User:Stormzzz26/sandbox
Countryball World Cup
[edit]Organising body | CBFA |
---|---|
Founded | 1992 |
Region | International |
Number of teams | 16 |
Current champions | (2024) |
Most successful team(s) |
Tournaments |
---|
The Countryball World Cup, often abbreviated as CWC is an international association football tournament held every four years since 1992.
The competition begins with the qualification phase, which typically starts two years before the actual tournament. As of the 2023, 16 national teams play in the tournament. Similar to the FIFA World Cup, the host nation, usually chosen six years before the tournament, automatically qualifies.
As of the 2024 Countryball World Cup, a total of 29 nations have competed in this tournament, with five of those having won the competition at least once. Argentina have won three, Italy and Mexico have each won two titles, and Japan and Spain have each won one title.
History
[edit]The First Countryball World Cup
[edit]The competition had its debut in 1992, founded to increase the frequency of international association football tournaments. The United States was chosen to be the host nation. Only 8 select nations competed in the first tournament, which were the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan. This was a single-elimination tournament, with Italy becoming champions and Russia becoming runners-up. Because of the lack of a prior qualification phase, many personally disregard this tournament as an actual competition. However, it is still officially recognized as the very first Countryball World Cup.
Expansion to 16 Teams
[edit]In 1994, it was announced that the 1996 Countryball World Cup would have 16 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament. The qualification process for the 1996 tournament began in early 1994, with nations from all around the world competing for a spot in this competition. This 16 team format would stick around until after the 2016 Countryball World Cup.
Addition of the Group Stage
[edit]In 2019, it was announced that the 2020 Countryball World Cup would have a group stage, where each of the 16 qualified teams would be split into four groups of four and play one another in a round robin format. The top two teams in each group would advance to the single-elimination knockout stage. There have been recent proposals to expand the number of teams to 32, though this idea has been rejected by organizers of the CWC.
Results
[edit]Edition | Year | Host | Final | Third-place play-off | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Champion | Score | Runner-up | Third | Score | Fourth | |||
1 | 1992 | Italy |
4–1 | Russia |
France |
2–2 (3–1 p) |
South Korea | |
2 | 1996 | Mexico |
5–2 | Iran |
Austria |
5–2 | Netherlands | |
3 | 2000 | Japan |
6–1 | South Korea |
Austria |
5–4 | Italy | |
4 | 2004 | Argentina |
4–0 | Japan |
Germany |
5–2 | Brazil | |
5 | 2008 | Italy |
5–2 | South Korea |
Germany |
1–1 (3–2 p) |
Russia | |
6 | 2012 | Mexico |
3–2 | Brazil |
Japan |
7–4 | Chile | |
7 | 2016 | Spain |
6–1 | Brazil |
Italy |
4–2 | Uruguay | |
8 | 2020 | Argentina |
4–3 | Netherlands |
Switzerland |
5–2 | Spain | |
9 | 2024 | Argentina |
2–0 | England |
Spain |
2–0 | Uruguay | |
10 | 2028 |
2020 Countryball World Cup
[edit]Tournament details | |
---|---|
Host country | Italy |
Dates | 7 June – 4 July |
Teams | 16 (from 5 confederations) |
Final positions | |
Champions | |
Runners-up | |
Third place | |
Fourth place | |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 32 |
Goals scored | 173 (5.41 per match) |
Top scorer(s) | |
The 2020 Countryball World Cup, often abbreviated as the 2020 CWC, was an international association football tournament, held in Italy from 7 June 2020 to 4 July 2020 after the country won the hosting rights in 2014. This was the 8th and most recent edition of the Countryball World Cup.
This tournament was the first of its kind to have a group stage, with 4 teams of four. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were talks in March 2020 to postpone the event to the following year. However, the change was never made, meaning the entire tournament would be held behind closed doors. This sparked a lot of controversy among fans, with protests breaking out all over Italy and in other countries. To accommodate for this, many streaming services allowed viewers to watch each match live for free.
Argentina were declared winners of the tournament after defeating the Netherlands 4–3. It was Argentina's second CWC title after last winning the tournament in 2004. Many football fans used this victory as further proof of the "victorious nation pattern", which states that the winners of the Countryball World Cup repeats (Italy, Mexico, random nation, Argentina).
Overview
[edit]The Countryball World Cup is an international association football tournament held every four years since 1992, which was held in the United States. The tournament was contested by 16 teams, who first played in four groups of four using a round-robin style competition followed by a knockout round for 8 teams. Spain were the defending champions after defeating Brazil 6–1 in the 2016 Countryball World Cup final.
Host Selection
[edit]The bidding procedure to host the 2020 Countryball World Cup was held on 2 February 2014. Because Chile was given the right to host the 2016 Countryball World Cup 4 years prior, members of CONMEBOL were no longer allowed to host the 2020 edition. Therefore, the bid was only contested between France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and Spain. The final votes are shown below.
