Two groups are now wrapped up, with Venezuela joining the three big European names in the knockout rounds:
Time for two more groups now. We know the identity of one of the teams going through, but who will the other three be?
Group C
Coming into the tournament I said USA and Saudi Arabia looked so, so even. And each side lost to France and beat Padania to leave the group looking like this:
Group C
Coming into the tournament I said USA and Saudi Arabia looked so, so even. And each side lost to France and beat Padania to leave the group looking like this:
Saudi have the advantage on goals scored, so USA need to beat them as they face off today. Meanwhile France and Padania's fates are already sealed, so their match is a dead rubber.
Pre-match: France vs Padania
Unsurprisingly, France make a raft of changes, with squad players given a go and their key players rested. Padania meanwhile note how USA's were able to keep France quiet with a formation switch last time, and change to a 4-4-1-1 shape themselves. Josep Martínez becomes their third goalkeeper in as many games, whilst Petko Hristov, Milan Badelj, Marko Pajac and Albert Gudmundsson also come in.
Pre-match: France vs Padania
Unsurprisingly, France make a raft of changes, with squad players given a go and their key players rested. Padania meanwhile note how USA's were able to keep France quiet with a formation switch last time, and change to a 4-4-1-1 shape themselves. Josep Martínez becomes their third goalkeeper in as many games, whilst Petko Hristov, Milan Badelj, Marko Pajac and Albert Gudmundsson also come in.
Pre-match: USA vs Saudi Arabia
USA took a gamble last time by resting key players for this game; maybe without that they would have at least held a goal difference lead over Saudi Arabia? Anyway, they revert to the XI that beat Padania. Saudi Arabia name the same team for the third match in a row.
USA took a gamble last time by resting key players for this game; maybe without that they would have at least held a goal difference lead over Saudi Arabia? Anyway, they revert to the XI that beat Padania. Saudi Arabia name the same team for the third match in a row.
Kick-off
FRAvPAD (16 mins): This of course represents a chance for France's second string to show they can have an impact in the knockout rounds. So Breel Embolo will be disappointed to hit his shot straight at Martínez when it's given to him on a plate by Carlos Soler.
USAvKSA (21 mins): A cagey start, as you may expect. Gonzalo Martínez, who previously has represented USA at the DWC, is heavily involved for Saudi Arabia. It's his cross that gives Cristiano Ronaldo the first decent sight of goal, but his header is narrowly wide. And a few minutes later they combine again, Martínez feeding Ronaldo whose 20-yard shot draws a good diving save from Roman Burki!
FRAvPAD (28 mins): Other than Embolo's chance France have struggled to break down Padania, who themselves have looked quite lively in attack. Gudmundsson finds Mattia Zaccagni in the box, and he squares it to Pajac. Nordi Mukiele gets in the way, but only succeeds in deflecting it past Pau López and in for a surprise - but not undeserved - Padanian lead!
USAvKSA (43 mins): Gonzalo Martínez picks up a knock but carries on, and carries on being the most effective player on the pitch. Éver Banega nearly picks him out with a clipped ball over the American defence, however Miles Robinson gets in there first. His touch is terrible though, straight to Martínez. It looks a certain goal, but somehow Robinson atones by launching himself in front of the shot and smothering it into the arms of Burki. Saudi then suffer a blow as Yasser Al-Shahrani is forced off. Ghislain Konan comes on. Still, at the break they are going through as it stands. Where have USA been so far?
FRAvPAD (45+2 mins): Embolo has a late header saved, and at the interval Padania are showing the world what they are capable of.
USAvKSA (47 mins): Each team makes a change at the break. Gonzalo Martínez is replaced by Moussa Marega, the match-winner against Padania, whilst USA bring on Nicolás Lodeiro for Gastón Giménez. Saudi get an early free kick, which Banega aims towards Ronaldo at the far post. He gets a strong header on it across the goalmouth. Salem Al-Dawsari is lurking there, but his shot is blocked by Rafael Czichos - but this only sends the ball bobbling along the goal line for Al-Dawsari to get to first and poke Saudi Arabia ahead!
FRAvPAD (64 mins): Embolo creates a chance for Wissam Ben Yedder, but he can't get his shot away quickly enough and it's smothered by defenders. France are goaded into bringing Neymar and Kylian Mbappé off the bench. They begin to pen Padania back, and when a corner is cleared only as far as Soler, his shot takes a deflection off Radu Dragusin and wrong-foots Martínez! France score with an almost-identical goal to the one they conceded!
USAvKSA (65 mins): USA continue to produce virtually nothing. Substitute Xherdan Shaqiri's shot from range is harmlessly over the bar. At the other end Banega does far better with a similar chance, his powerful effort is only just tipped onto the underside of the crossbar by Burki.
