walid Regragui’s team outplayed Belgium and shown that they had the talent to compete with the big boys.
They overcame Canada 2-1 in their last group stage match to finish first in Group F. Hakim Ziyech’s welcome return to form, as well as the likes of Achraf Hakimi, Youssef En-Nesyri, and Noussair Mazraoui rising to the occasion, has substantially increased Morocco’s prospects of making a deep run in the tournament.
#1 Japan
Japan established their credentials early on in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They earned a spectacular comeback victory over Germany thanks to a courageous effort in their group stage opener. Japan suffered a surprise 1-0 setback to Costa Rica before defeating Spain 2-1 in their last group stage match.
In the group stage, Hajime Moriyasu’s team defeated two of Europe’s best teams. In Group E, they finished ahead of both Spain and Germany. Japan will face Croatia in the Round of 16, and the Asian side advancing to the quarter-finals at the expense of last year’s runners-up would not surprise many.