Bidders | Final Vote |
---|---|
Italy | 22 |
Spain | 12 |
Germany | 8 |
Mexico | 6 |
France | 2 |
Teams
[edit]Qualification
[edit]All national teams were eligible to enter the qualification round of the 2020 Countryball World Cup, though only 47 decided to enter. The qualification process began in February 2018. Italy, as hosts of the competition, automatically qualified.
Of the 16 qualified nations, 13 played in the 2016 competition. Morocco was the only nation to make their debut at the 2020 CWC. They were also the first CAF member to qualify for the tournament since Senegal in 2000. South Korea and Portugal returned to the tournament after missing the 2016 edition.
The qualified teams, separated by confederation, are shown below:
Draw
[edit]After qualifications closed on 1 February 2020, the draw to decide the group stages of the tournament were held on 2 February 2020. The 16 teams would be split into 4 groups of 4, with the host nation automatically being placed into the first group, and the three best national teams decided by the organizers of the Countryball World Cup being placed into the other three randomly. Ultimately, Italy were placed into Group A, Brazil into Group B, Germany into Group C, and Mexico into Group D.
The remaining 12 teams were placed into a pot and randomly drawn one at a time, with a spinner deciding which group the selected nation would be placed into. Similar to FIFA's drawing process, teams from the same confederation were not allowed to be in the same group as one another. The only exception to this rule is UEFA, as 9 members meant that at least 2 nations from this confederation were guaranteed to be in any group, with one having 3. To still ensure diversity in each group, no single group was allowed to have 4 UEFA members.
Group stage
[edit]The group stage took place from 7 June 2020 to 19 June 2020. The 16 competing nations were split into four groups of four (Group A to Group D). Teams played each other in a round-robin format, and the top two teams from each group advanced to the knockout stage.
Group A
[edit]The opening match of the tournament was contested between Italy and the Netherlands, with the Netherlands defeating the hosts 3–2. Many cited this loss as evidence of the "host nation curse". The other group match was played between Uruguay and Morocco, which saw Morocco score their first ever goal in the Countryball World Cup. However, it was not enough for the team to beat Uruguay. The second round of matches saw the Netherlands take on Morocco and Italy take on Uruguay. The Netherlands won their game 3–0, almost guaranteeing their spot in the knockout stage. On the other hand, Morocco's chances of making to the next stage was diminished to almost nothing. The match between Italy and Uruguay was fierce as qualification to the knockout stage was on the line. Ultimately, Italy were able to defeat Uruguay with a 2–1 victory. The final round saw Uruguay take on the Netherlands and Morocco take on Italy. Both matches kicked off at the same time. Uruguay took an early lead, and so did Italy, meaning that both teams had a chance to make it to the knockout stage. However, the Italian team began falling apart during the second half, allowing Morocco to score 3 goals, 2 of which in quick succession, to draw against Italy. Uruguay were able to maintain their lead, defeating the Netherlands 3–1, and topping the group as head-to-head results were first taken into account than goals scored. Italy's failure to make it out of the group stage was cited by some as further proof of the "host nation curse".
Pos | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 | Advanced to knockout stage | |
2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 6 | ||
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 | ||
4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 1 |
2–1 | Morocco | |
---|---|---|
De la Cruz Gómez |
Bencharki |
3–0 | Morocco | |
---|---|---|
De Jong Wijnaldum Dumfries |
2–1 | Uruguay | |
---|---|---|
Bernardeschi Immobile |
Suárez |
3–1 | Netherlands | |
---|---|---|
Cavani De Arrascaeta |
Promes |
Group B
[edit]The first match of Group B was played between Brazil and Croatia. The match was a huge upset as Brazil, who were runners-up in the 2012 and 2016 Countryball World Cup and one of the favorites to win the competition, were humiliated in a 5–1 loss. The other group match was between Portugal and Switzerland, which Portugal ultimately won. The second round of matches paired Croatia against Switzerland and Brazil against Portugal. Switzerland and Brazil won their respective matches with a score line of 2–1. These results meant that each team in Group B were level with points as each had one win and one loss so far. This also meant that the winners of the last two group matches would advance to the knockout round. Portugal and Croatia were set to play one another while Switzerland and Brazil were set to play one another. Croatia secured their spot in the next round and topped the group after winning 3–2, and Switzerland won their spot after winning 3–1.
