With the conclusion of the World Cup, we’ve all heard about the spectacular final. Lionel Messi finally captured the trophy he yearned for most. Kylian Mbappe once again proved he’s made it for the biggest moments, scoring four times in the final, and single-handedly keeping France in the game. But with all the coverage of the final between Argentina and France, some other storylines were forgotten, or not mentioned enough, so let’s take a look at some of those storylines.
Belgium
Belgium once again was a letdown, and it seems that their “Golden Generation” isn’t capable of producing in major international tournaments. This World Cup seemed to be the last opportunity for this group of players, with nothing going their way. The biggest talking point was on the last matchday of the group stages against Croatia, where a draw or win would’ve likely had them advance to the knockout round. However, with a horrible and very unlucky performance from their experienced striker Romelu Lukaku, who was subbed into the game in the 46th minute, the team would miss four big chances to score. Belgium was eliminated in the group stages for the first time since 1998. Shockingly, they only scored one goal and conceded three goals across three games.
Japan
The “Giant Killers” Japan won the hearts of the soccer world once again in this World Cup. In their opening game against Germany, who was predicted to advance out of the group stages alongside Spain, as Germany took the lead in the 33rd minute, Japan showed determination and high pressing play style and came back to win the game 2-1. The team lost against Costa Rica in their second game, where Japan’s attack was wasteful of chances, having 13 shots and only three on target, resulting in the 1-0 loss. Their last game was against Spain. While many predicted Spain to win, Japan outclassed the Spanish team, sending them through to the knockout rounds and finishing first in their group. Playing Croatia in round 16 proved to be a great game; it was predicted to be going back and forth for 90 minutes and then a further 30 of extra time. The game was decided on penalties, where in the end, the pressure seemed like too much too handle for the players. After a disappointing showing in the penalty shootout, head coach Hajime Moriyasu and his men will be a team to watch out for in the future.
Croatia
The Croatian fairytale happened once again in this World Cup, as Croatia finished in third place and fell short of reaching the final once again as they did in 2018. Croatia’s rise is shocking. Before the 2018 World Cup, Croatia failed to make it out of the groups in the three previous World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014). With the appointment of Zlatko Dalić as head coach in 2017, Croatia has exceeded all expectations, finishing runners up in 2018. This year, the team did it again, captivating all fans and showing their quality with a 3rd place medal to show for it. Captain Luka Modric, now 37, showed his world-class quality to the world and doesn’t seem like slowing down anytime soon despite his age. There is a lot of excitement coming from this Croatian team. Keep an eye out for them in 2026.
Morocco
The biggest surprise in this World Cup was undoubtedly Morocco, having won all the fans for their style of play. However, not many people know what happened to Morocco prior to the world cup. Star player Hakim Ziyech had a major falling out with previous head coach Valid Halihodzic due to being left out of the world cup qualifiers. Then, Valid Halihodzic was fired, as the federation wasn’t happy with his preparation of the team. They then hired Walid Regragui with only three months before the World Cup. And with that news, Hakim Ziyech unretired from the national team. However, not much was expected of Morocco. Unexpectedly, Regragui and his men would shock the entire world, topping their group when they weren’t predicted to advance out of it. They eliminated Spain and Portugal, showing they had the determination and heart to cause major upsets. They would lose to France 2-0 in the semi-finals, but it didn’t really matter, as they won the hearts of many fans and inspired many others.
Article Written by Matthew Pina of Richard Montgomery HS
Photo courtesy of the New York Times