A Look Back at Week 1 of the 2022 World Cup

Group A – The Netherlands and Ecuador Lead whilst Qatar are Eliminated

The opening fixture of the 2022 World Cup saw the host nation Qatar face Ecuador. The contest was over in the first half courtesy of two Enner Valencia goals for the South American side. The Netherlands and Senegal, the other two nations in Group A, faced each other in their opening fixture, which resulted in a 2-0 win for the Dutch national side.

In matchday two, Qatar faced the 2022 Afcon Champions Senegal and were beaten 3-1. The result was the first points on the board for Senegal going into the final fixture. The other match between the Netherlands and Ecuador ended a 1-all draw.

Heading into round three, the Netherlands and Ecuador are joint-top with four points each. Senegal is right behind them with three points. The host nation Qatar was the first team to be eliminated from the World Cup.

Group B – Each Team Has Everything to Play For

In Group B, England faced Iran in their first outing and came out on top courtesy of a 6-2 thrashing. The other two nations, Wales and the USA, played out a 1-1 draw. In the second fixture, Iran surprisingly scored two late goals against Wales to beat the British team 2-0. England played out a 0-0 draw with the United States to move to the top of the table.

Heading into the final round of the group stage, England are outright first with four points. Iran is in second place with three points, the United States are in third with two points and Wales have only one point. Interestingly, there is everything to play for in round three of Group B as technically every team can still qualify to the knockout stages.

Group C – A Wide Open Group

The opening fixture of Group C saw Saudi Arabia take on the two-time World Cup winners in Argentina. It was the first major surprise at the World Cup as Saudi Arabi came from behind to win 2-1. The other nations, Mexico and Poland, played out a 0-0 draw.

In the second round, Saudi Arabia could not secure qualification, as they were defeated 2-0 by Poland. Argentina righted their wrong by beating Mexico 2-0 as well. Lionel Messi scored in both of the World Cup games for Argentina so far.

The current standing of Group C has Poland in first place with four points. Argentina and Saudi Arabia both have three points although Argentina has a better return due to their superior goal difference. Mexico is bottom of the table with only one point.

Group D – A Battle for Second Place

In round one of Group D, Tunisia and Denmark drew 0-0. France faced Australia and came from behind to win 4-1. Their star player, Kylian Mbappé, found the net.

The second fixture of Group D saw Australia face Tunisia and steal a surprising 1-0 victory. France, facing Denmark in matchday two, managed to score a late goal to beat the Danes 2-1. Both goals for France were scored by Kylian Mbappé, making him the joint-top World Cup scorer so far with three goals.

Going into matchday three, France have already qualified for the round of 16. Australia sits in second spot with three points, whilst both Denmark and Tunisia only have one point. The Danes have scored a goal, giving them the edge for third place ahead of the Tunisian national football team.

Group E – Spain Record Highest World Cup Win Ever

In Group E, matchday one saw Germany face Japan. After leading at half-time, Germany lost the match courtesy of two goals scored by Japan late in the second half. In the other fixture, Spain recorded their biggest World Cup win ever by hammering Costa Rica 7-0.

The result did not dampen the spirits of Costa Rica, as they beat Japan 1-0 in matchday two to earn their first points of the competition. Spain played their long-time international football rival, Germany, in matchday two as well. The score ended as a 1-1 draw after an exciting display from both teams.

The standings in Group E see Spain top the group with four points. In second place, Japan has three points whilst Costa Rica in third also has three points. The German national team only has a single point heading into matchday three.

Group F – Canada Score First Ever World Cup Goal

In Group F, the first fixture between Morocco and Croatia ended 0-0. The other fixture saw Belgium defeat Canada 1-0. It is the first World Cup Canada has played in since 1986.

The second round saw Belgium suffer a 2-0 defeat to Morocco following a series of late goals from the African team. Croatia came from behind to beat Canada 4-1.

Heading into the final fixture, Croatia sits in first with four points whilst Morocco is in second, also with four points. Belgium has three points in third whilst Canada have already been eliminated following two defeats.

Group G – Brazil and Switzerland both Win their Opening Fixtures

In Group G, matchday one saw Switzerland beat Cameroon 1-0. The other fixture saw Brazil beat Serbia by two goals to nil. Currently, Brazil and Switzerland both have three points, but the South American side have the better goal difference. Cameroon and Serbia both have no points.

Group H – Portugal Top the Group after a 3-2 Win over Ghana

The first fixture of Group F resulted in a 0-0 draw between Uruguay and South Korea. The other match between Portugal and Ghana saw the Portuguese team defeat the ‘Black Stars’ 3-2. Portugal is top of the group with three points, South Korea and Uruguay both share a single point and Ghana are last without any points.