This World Cup began with 48 teams and has now dwindled to eight, with six from Europe. Unless Morocco achieves unexpected victories, the champion will once again be from Europe or South America.
The World Cup, which started in 1930, has seen 22 tournaments prior to this one. Europe has won 12 times, South America 10 times, with no champions from other continents. The quarterfinals consist of six European teams, one from South America, and one from Africa, reflecting historical patterns.
Notably, some European players are pleasantly surprised by their performance. Norway’s Erling Haaland expressed his disbelief after scoring twice to help his team beat Brazil, leading Norway into the quarterfinals for the first time.
In contrast, the host nations in North America, namely the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, did not make it to the quarterfinals. They hosted together in this expanded World Cup but were eliminated before reaching the top eight. U.S. player Christian Pulisic emphasized the need to compete with the world’s best teams to advance further.
The North American teams successfully advanced past the group stage with a strong 9-2-1 record. However, during the round of 16, they faced tougher challenges. Mexico lost to England, the U.S. was defeated by Belgium, and Canada fell to Morocco.
According to French soccer analyst Thierry Henry, the World Cup becomes more challenging after the group stage. CONCACAF teams have rarely reached the quarterfinals; Costa Rica achieved this in 2014, while the U.S. did so in 2002. Canada has yet to progress past the round of 16, and Mexico consistently arrives at the round of 16 but fails to advance further.
The 2002 World Cup saw a unique diversity in the quarterfinals with five different confederations represented. However, since then, Europe and South America have dominated. Out of 48 quarterfinal slots over six World Cups, Europe has taken 30, South America 14, Africa three, and North America just one.
Morocco now represents Africa, aiming for a breakthrough. Despite sending 10 teams to the tournament, only Morocco remains after many African teams were eliminated by last-minute goals.
Egypt’s coach Hossam Hassan criticized officiating decisions, especially after a close defeat by Argentina. Conversely, Argentina exemplified resilience, rallying back from a 2-0 deficit to win, as noted by their star player Lionel Messi.
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