Pos | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 6 | Advanced to knockout stage | |
2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 6 | ||
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 3 | ||
4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 9 | -5 | 3 |
5–3 | Switzerland | |
---|---|---|
Ronaldo Neves B. Silva Félix |
Xhaka Embolo |
1–2 | Switzerland | |
---|---|---|
Brozović |
Seferovic Zuber |
3–1 | Brazil | |
---|---|---|
Xhaka Gavranović Shaqiri |
Firmino |
Group C
[edit]The first Group C match was played between Germany and Argentina, which concluded in a 4–4 draw. England faced Japan in the other match, in which Japan took a surprising win over England. The second round of matches saw Argentina narrowly defeating Japan after making a huge comeback and Germany drawing another match in their game against England. Because of these results, England's chances of progressing to the knockout round was significantly lowered. In the final round of matches, Argentina defeated England to secure their spot in the next stage. Meanwhile, the game between Germany and Japan was heated as whichever team won this match would progress to the next round. Ultimately, Germany won and secured their spot.
Pos | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 7 | Advanced to knockout stage | |
2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 5 | ||
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 3 | ||
4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 1 |
4–4 | Argentina | |
---|---|---|
Werner Gündoğan Müller Havertz |
Agüero Di María Messi |
5–4 | Japan | |
---|---|---|
Dybala Messi Agüero Paredes |
Shibasaki Osako Dōan |
3–5 | Germany | |
---|---|---|
Haraguchi Inui Makino |
Gündoğan Müller Makino Werner Havertz |
Group D
[edit]Mexico and defending champions Spain faced each other in the first match round of Group D while France took on South Korea. Spain took a comfortable win against Mexico while France took a surprising loss against South Korea after just winning the FIFA World Cup 2 years earlier. The second round of matches saw Spain play against South Korea and Mexico take on France. South Korea pulled off another unbelievable performance again after managing to draw against Spain. Meanwhile, France successfully took down Mexico in a close 4–3 victory, which eliminated Mexico's chances of advancing to the knockout stage. In the final round of matches, France was up against Spain while South Korea was up against Mexico, the third time in Countryball World Cup history where the two nations faced each other in the first round of the competition. Spain secured their spot in the knockout stage after defeating France 3–0 while Mexico were able to defeat South Korea 4–1, their first victory over South Korea. However, South Korea still progressed to the next stage with 4 points, the lowest out of all teams who advanced to the knockout stage. Spain earned the distinction of being the only team in the tournament to have a positive goal difference in their group, at +7.
Pos | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 4 | +7 | 7 | Advanced to knockout stage | |
2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 4 | ||
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 3 | ||
4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 3 |
1–2 | South Korea | |
---|---|---|
Mbappé |
Hwang Ui-jo Son Heung-Min |
3–3 | South Korea | |
---|---|---|
Morata Torres Rodri |
Kim Young-Gwon Ji Dong-won Lee Jae-Sung |
3–4 | France | |
---|---|---|
Lozano Pulido Corona |
Coman Benzema Mbappé Griezmann |
1–4 | Mexico | |
---|---|---|
Ji Dong-Won |
Pizarro Pulido Lozano |
Knockout stage
[edit]The knockout stage took place from 22 June 2020 to 4 July 2020, including a third place match. The matches were single-elimination.
Bracket
[edit]Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
22 June | ||||||||||
3 | ||||||||||
27 June | ||||||||||
9 | ||||||||||
1 | ||||||||||
23 June | ||||||||||
4 | ||||||||||
5 | ||||||||||
4 July | ||||||||||
0 | ||||||||||
4 | ||||||||||
22 June | ||||||||||
3 | ||||||||||
4 | ||||||||||
27 June | ||||||||||
0 | ||||||||||
3 | ||||||||||
23 June | ||||||||||
2 | Third place play-off | |||||||||
2 | ||||||||||
30 June | ||||||||||
4 | ||||||||||
5 | ||||||||||
2 | ||||||||||
Quarter-finals
[edit]The quarterfinals took place on 22 and 23 June. The first match of this stage took place between Uruguay and Switzerland. This game saw a total of 12 goals scored, which was tied for the highest number of goals scored in a Countryball World Cup game with Italy's 7–5 win against Spain in 2008. The game also saw 9 goals scored by one team, Switzerland, which broke the record of the most goals scored by one team in one game. The previous record holders were Spain after their 8–1 win against Mexico in 2004 and Italy after their 8–1 win against Germany in 2008. In the second and third match of the quarterfinals, both Argentina and the Netherlands won their respective games without conceding a single goal. The score line was 5–0 and 4–0 respectively. In the final match of the quarterfinals, Spain defeated Germany 4–2 and became the second defending champions in Countryball World Cup history to make it to the semifinals after Japan in 2004.
3–9 | Switzerland | |
---|---|---|
Bentancur Cavani Suárez |
Gavranović Shaqiri Xhaka Embolo Seferovic Schär |
5–0 | South Korea | |
---|---|---|
Di María Martínez Pezzella |
Semi-finals
[edit]The semifinals of the 2020 Countryball World Cup were played on 27 June. The first match saw Argentina defeating Switzerland 4–1, bringing Argentina to their first Countryball World Cup final since 2004. The second match was played between the Netherlands and Spain. The Netherlands scored the first three goals of the match, putting them ahead of Spain 3–0. Spain would go on to score 2 goals, though the Netherlands were able to maintain their lead and advance to the finals, their first in the nation's history.
