(Football news) The 2022 World Cup Group Stage has finally come to an end and boy has it been entertaining! There have been surprises, upsets and stellar performances across the groups and have set the stage for intriguing Round of 16 fixtures. Here are a few observations that we have made from how the tournament has gone down so far..

1) No team is safe

It was pretty clear from the get-go that no team is safe from a shock result in this tournament as Saudi Arabia defeated pre-tournament favourites Argentina. Japan then followed suit by defeating Germany and then went on to defeat Spain in their final Group Stage fixture while Morocco overcame Belgium, who despite their ageing squad are still ranked 2nd in the world.

Even teams such as France and Brazil have not been immune as Les Bleus lost 1-0 to Tunisia while the Seleção also lost by a 1-0 margin to Cameroon on the final day. Both teams may have made nine changes to their starting XI but there is a significant gap in quality and it is an upset nonetheless.

In the end, teams from six different continents made it to the Round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup. According to Nielsen Gracenote’s analysis, Brazil’s defeat to Cameroon was the 12th upset (matches in which the winners’ chances of victory stood between 16.7% and 33.3%) or shock (less than 16.7%) of the tournament so far. This means that the 2022 World Cup has featured more upsets than any of the other six 32 team World Cups, beating the record of nine from 2002 and 2010 World Cups.

2) Veteran stars continue to perform

While Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo might not be at their very best in this tournament so far, both have found the net and have shown encouraging signs about what’s to come. Messi scored the crucial opening goal against Mexico while Ronaldo scored from the spot against Uruguay. Robert Lewandowski has also found the back of the net for an underwhelming Poland side who qualified for their first Round of 16 since 1986.

3) Next generation of stars are emerging

While the focus of the tournament was largely on Kylian Mbappe, who has justifiably shown exactly why he’s one of the best in the world, this tournament has also given a platform to other young stars. Spain’s Gavi became the youngest goalscorer since Pele in his team’s 7-0 demolition of Costa Rica while 23 year old Cody Gakpo has scored in all three Group Stage fixtures for the Netherlands, becoming the first man from a European country to do so since 2002.

Jude Bellingham has also lit the stage for England, scoring against Iran and is proving to be a vital cog in Gareth Southgate’s machine. Other honourable mentions include Alphonso Davies of Canada, Ghana’s Mohammed Kudus and England duo Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka.

4) Pre-tournament favourites Brazil continue to shine

Brazil, who are the top ranked team in the world, entered the tournament as one of the favourites and they have not disappointed. The five time World Champions dispatched Serbia and Switzerland to qualify for the Round of 16 well in advance and rested their players in their final Group Stage fixture against Cameroon. Moreover, Neymar is expected to return for the knockout stage after being sidelined due to an ankle injury which means the Seleção will be even stronger. Tite’s side have incredible depth in their squad and an unrivalled attacking prowess, which means that they are the team to beat.

Also read: 2022 World Cup: Martinez steps down as Belgium manager after Group Stage exit