WORLD CUP 2022: The first two pairings for the Round of 16 have been determined.
(Baonghean.vn) - After Group A and Group B completed their qualifying rounds, the two pairings for the Round of 16 were determined as follows: the winner of Group A will face the runner-up of Group B, and the runner-up of Group A will face the winner of Group B.
After the first two rounds of the qualifiers, only 3 out of 32 teams had already secured their places in the Round of 16: defending champions France (Group D), Brazil (Group G), and Portugal (Group H). Brazil, in particular, had two wins without conceding a single goal; even Serbia and Switzerland failed to register a single shot on target against the South American team.
Worth the money
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| The first two matches of the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup. Photo: CNN |
England national team, the squad rated by the CIES Football Observatory.The most expensive teams in the 2022 World Cup are not those that secured early qualification for the Round of 16. Instead, it's Brazil (ranked second most expensive), France (third), and Portugal (fifth most expensive) among the 32 teams in Qatar, and of course, these are also the strongest contenders for the 2022 World Cup title.
Accordingly, Portugal's participation in the FIFA World Cup 2022 is valued at €1.154 billion by CIES Football Observatory, ranking 5th in the tournament. The most valuable asset in the squad of the 2016 European champions is superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
The reigning champions France rank third on the CIES list with a total squad value of €1.337 billion. Coach Didier Deschamps' team is a collection of superstars and champions. Among them, Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe remains the most valuable asset of the French team, valued at €185 million.
Brazil, the five-time FIFA World Cup champions, have a squad value of €1.455 billion – ranking second at this year's World Cup. Neymar is undoubtedly the most famous and talented player in the Samba team, however, Real Madrid's left winger, Vinicius Junior, with an estimated value of a staggering €201 million, is currently the most valuable star.
The first two matches
Following the final matches of Groups A and B, we have determined the first two pairings for the Round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup. Christian Pulisic's solitary goal helped the US team overcome Iran in the decisive match for a place in the Round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup; their opponent will be the Netherlands.
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Despite the absence of Sadio Mane, 2022 African champions Senegal still secured a place in the round of 16. Photo: CNN |
England finished their group stage matches with an easy 3-0 victory over Wales. Gareth Southgate's team will advance to the Round of 16 against the Group A runners-up, Senegal, who staged a dramatic comeback to beat Ecuador 2-1. The hero behind this miraculous win for the African team was coach Aliou Cissé, whose excellent coaching against Ecuador.
As a player, he captained Senegal to their first-ever CAN 2002 final, and that same year they reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup. As Senegal's coach, Aliou Cissé led the team to the CAN 2019 final, their first-ever CAN 2022 title, and now their first-ever World Cup knockout stage appearance.