Third place play-off
[edit]The third place match was played on 30 June between Switzerland and Spain. This match was known for its large amount of goals in a short amount of time, with all 7 goals being scored in a span of just 30 minutes. The final result was a 5–2 win for Switzerland. Their third place finish was their best ever performance in the Countryball World Cup.
5–2 | Spain | |
---|---|---|
Mehmedi Xhaka Zuber Seferovic |
Moreno Morata |
Final
[edit]The final of the 2020 Countryball World Cup was played on 4 July between Argentina and the Netherlands. Paulo Dybala scored the first goal of the match at the 27th minute, though Georginio Wijnaldum was able to equalize 7 minutes later. Argentine Lautaro Martínez then gave Argentina a one-goal lead in the 39th minute. However, an equalizer by Daley Blind in the 43rd minute meant the score was 2–2 at half time. Denzel Dumfries scored the first goal of the second half, putting the Netherlands ahead for the first time during the match. Eleven minutes later, however, Argentine captain Lionel Messi, equalizing the score yet again. In the 85th minute, an assist from Giovani Lo Celso to Ángel Di María secured the win for Argentina. The final scoreline was 4–3. This was Argentina's second Countryball World Cup title after last winning it in 2004. Many football fans saw this victory as proof of the "victorious nation pattern".
4–3 | Netherlands | |
---|---|---|
Dybala Martínez Messi Di María |
Wijnaldum Blind Dumfries |
Statistics
[edit]Goalscorers
[edit]There were 173 goals scored in 32 matches, meaning that an average of 5.41 goals were scored per match.
7 goals
6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
Lautaro Martínez
Harry Kane
Marcus Rashford
Kylian Mbappé
İlkay Gündoğan
Thomas Müller
Gaku Shibasaki
Hirving Lozano
Rodolfo Pizarro
Alan Pulido
Steven Berghuis
Denzel Dumfries
Georginio Wijnaldum
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ji Dong-Won
Dani Olmo
Breel Embolo
Mario Gavranović
Steven Zuber
Luis Suárez
1 goal and 1 own goal
1 goal
Rodrigo De Paul
Giovani Lo Celso
Leandro Paredes
Germán Pezzella
Casemiro
Roberto Firmino
Neymar
Lucas Paquetá
Marcelo Brozović
Mateo Kovačić
Ivan Perišić
Bruno Petković
Luka Modrić
Nikola Vlašić
Raheem Sterling
Karim Benzema
Kingsley Coman
Antoine Griezmann
Serge Gnabry
Leon Goretzka
Toni Kroos
Alessandro Bastoni
Andrea Belotti
Domenico Berardi
Federico Bernardeschi
Federico Chiesa
Ciro Immobile
Jorginho
Ritsu Dōan
Takashi Inui
Takumi Minamino
Yuya Osako
Maya Yoshida
Jesús Corona
Héctor Herrera
Achraf Bencharki
Sofiane Boufal
Youssef En-Nesyri
Hakim Ziyech
Daley Blind
Frenkie de Jong
Luuk de Jong
Cody Gakpo
Davy Klaassen
Quincy Promes
Virgil Van Dijk
João Félix
Bruno Fernandes
Diogo Jota
Rúben Neves
André Miguel Valente da Silva
Bernardo Silva
Koke
Mikel Oyarzabal
Rodri
Fabián Ruiz
Thiago
Hwang Ui-jo
Kim Young-Gwon
Lee Jae-Sung
Son Heung-Min
Admir Mehmedi
Fabian Schär
Denis Zakaria
Rodrigo Bentancur
Giorgian de Arrascaeta
Nicolás de la Cruz
Maximiliano Gómez
2024 Countryball World Cup
[edit]Tournament details | |
---|---|
Host country | Mexico |
Dates | 20 July – 13 August |
Teams | 16 (from 4 confederations) |
Final positions | |
Champions | |
Runners-up | |
Third place | |
Fourth place | |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 32 |
Goals scored | 99 (3.09 per match) |
Top scorer(s) | (5 goals each) |
The 2024 Countryball World Cup, often abbreviated as the 2024 CWC, was an international association football tournament, held in Mexico from 20 July 2024 to 15 August 2024 after the country won the hosting rights in 2018. This was the 9th edition of the Countryball World Cup.
Argentina won a record third title and sixth consecutive international trophy after beating England 2–0 in the final.
This was the last edition to use the old qualification format, which did not separate teams based on confederation.
