A very different side of France came to the fore, showing that they are no mere braggarts: there is a lot of steel, courage and determination among their ranks. It was a brutal encounter, as they became targets for Paraguay, which added threat to the lower block. No one in blue retreated into the shadows, but instead faced excessive aggression and used it as fuel. “Anyone who wants to go to war with us, this is what they should expect,” Rayan Cherki said. It was the biggest test they’ve faced yet, but it turns out that intimidation tactics don’t work, leaving everyone else wondering how to stop them.
2) Spain (unchanged)
Goals win games but defenses win championships. There are five games without conceding and The Red He had no problems keeping Portugal calm, thanks to the excellent organization of the rearguard and the diligence of those who carried out the instructions. Another trait of the champions is that the players make the difference from the bench; Mikel Merino was the winner of the match, combining with two other substitutes to deliver the fatal blow. “I want to express the importance of the substitutes who arrived later in the game,” said Luis de la Fuente. “Not just today, but the contribution in other games has been huge.”
3) Argentina (no changes)
Lionel Messi’s dreams were in disarray, with a shock defeat to Egypt looming after a wasted penalty. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to end for the holders, and it didn’t. Champions don’t go down without a fight. Three goals in 13 minutes produced a glorious turnaround designed through a combination of determination and quality, as the captain scored a goal and provided an assist. Lionel Scaloni and Messi cried throughout the entire time because this means a lot to them. “No matter what happens from here on out, this team gives me the feeling that they never stop believing, even when everything goes against them,” Scaloni said.
4) England (+4)
If the Three Lions reached the round of 16 under par, the blowout victory at the Estadio Azteca was enough to instill the belief that this team has something going for it. Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane grabbed the headlines but it was a team effort, from Jordan Pickford’s wonderful saves to substitute Dan Burn’s crucial blocks. Surviving with 10 men for an extended period was evidence of a resilient group, made even more impressive because they had to manage within a cauldron filled with over 80,000 people desperate to lose.
5) Morocco (unchanged)
Three of the four shots on goal against Canada ended up in the back of the net. It was a clinical, gloriously efficient performance by a team capable of adapting to the circumstances. Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi made the team more progressive and offensive, but a higher level of pragmatism was implemented to eliminate the co-hosts. “We are no longer a surprise,” Ouahbi admitted, but considering they can mix styles means they possess something unexpected and they will need that (and more) against France.
6) Norway (+1)
At both ends of the field against Brazil, Norway had stars. Ørjan Nyland was supreme in goal, repelling everything that came his way. He held his nerve to save Bruno Guimarães’ penalty and when you have a goalkeeper in such excellent form, it means that Erling Haaland only needs a couple of moments to make the difference. Never out of the game, his finishing was of the highest standard and he rightly punished lazy defending. Well organized and dangerous from cross positions, this team will not fear anyone because the center backs will be afraid.
7) Belgium (+6)
“Reverse this” was the gloating message directed at the United States after a sense of injustice fueled its dominant victory. Sometimes teams need extra motivation to refocus after a long season. Rudi García showed what a leader with clear thinking should be like; He was ruthless in selection, leaving out the previously disappointing Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku. Other head coaches could learn a thing or two from the Belgians, who showed that it’s not about individuals. They all moved up a level after having beaten Senegal. Charles De Ketelaere took on additional responsibility with a brace to forget a quiet moment in the tournament so far.
8) Switzerland (+4)
A clear plan by Murat Yakin took the Swiss to the penalty shootout against Colombia; He had to know the icy nature of penalty takers in front of a sea of yellow. The absence of the “bitter blow” of the injured Johan Manzambi, as Yakin said, changed the dynamic. The objective was to keep the ball but without the ambition to penetrate, maintaining defensive concentration and rigidity at the back. No one could argue with its success, even if it created a tedious link. It is clear that they need Manzambi to return as quickly as possible to add oomph to the tactical acumen.
9) Mexico (-5)
Falling into the flames of glory was always the likely end for this team, fierce in its commitment to the cause and taking advantage of the vociferous support it received. “Dreaming and then falling like that hurts deeply, but the players must come out with their heads held high,” said coach Javier Aguirre.
10) Egypt (+5)
The Pharaohs had matched and surpassed Argentina, nullifying their many threats and destroying the South Americans on the counterattack. In the end, the brutality of football reared its ugly head when Egypt was rejected and tired minds lost concentration by ending up on the wrong side of a thriller, something they may be able to cherish for a long time to come.
11) Brazil (-5)
They were never going to go all the way, but having their bags packed at this stage was not part of their plan. There was not enough work with the ball and the main attack plan was to wait for Vinícius Júnior to get something out of his hat. Bringing in Neymar was baffling and he never quite understood the game, leaving Carlo Ancelotti wondering why he chose him.
12) Portugal (-1)
Cristiano Ronaldo’s tears were there for everyone to see, one last game of the World Cup in Portugal. He was toothless throughout, a supporting actor in his own testimony. His teammates rarely found him, nor did he have the pace to get behind them, but none of his compatriots lived up to the hype as they limped out against Spain.
13) Colombia (-3)
Scoring two goals in their last four matches of the tournament indicated that power was waning within the ranks. The best opportunities came against Switzerland, but composure was always lacking and history repeated itself from the penalty spot. The fans cheered for the World Cup but the team, in the end, could not match them.
14) United States (-5)
Donald Trump is out and his motivational tactics fall on deaf ears. The Folarin Balogun saga was inevitably a distraction and seemingly hampered the players, whose standards fell after showing great promise. It was not the striker’s fault that he was at the center of an international incident as the United States put on a meek display.
15) Paraguay (+1)
Fouling, irritating and infuriating was the game plan, taking their negative football to new lows. It was impressive that they came out of their elimination game without a caution, but that was the only real success. They never tried to win the match against France, instead focusing on the darkest arts and, as expected, they lost with a penalty.
16) Canada (-2)
“We were better than them,” was Jesse Marsch’s bold statement after losing reluctantly to Morocco. Canada’s coach was in the minority with that opinion after his team was defeated 3-0.
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The rankings were drawn up by polling six Guardian World Cup writers and editors. They were asked to rank the teams in the bottom 32 in order, from first to worst. The final rankings were based on an average of the votes cast.