(Latest update on 7/19/2018)
Here are some interesting facts about the FIFA World Cup 2018.
FIFA Federation Internationale de Football Association (or International Federation of Association Football)
There are 8 Groups, A to H. Each Group has 4 teams with each team playing each other once, i.e each team plays 3 matches, with a total of 6 matches in one Group. With 8 Groups, there are 6 x 8, i.e. 48 matches in the Group stage.
Top two teams from each Group qualify for the next stage, which is knockout stage. Since there are 8 Groups, 16 teams qualify for the knockout stage (2 top teams from each group). There are 8 matches for the 16 teams (winner from Group A vs runner-up from Group B and so on). That makes 56 matches, 48 in group stage and 8 matches in knockout stage. After knockout stage, 8 teams continue to the next stage or the quarter finals for the 4 quarter final matches. This makes 56 plus 4, 60 matches. Followed by 2 semi-final matches, makes 62 matches. Losers of the two semi-finals play for the third place match makes it 63 matches and the Final match take the total to 64 matches in the World Cup.
In this World Cup two hat-tricks were scored, both in the Group stage matches.
Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick in Spain vs Portugal match.
Harry Kane hat-trick in England vs Panama match.
Groups A, F, G had no drawn matches.
Group B had the highest number of drawn matches - 3 matches were draw.
Only Belgium, Croatia and Uruguay won all their Group stage matches.
Egypt and Panama lost all their matches in the Group stage.
Brazil, France, Spain, Portugal did not lose any of their Group stage matches. Brazil, France won 2 matches and drew 1 match each. Whereas, Spain and Portugal won 1 match and drew 2 matches each.
Both Mexico and Argentina qualified for the next stage despite their goal difference being negative - Mexico had 3 For goals, and 4 Against (Goal difference of -1), while Argentina had 3 For, and 5 Against goals (Goal difference of -2).
Japan and Senegal were both tied at same number of points in their group - the tie was broken by Japan having received lesser yellow cards than Senegal. With this Japan became the first team in the World Cup history to advance to the knockout stage based on the fair play rule.
Here is the World Cup 2018 Fair Play Rule.
Group A matches
POINTS
|
6
|
9
|
0
|
2
| ||
COUNTRY
|
RUSSIA
|
URUGUAY
|
EGYPT
|
SAUDI ARABIA
|
Match Link
| |
WON
|
LOST
|
5
|
0
| |||
0
|
3
| |||||
3
|
1
| |||||
1
|
2
| |||||
1
|
0
| |||||
1
|
0
| |||||
Group B matches
This Group had 3 draw games with 1-1, 2-2, and 3-3 score line.
The remaining 3 games that were won/lost, were all won with 1-0 margin.
All the 4 teams were involved in at least one drawn game.
The remaining 3 games that were won/lost, were all won with 1-0 margin.
All the 4 teams were involved in at least one drawn game.
Group B Matches
| |||||||
POINTS
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
1
| |||
COUNTRY
|
SPAIN
|
PORTUGAL
|
IRAN
|
MOROCCO
|
Match Link
| ||
WON
|
LOST
|
DRAW
|
2
|
2
| |||
3
|
3
| ||||||
1
|
0
| ||||||
1
|
0
| ||||||
1
|
0
| ||||||
1
|
1
| ||||||
Group C matches
This Group had 2 draw games
This Group had 2 draw games
Group C Matches
| |||||||
POINTS
|
7
|
5
|
1
|
3
| |||
COUNTRY
|
FRANCE
|
DENMARK
|
AUSTRALIA
|
PERU
|
Match Link
| ||
WON
|
LOST
|
DRAW
|
1
|
0
| |||
0
|
0
| ||||||
2
|
1
| ||||||
0
|
2
| ||||||
1
|
0
| ||||||
1
|
1
| ||||||
Group D matches
This group had only 1 drawn game.