Overview
[edit]The Countryball World Cup is an international association football tournament held every four years since 1992, which was held in the United States. The tournament will be contested by 16 teams, who will first play in four groups of four using a round-robin style competition followed by a knockout round for 8 teams. Argentina are the defending champions after defeating the Netherlands 4–3 in the 2020 Countryball World Cup final.
Host Selection
[edit]The bidding procedure to host the 2024 Countryball World Cup was held on 3 February 2018. Because Italy was given the right to host the 2020 Countryball World Cup 4 years prior, members of UEFA were no longer allowed to host the 2024 edition. Therefore, the bid was only contested between Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States. The final votes are shown below.
Bidders | Final Vote |
---|---|
Mexico | 19 |
Australia | 16 |
Brazil | 11 |
United States | 3 |
Argentina | 1 |
Teams
[edit]Qualification
[edit]All national teams were eligible to enter the qualification round of the 2024 Countryball World Cup, though only 58 decided to enter. The qualification process began in February 2022. Russia, who initially entered, was banned from competing shortly after due to the country's invasion of Ukraine. Due to this, only 57 national teams participated in the qualification rounds. Mexico, as hosts of the competition, automatically qualified.
Of the 16 qualified nations, 13 played in the 2020 competition. 2 nations, Denmark and Nigeria, will be making their debut in the tournament. Belgium returned to the competition after missing the 2020 edition.
The qualified teams, separated by confederation, are shown below:
AFC (0)
CAF (1)
|
CONCACAF (1)
CONMEBOL (3) OFC (0)
|
UEFA (11)
|
|
Qualification Table
[edit]The top 15 teams qualify for the 2024 CWC, with the top 3 teams being seeded along with hosts Mexico during the drawing process.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 56 | 41 | 14 | 1 | 84 | 17 | +67 | 137 | Seeded along with Mexico | |
2 | 56 | 38 | 12 | 6 | 86 | 26 | +60 | 126 | ||
3 | 56 | 35 | 16 | 5 | 91 | 29 | +62 | 121 | ||
4 | 56 | 34 | 16 | 6 | 82 | 35 | +47 | 118 | Qualified | |
5 | 56 | 34 | 13 | 9 | 76 | 30 | +46 | 115 | ||
6 | 56 | 33 | 15 | 8 | 88 | 37 | +51 | 114 | ||
7 | 56 | 35 | 7 | 14 | 75 | 36 | +39 | 112 | ||
8 | 56 | 31 | 17 | 8 | 90 | 37 | +53 | 110 | ||
9 | 56 | 31 | 14 | 11 | 84 | 38 | +46 | 107 | ||
10 | 56 | 31 | 13 | 12 | 72 | 34 | +38 | 106 | ||
11 | 56 | 29 | 16 | 11 | 76 | 36 | +40 | 103 | ||
12 | 56 | 28 | 16 | 12 | 89 | 55 | +34 | 100 | ||
13 | 56 | 27 | 19 | 10 | 66 | 36 | +30 | 100 | ||
14 | 56 | 28 | 13 | 15 | 63 | 39 | +24 | 97 | ||
15 | 56 | 28 | 11 | 17 | 75 | 52 | +23 | 95 | ||
16 | 56 | 25 | 17 | 14 | 72 | 53 | +19 | 92 | ||
17 | 56 | 26 | 13 | 17 | 67 | 57 | +10 | 91 | ||
18 | 56 | 25 | 14 | 17 | 89 | 73 | +16 | 89 | ||
19 | 56 | 23 | 19 | 14 | 73 | 46 | +27 | 88 | ||
20 | 56 | 26 | 10 | 20 | 87 | 61 | +26 | 88 | ||
21 | 56 | 25 | 12 | 19 | 69 | 53 | +16 | 87 | ||
22 | 56 | 25 | 12 | 19 | 65 | 57 | +8 | 87 | ||
23 | 56 | 23 | 16 | 17 | 72 | 60 | +12 | 85 | ||
24 | 56 | 24 | 11 | 21 | 81 | 74 | +7 | 83 | ||
25 | 56 | 23 | 14 | 19 | 72 | 68 | +4 | 83 | ||
26 | 56 | 21 | 20 | 15 | 69 | 65 | +4 | 83 | ||
27 | 56 | 24 | 11 | 21 | 65 | 62 | +3 | 83 | ||
28 | 56 | 22 | 12 | 22 | 72 | 76 | −4 | 78 | ||
29 | 56 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 78 | 81 | −3 | 74 | ||
30 | 56 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 55 | 61 | −6 | 74 | ||
31 | 56 | 20 | 14 | 22 | 64 | 74 | −10 | 74 | ||
32 | 56 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 68 | 72 | −4 | 73 | ||
33 | 56 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 60 | 59 | +1 | 72 | ||
34 | 56 | 19 | 14 | 23 | 68 | 71 | −3 | 71 | ||
35 | 56 | 19 | 14 | 23 | 69 | 74 | −5 | 71 | ||
36 | 56 | 20 | 11 | 25 | 68 | 76 | −8 | 71 | ||
37 | 56 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 57 | 69 | −12 | 71 | ||
38 | 56 | 18 | 12 | 26 | 62 | 77 | −15 | 66 | ||
