Qatar 2022 is proving itself to be one of the most unpredictable football tournaments in recent years. It has only been the first round of fixtures, and we have already seen it all, from giant killings to thrashings to goal of the year contenders. But after every team has played on the stage, where do they stand? Who has emerged as the new favourite? Let’s take a look at the Qatar World Cup Round 1 Overview.
Ecuador celebrates their opening goal by Enner Valencia during the World Cup, Group A soccer match between Qatar and Ecuador at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022. Photo Credit: AP
Group A
Qatar has set a few records that they are not too proud of. They have become the first host nation to lose their opening game in the tournament's history and the first to go out after only two games.
As for the other nations in the group, Ecuador has emerged as the surprise qualification candidate with their draw against the Netherlands, currently sitting second behind The Oranje with the same number of points.
While African dark horse candidates Senegal sit third with 3 points and their battle with the South American side will have qualification at stake.
Group B
Group B saw the first thrashing of the tournament, with England beating Iran 6-2 in the first game. However, the Iranians picked themselves up and beat Wales to occupy the second place in the group, sandwiched between England and the US.
England look on course to qualify even after their draw with the US. The US, however, will need to beat Iran in the final matchday of the group in order to progress.
Group C
Group C provided us with arguably the biggest shock in World Cup history. Tournament favourites Argentina, beaten by minnows Saudi Arabia.
An world class offside trap was enough to frustrate Messi and co. as an iconic goal on the other end from Salem Al Dawsari ensured a historic 2-1 win for the Arabian wonder boys.
Herve Renard's magic has seen the Meccan marvels sit on top of the group while Poland and Mexico played out a pretty uneventful draw between them.
Group D
France defied any chances of the champion's curse working on them this time, as a 4-1 win against Australia was a statement of their intent.
Perennial dark horses Denmark were a bit disappointing as they played out a goalless draw with Tunisia, who sit above them.
Read More: US earns respect at World Cup, but wins remain elusive
Group E
The winter of upsets blessed us with another gem as Japan fought back fiercely to win against an underperforming Germany. The Germans were highly unlucky to be on the losing side as Japanese goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda put out a performance worthy of a thousand awards.
Die Mannschaft were beaten by Bundesliga-based players as VfL Bochum's Takuma Asano scored the winner in a 2-1 Japan victory. Spain became instant favorites after their 7-0 thrashing of Costa Rica, a revenge of the result in 2014.
Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, and Ferran Torres were all highly impressive, indicating Luis Enrique's La Furja Roja means business.
Group F
Canada were left soul searching after their defeat to a less than impressive Belgium side who were saved by Thibaut Courtois.
The Canadians are still looking for their first ever goal at a world cup after missing a penalty against the Red Devils.
On the other hand, Morocco held Croatia to a draw, where Luka Modric continued to prove his unending class.
Group G
Any hopes of a Brazilian upset were put to bed by the Selecao, as a 2-0 victory over Serbia sees them sit on top of the group.
A wonderful volley goal from Richarlison is already being touted as the goal of the tournament in a game where the Samba stars promptly dominated.
Cameroon tasted defeat against Switzerland in the other game as Breel Embolo scored and celebrated mutely against his birth nation.
Group H
A highly entertaining game against Portugal and Ghana was on display for everyone as Cristiano Ronaldo became the first man to score in five world cups.
The Portuguese won 3-2 against Ghana were a late slip from Inaki Williams might have caused a point to the Black Stars. Diego Godin proved that quality is permanent as his dominating performance ensured a 0-0 draw with South Korea.
His counterpart on the day, Kim Min Jae, was also top-class on a day that was undoubtedly for defenders.
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View of the fireworks at the Al Bayt Stadium during the opening ceremony before the World Cup, group A soccer match between Qatar and Ecuador on Sunday, November 20, 2022, at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar. Photo Credit: AP
Verdict
Plenty of matches remain in this already amazing Qatar World Cup. The round 1 overview has indicated that pre-tournament favourites Argentina and Germany remain in danger of missing out on progressing to the knockout phase, whereas England and Spain have announced themselves as frontrunners.
Enner Valencia is the current World Cup top scorer, which should tell you everything you need to know about Qatar 2022. It has been unpredictable and unbelievable. The magic of the World Cup is strong, and it's sweeping us all up in its charm.