Group D Matches
| |||||||
POINTS
|
9
|
3
|
1
|
4
| |||
COUNTRY
|
CROATIA
|
NIGERIA
|
ICELAND
|
ARGENTINA
|
Match Link
| ||
WON
|
LOST
|
DRAW
|
3
|
0
| |||
2
|
0
| ||||||
2
|
1
| ||||||
1
|
1
| ||||||
1
|
2
| ||||||
2
|
0
| ||||||
Group E matches
Group E Matches
| |||||||
POINTS
|
7
|
5
|
3
|
1
| |||
COUNTRY
|
BRAZIL
|
SWITZERLAND
|
SERBIA
|
COSTA RICA
|
Match Link
| ||
WON
|
LOST
|
DRAW
|
2
|
0
| |||
1
|
1
| ||||||
2
|
0
| ||||||
1
|
0
| ||||||
2
|
2
| ||||||
2
|
1
| ||||||
Group F matches
Group F did not have any draw game
Group F Matches
| ||||||
POINTS
|
6
|
3
|
6
|
3
| ||
COUNTRY
|
MEXICO
|
GERMANY
|
SWEDEN
|
KOREA
|
Match Link
| |
WON
|
LOST
|
2
|
1
| |||
1
|
0
| |||||
0
|
3
| |||||
1
|
0
| |||||
0
|
2
| |||||
2
|
1
| |||||
Group G matches
Group G did not have any draw game
Group G Matches
| ||||||
POINTS
|
6
|
9
|
3
|
0
| ||
COUNTRY
|
ENGLAND
|
BELGIUM
|
TUNISIA
|
PANAMA
|
Match Link
| |
WON
|
LOST
|
6
|
1
| |||
0
|
1
| |||||
2
|
1
| |||||
2
|
1
| |||||
3
|
0
| |||||
5
|
2
| |||||
Colombia top this Group with 6 points and both Japan and Senegal were tied at 4 points, and also tied the goal difference and goals scored (goal difference comes before goals scored). The head to head match between Japan and Senegal was also tied 2-2. Finally the the tie was broken with the number of yellow and red cards given to a team. Here Japan received 4 fewer yellow cards than Senegal. Interestingly both Japan and Senegal had their last group match with Poland and Colombia respectively on the last day of the group matches which both lost and only after both matches ended, it was determined which team broke the tie. In this case based on number of yellow cards received.
Group H Matches
| |||||||
POINTS
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
6
| |||
COUNTRY
|
JAPAN
|
SENEGAL
|
POLAND
|
COLOMBIA
|
Match Link
| ||
WON
|
LOST
|
DRAW
|
2
|
1
| |||
2
|
2
| ||||||
0
|
1
| ||||||
0
|
3
| ||||||
0
|
1
| ||||||
2
|
1
| ||||||
Knockout Stage
After Group stage matches the knockout stage consists of 16 teams and called as Group of 16. The 16 teams are paired in 8 matches.
Group of 16
Top two teams from each Group proceed to the knockout stage. From here on only winners of each match proceed to the next round and losers go out of the tournament.
There are 8 Groups, A to H, so top two teams from each group makes 2x8, i.e. 16 teams.
Top team from Group A meets runner-up from Group B, and Top team from Group B meets runner-up from Group A.
Top team from Group C meets runner-up from Group D, and Top
team from Group D meets runner-up from Group C.
Top team from Group E meets runner-up from Group F, and Top team from Group F meets runner-up from Group E.
Top team from Group G meets runner-up from Group H, and Top team from Group H meets runner-up from Group G.
Group 16 to Quater Finals, and then to Semi-Finals
The Semi-Final line up France vs Belgium and Croatia vs England
France - Belgium (1-0) The solitary goal in the match came from Umtiti and put France into its third World Cup final in 20 years.
Croatia - England (2-1) Croatia won in extra time. Mandzukic goal in extra time gives Croatia 2-1 lead after both teams were tied 1-1 in regular play time. This is Croatia's first time in the World Cup final.
Final France - Croatia (4-2)
The Manager of 2018 FIFA World Cup winner French team, Didier Deschamps was also the captain of the French football when they won the World Cup in 1998. He becomes the third player to have been a player and a manager of a World Cup winning team, after Germany's Franz Beckenbauer and Brazil's Mario Zagallo.
Highest scoring match: Belgium vs Tunisia had 7 goals in the match
Highest number of goals scored - Harry Kane (6 goals)/England, Antoine Grizmann (4 goals)/France, Romelu Lukaku (4 goals)/Belgium
Golden Boot Harry Kane Silver Boot Antoine Grizmann Bronze Boot Romelu Lukaku
Golden Ball Luka Modric Silver Ball Eden Hazard Bronze Ball Antione Grizmann