39 | 56 | 16 | 15 | 25 | 43 | 71 | −28 | 63 | ||
40 | 56 | 16 | 13 | 27 | 56 | 73 | −17 | 61 | ||
41 | 56 | 16 | 13 | 27 | 63 | 82 | −19 | 61 | ||
42 | 56 | 15 | 15 | 26 | 60 | 76 | −16 | 60 | ||
43 | 56 | 14 | 16 | 26 | 51 | 67 | −16 | 58 | ||
44 | 56 | 13 | 16 | 27 | 46 | 78 | −32 | 55 | ||
45 | 56 | 12 | 17 | 27 | 45 | 66 | −21 | 53 | ||
46 | 56 | 14 | 11 | 31 | 49 | 75 | −26 | 53 | ||
47 | 56 | 15 | 8 | 33 | 42 | 87 | −45 | 53 | ||
48 | 56 | 13 | 12 | 31 | 52 | 79 | −27 | 51 | ||
49 | 56 | 12 | 10 | 34 | 38 | 79 | −41 | 46 | ||
50 | 56 | 11 | 13 | 32 | 38 | 82 | −44 | 46 | ||
51 | 56 | 11 | 10 | 35 | 34 | 98 | −64 | 43 | ||
52 | 56 | 10 | 9 | 37 | 20 | 78 | −58 | 39 | ||
53 | 56 | 9 | 8 | 39 | 17 | 67 | −50 | 35 | ||
54 | 56 | 7 | 12 | 37 | 33 | 83 | −50 | 33 | ||
55 | 56 | 6 | 13 | 37 | 29 | 82 | −53 | 31 | ||
56 | 56 | 5 | 14 | 37 | 31 | 103 | −72 | 29 | ||
57 | 56 | 3 | 19 | 34 | 18 | 82 | −64 | 28 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Draw
[edit]After qualifications closed the 16 teams were split into 4 groups of 4, with the host nation automatically being placed into the first group, and the three best-performing national teams in the qualifiers being seeded into the other three randomly. Ultimately, Mexico were placed into Group A, Italy into Group B, France into Group C, and Brazil into Group D.
The remaining 12 teams were placed into a pot and randomly drawn one at a time while filling up the groups. Similar to FIFA's drawing process, teams from the same confederation were not allowed to be in the same group as one another. The only exception to this rule is UEFA, as 11 members meant that at least 2 nations from this confederation were guaranteed to be in any group, with three having 3. To still ensure diversity in each group, no single group was allowed to have 4 UEFA members.
Group stage
[edit]The group stage took place from 20 July 2024 to 31 July 2024. The 16 competing nations were split into four groups of four (Group A to Group D). Teams played each other in a round-robin format, and the top two teams from each group advanced to the knockout stage.
Group A
[edit]The opening match was played between hosts Mexico and Portugal. Goals from Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva helped give Portugal the win. Mexico's loss was seen by some fans as evidence of the "host nation curse." In the group's second match, Uruguay secured a win over Croatia, with Luis Suárez's goal confirming the victory. During the second round, early goals saw Portugal and Croatia draw. Meanwhile Uruguay's win over Mexico meant that Uruguay qualified for the knockout stage while Mexico could no longer qualify. In the last round, Croatia needed a win over Mexico and Portugal to lose to Uruguay to have a chance to advanced to the knockouts. However, both matches ended in a draw, meaning Uruguay and Portugal ultimately advanced. Mexico's failure was seen as a continuation of the "host nation curse."
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage | |
2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 5 | ||
3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 2 | ||
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Group B
[edit]In the group's first match, two-time champions Italy shockingly drew to debutants Denmark thanks to Christian Eriksen's early goal in the first minute; the quickest in CWC history. Meanwhile defending champions Argentina faced the Netherlands, in what was a repeat of the previous CWC final, though this time the match ended in a draw. In the second round, Argentina kept a clean sheet against Denmark in a 3–0 victory while Italian Mattia Zaccagni scored a decisive late winner against the Netherlands. On the last matchday, Argentina and Italy had 4 points while the Netherlands and Denmark had 1 point, meaning all teams had the chance to move on to the knockouts. In the end, the Netherlands' win over Denmark saw them go through ahead of Italy on goal difference, who lost 3–1 against Argentina. Many claim Italy's exit as the end of the "victorious nation pattern."
