Who would have guessed we’d be sitting on the edge of our seats enthralled by a World Cup where giants of the game are at risk of being dethroned early on, and underdogs are paving their way to the top? The SweepSouth team has certainly had fun placing friendly bets and watching on in shock and surprise as the Soccer World Cup has kept us on our toes.
If you haven’t been keeping up with every second of every game, you’re missing out big time! If round 2 of the 2022 Soccer World Cup was anything to go by, we could expect tears and cheers to be plentiful at the end of round 3, especially with it being the final round of group stage games. Step off the bench and onto the field of results as we find out which teams made it through, and whose tournament ended in heartbreak with an early trip home.
Shocking Results
With a spot in the round of 16 on the line, spectators can always expect the final round of group stage games to have an added level of excitement. For those teams that have already been eliminated, there’s an opportunity to take home bragging rights. These are the results that shocked the world during the third round of the group stage:
- Tunisia vs. France: With an opportunity to secure a spot in the knockout stages, the reigning World Champions knew that Tunisia would come out guns blazing. It was a David vs. Goliath battle in a match where France had already booked their ticket to the next round, but was still searching for a win. Tunisia halted their plans as the only goal which came about in the 58th minute was enough for a famous victory. The game ended 1-0, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for the African team to advance to the next round.
- Japan vs. Spain: With their sights set on a victory over the Spanish giants, Japan had an opportunity to not only win the match, but also top the group. Would they be able to do it? Spain struck first with an early goal in the 11th minute, but two goals coming in quick succession for the Japanese saw them stun their opponents and secure their spot in the final 16 while walking away from the group stage at the top of their table. The game ended 2-1.
- South Korea vs. Portugal: Like France, Portugal had already secured a spot in the next round of the tournament. South Korea, on the other hand, had it all to play for, as a favourable result for them and a result going their way in the match between Ghana and Uruguay would also send them through. The Portuguese fired first with an early goal in the 5th minute, but South Korea bounced back with a first-half goal of their own. The second half looked like it had nothing more to offer until a goal by the South Koreans in the 91st minute blew the roof off the stadium. Thanks to this goal, and a victory by Uruguay over Ghana, South Korea advanced to the next round. The match ended 2-1.
- Cameroon vs. Brazil: Previous results of the group that these two teams were in meant spectators found themselves in a situation where their eyes would need to be peeled to both games to find out who would advance to the next round. Brazil had already booked their spot, but with a shock win and a favourable result in the other group match, Cameroon could do the same. A hard-fought battle saw box-to-box shooting, but no scoring. That was at least until Aboubakar from Cameroon capitalised in the 92nd minute to send fans of the African nation into a frenzy. Unfortunately, due to Switzerland’s victory over Serbia, it wasn’t enough for Cameroon to join Brazil in the round of 16. The game ended 1-0.
Front-Runners
In a final round of group-stage matches that saw more shockers than predictable results, there were at least two games that resulted in top teams taking care of business, while still providing a great deal of entertainment for the fans.
- England vs Wales: In a do-or-die match, both teams still had it all to play for with an opportunity to advance to the round of 16. With a highly-talented squad, England had lots of pressure going into the 2022 Soccer World Cup. Wales has some big names of their own that are more than capable of being match winners, especially Gareth Bale, who is playing in his last World Cup. The two teams went toe to toe for the first half without a goal being scored. Who would come out the stronger team in the second 45 minutes? Marcus Rashford put two goals into the Welsh net before Phil Foden scored a third, and with those 3 goals, the hopes of Welsh fans around the world were put to sleep as their team was knocked out of the tournament. The game ended 3-0.
- Switzerland vs. Serbia: Both teams in this match had a chance of making it through to the next round, so the pressure was definitely on! Fans and pundits expected a close encounter and hoped for many goals, and that’s exactly what they got. 2 Goals by the Serbians weren’t enough to overcome a determined Swiss side who put three past their opponents, which was enough to take them to the round of 16. The game ended 3-2.
Other Results
Between the heartbreaks coming from unexpected wins and the relief of those matches that were predicted correctly, round 3 of the group gave us more than enough entertainment. Listed below are the rest of the results from a memorable beginning to a World Cup:
- Ecuador 1 – 2 Senegal
- Netherlands 2 – 0 Qatar
- Iran 0 – 1 USA
- Australia 1 – 0 Denmark
- Argentina 2 – 0 Poland
- Saudi Arabia 1 – 2 Mexico
- Croatia 0 – 0 Belgium
- Canada 1 – 2 Morocco
- Costa Rica 2 – 4 Germany
- Ghana 0 – 2 Uruguay
Teams To Progress
As the group stages came to a close, 16 of the 32 teams sadly had to say goodbye to what was an unforgettable opening phase of a spectacular Soccer World Cup. Whether it was fate, the will of the teams involved, or a mixture of both, some teams exceeded expectations that weren’t even there, while others dropped the ball big time. Here is a summary of which teams made it through and which ones were eliminated:
| Teams That Progressed | Teams That Didn’t Make It |
| Netherlands Senegal England USA Argentina Poland France Australia Japan Spain Morocco Croatia Brazil Switzerland Portugal South Korea | Ecuador Qatar Iran Wales Mexico Saudi Arabia Tunisia Denmark Germany Costa Rica Belgium Canada Cameroon Serbia Uruguay Ghana |
Conclusion
The group stages are now wrapped up, and all we can say is, wow, what an honour it was to watch the 32 best teams in the world battle it out for soccer’s ultimate prize. The round of 16 should be a rollercoaster ride of emotions in itself if the past few weeks’ matches are anything to go by. Who will make it to the final 8, and who will be left wondering ‘what if?’ While you’re getting ready to host friends and family for the next 8 matches, don’t forget to book a cleaning service with an expert SweepStar to have your home in a spotless and perfect condition.