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage | |
2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | ||
3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 4 | ||
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 1 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
1–1 | Argentina | |
---|---|---|
Gakpo |
Messi |
0–3 | Argentina | |
---|---|---|
La. Martínez Mac Allister |
1–0 | Netherlands | |
---|---|---|
Zaccagni |
2–1 | Denmark | |
---|---|---|
Simons Weghorst |
Wind |
Group C
[edit]The group started off with a goalless draw between France and Nigeria. Meanwhile, England initiated a comeback against Belgium to secure a draw. In the second round, Nigeria took an early lead against England, though the latter was able to complete another comeback and cement a comfortable 7–1 win. Meanwhile, France's search for a goal continued as they shockingly lost 3–0 to Belgium. Heading into the final matchday, every country had the chance to advance out of their group. However, the group standings did not ultimately change as England and Belgium advanced to the knockouts on goal difference despite losing their last matches. All nations picked up 4 points, making it the first time in CWC history where all teams in a group accumulated the same number of points.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage | |
2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 4 | ||
3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 4 | ||
4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 4 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
1–7 | England | |
---|---|---|
Osimhen |
Bellingham Kane Rice Foden Saka Gordon |
Group D
[edit]The group kicked off with a match between Brazil and Switzerland, who were in the same group at the 2020 CWC. Both confrontations ended up being a shock victory for Switzerland. Germany faced Spain, where Dani Olmo's goal sealed the victory for Spain. In the second round, Spain sealed a comfortable 5–1 win over Switzerland while Brazil beat Germany. Heading into the last matchday every team had the chance to advance. Although Germany beat Switzerland in their game, they finished behind Brazil on goal difference, who advanced despite losing to Spain. Spain became the only team to win 3 out of 3 games in the group stage, and Brazil became the team with the lowest amount of points that still advanced to the knockouts at three.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage | |
2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 3 | ||
3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 | ||
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 3 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
1–2 | Switzerland | |
---|---|---|
Neymar |
Vargas Embolo |
2–0 | Switzerland | |
---|---|---|
Kimmich Havertz |
Knockout stage
[edit]The knockout stage is taking place from 3 August 2024 to 13 August 2024, including a third place match. The matches are single-elimination.
Bracket
[edit]Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
3 August | ||||||||||
6 | ||||||||||
7 August | ||||||||||
1 | ||||||||||
1 | ||||||||||
4 August | ||||||||||
4 | ||||||||||
2 | ||||||||||
13 August | ||||||||||
1 | ||||||||||
0 | ||||||||||
3 August | ||||||||||
2 | ||||||||||
2 | ||||||||||
8 August | ||||||||||
3 | ||||||||||
2 | ||||||||||
4 August | ||||||||||
1 | Third place play-off | |||||||||
1 | ||||||||||
12 August | ||||||||||
2 | ||||||||||
0 | ||||||||||
2 | ||||||||||
Quarter-finals
[edit]The quarterfinals took place on 3 and 4 August. In the first match, Uruguay sealed a comfortable 6–1 win against last edition's finalists, Netherlands, reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 2016. Defending champions Argentina then clenched a 3–2 win over Portugal thanks to Nicolás Otamendi's goal in extra time. In the third match, England completed a comeback against Brazil thanks to a goal from Bukayo Saka and an own goal by Danilo to send them to the semi-finals for the first time in their history. In the last game of the quarter-finals, Spain won over Belgium despite initially being one goal down thanks to goalscorers Aymeric Laporte and Nico Williams. Spain's victory saw them enter the semi-finals for the third edition in a row, being the first ever team to do so in CWC history.
6–1 | Netherlands | |
---|---|---|
Núñez Pellistri Valverde De la Cruz Suárez |
Depay |
2–3 (a.e.t.) | Argentina | |
---|---|---|
Ronaldo Vitinha |
Álvarez La. Martínez Otamendi |
Semi-finals
[edit]The semifinals took place on 7 and 8 August. In the first game, England sealed a comfortable win over Uruguay and reached the final for the first time in their history. In the second game, Argentina made a comeback against Spain to reach the final for the second edition in a row and for the third time in its history; the most of any nation.
1–4 | England | |
---|---|---|
De Arrascaeta |
Kane Toney Bellingham |
Third place play-off
[edit]The third place match took place on 12 August between Uruguay and Spain. This was Spain's second consecutive third place play-off match, who lost to Switzerland in 2020. However, Spain were able to claim victory this time around after scoring two goals late in the game thanks to Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal.
Final
[edit]The final took place on 13 August between England and defending champions Argentina. This was England's first ever final appearance while this was Argentina's third. Argentina became the first team to reach the final as defending champions since Japan in 2004, who lost to Argentina. Argentine Lautaro Martínez scored the opening goal and fellow teammate Nahuel Molina helped seal the victory for La Albiceleste, giving Argentina a record third CWC title. Argentina also became the first team to win back-to-back titles and won a record sixth consecutive international trophy (2020 CWC, 2021 Copa América, 2022 Finalissima, 2022 FIFA World Cup, 2024 Copa América, 2024 CWC).
0–2 | Argentina | |
---|---|---|
La. Martínez Molina |
Statistics
[edit]Goalscorers
[edit]There were 99 goals scored in 32 matches, meaning that an average of 3.09 goals were scored per match.
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
Julián Álvarez
Lucas Paquetá
Jude Bellingham
Bukayo Saka
Kylian Mbappé
Cristiano Ronaldo
Nico Williams
Lamine Yamal
Breel Embolo
Facundo Pellistri
Luis Suárez
1 goal
Enzo Fernández
Alexis Mac Allister
Nahuel Molina
Nicolás Otamendi
Kevin De Bruyne
Timothy Castagne
Leandro Trossard
Gabriel Jesus
Éder Militão
Neymar
Rodrygo
Vinícius Júnior
Andrej Kramarić
Nikola Vlašić
Christian Eriksen
Jonas Wind
Phil Foden
Anthony Gordon
Cole Palmer
Declan Rice
Ivan Toney
Kyle Walker
Antoine Griezmann
Niclas Füllkrug
Kai Havertz
Joshua Kimmich
Florian Wirtz
Federico Chiesa
Federico Dimarco
Mattia Zaccagni
Edson Álvarez
Memphis Depay
Cody Gakpo
Xavi Simons
Wout Weghorst
Ademola Lookman
Victor Osimhen
Rúben Dias
Bruno Fernandes
Bernardo Silva
Vitinha
Aymeric Laporte
Dani Olmo
Mikel Oyarzabal
Pedri
Fabián Ruiz
Ruben Vargas
Maximiliano Araújo
Giorgian de Arrascaeta
Nicolás de la Cruz
Cristian Olivera
Federico Valverde
1 own goal
2028 Countryball World Cup
[edit]Tournament details | |
---|---|
Host country | Argentina |
Dates | TBA |
Teams | 16 |
The 2028 Countryball World Cup, or the 2028 CWC, will be an international association football tournament, held in Argentina after the country won the hosting rights in 2022. This will be the 10th edition of the Countryball World Cup.
Overview
[edit]The Countryball World Cup is an international association football tournament held every four years since 1992, which was held in the United States. The tournament will be contested by 16 teams, who will first play in four groups of four using a round-robin style competition followed by a knockout round for 8 teams. This is the first edition to use a qualification format separated by confederation. Argentina are the defending champions after defeating England 2–0 in the 2024 CWC Final.
Host Selection
[edit]The bidding procedure to host the 2028 Countryball World Cup was held on 2 February 2022. Because Mexico was given the right to host the 2024 Countryball World Cup 4 years prior, members of CONCACAF were no longer allowed to host the 2028 edition. Therefore, the bid was only contested between Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, and Uruguay. The final votes are shown below.
Bidders | Final Vote |
---|---|
Argentina | 18 |
Brazil | 12 |
France | 10 |
Germany | 7 |
Uruguay | 3 |
Teams
[edit]Qualification
[edit]All national teams will be eligible to enter the qualification round of the 2028 Countryball World Cup. The qualification process will begin in February 2026. Argentina, as hosts of the competition, will automatically qualify.
This will be the first edition of the tournament to utilize a qualification procedure that is separated by confederation.
The qualified teams, separated by confederation, are shown below:
First round
[edit]In the first round of the qualification procedures, the best-performing nations from each confederation automatically qualify for the tournament (except OFC). There will be 10 countries who qualify from the first round. The best nations that finish behind them (numbers are predetermined) will move on to the second round. National teams that have so far submitted an application and have been approved to participate in the qualifying process are displayed below, separated by confederation. The first round of qualification will begin in February 2026.
Qualification Table (AFC)
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualified | |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Progress to second round | |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Qualification Table (CAF)
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualified | |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Progress to second round | |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Qualification Table (CONCACAF)
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualified | |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Progress to second round | |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Qualification Table (CONMEBOL)
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualified | |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Progress to second round | |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Qualification Table (OFC)
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Progress to second round | |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Qualification Table (UEFA)
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualified | |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Progress to second round | |
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Second round
[edit]In the second round of qualification, the 20 nations that make it to this round will be separated into 5 groups of 4. Each nation will play each other twice, and the top team from each group will qualify for the tournament. These 5 countries will join the 10 countries that qualified from the first round and the host nation to make the 16 participating nations at the 2028 CWC.
4 Man Match Test
[edit]Paris Saint-Germain | 1–1 | |
---|---|---|
|
|
|
Penalties | ||
2–3 |
Paris Saint-Germain
|
Bayern Munich
|
|
|
Simulated Game
[edit]Paris Saint-Germain
|
Bayern Munich
|
|
|
Man of the Match:
|
Match rules
|