FRAvPAD (66 mins): It's two goals in three minutes for France as they complete the turnaround! Padania's midfielders get bunched together, giving Soler tons of space. He slips the ball in behind and it's the same old story - Mbappé races onto it and fires it home!
USAvKSA (69 mins): Josef Martínez has been far less involved than his namesake and former teammate Gonzalo was, but when he drops deep to play it to Thiago Almada he draws Ahmed Hegazi with him, allowing Almada to play a return pass in behind the defence. Martínez runs onto it and his shot finds the bottom corner! USA have barely turned up today but they're now level!
FRAvPAD (73 mins): Poor Padania. They put up a good show for the first hour of this match, but they now look out of gas. From a half-cleared corner it comes back to the taker Neymar, and he is able to dribble into the box and lash it past Martínez for his side's third!
USAvKSA (75 mins): With USA a goal from taking second place Saudi Arabia look a bit more nervy, and the game becomes a bit more open. Following some see-sawing of possession Konan dispossesses Santiago Arias and it eventually comes to Al-Dawsari, who plays a big switch over to Marega in acres of space. Giorgio Chiellini has lost former Juventus teammate Ronaldo in the middle, allowing Marega to square it to him for the easiest of goals! Saudi Arabia are straight back in front!
FRAvPAD (84 mins): It's an eighth goal this half for this group, and this one has gone to Padania! A very simple goal as two substitutes combine; Massimiliano Mangraviti clips in a cross and Florian Ayé powers a header in off the underside of the bar!
USAvKSA (90 mins): With Saudi Arabia retreating to a 5-2-1-2 formation USA look even less likely to come back than they did before, and their fate is sealed when a loose ball comes to Talisca on the edge of the box and his powerful drive has too much on it for Burki to keep out!
USAvKSA (90+3 mins): Hegazi dawdles on the ball, allowing Raúl Ruidíaz to wrestle him off the ball and stick it past David Ospina! 3-2 now, but surely too little too late?
FRAvPAD (90+3 mins): Towards the end of the game Padania switch off, which is fatal as Vitinha is able to put a simple ball behind their defence for Mbappé to run onto, and again he finishes calmly.
FRAvPAD (90+6 mins): In the final two minutes of added time Padania somehow miss two sitters from point-blank range. Firstly Ayé hits one straight at López, and then Portanova somehow mishits in front of an empty goal, allowing López to get back and push it away! Anyway, it's all over, what a strange match that was!
USAvKSA (90+6 mins): It was indeed too little too late for USA, as a manic second half eventually finishes.
Final score: France 4-2 Padania
Player of the match: Kylian Mbappé (FRA)
Those two late chances for Padania were worth around 1.3xG between them, making the xG totals almost identical, which doesn't really reflect the game. My impression of France before the tournament is that their starting XI is possibly the best in the world, but their strength in depth is a little below the other top teams, and the fact they needed Mbappé and Neymar to help them here means my mind is unchanged.
Player of the match: Kylian Mbappé (FRA)
Those two late chances for Padania were worth around 1.3xG between them, making the xG totals almost identical, which doesn't really reflect the game. My impression of France before the tournament is that their starting XI is possibly the best in the world, but their strength in depth is a little below the other top teams, and the fact they needed Mbappé and Neymar to help them here means my mind is unchanged.
Final score: USA 2-3 Saudi Arabia
Player of the match: Cristiano Ronaldo (KSA)
A strange match in that it didn't feel like one that deserved five goals, but everything just seemed to go in towards the end. Saudi Arabia were clearly the best team and deserve the victory and their spot in the second round. A poor year for USA comes to an end.
Player of the match: Cristiano Ronaldo (KSA)
A strange match in that it didn't feel like one that deserved five goals, but everything just seemed to go in towards the end. Saudi Arabia were clearly the best team and deserve the victory and their spot in the second round. A poor year for USA comes to an end.
As with Groups A & B, there were no draws in Group C, and we finish with the classic 9-6-3-0 pattern:
Group D
It was looking like Spain could end up in trouble after being held to a draw by bottom-ranked Iran. But a win over Norway coupled with a draw between Australia and Iran means they are in a very solid position:
It was looking like Spain could end up in trouble after being held to a draw by bottom-ranked Iran. But a win over Norway coupled with a draw between Australia and Iran means they are in a very solid position:
Spain would need a heavy defeat to Australia in order to go out now. A small win for Australia might be enough if the other two sides draw. But most likely, this round will be about whether Iran can find the win over Norway they need to qualify.
Pre-match: Spain vs Australia
Just one change for Spain, as Karim Benzema gets his chance to start after two disappointing games for Robert Lewandowski. Australia were the better team against Iran, but they still make a couple of changes: Javi López for Thomas Lam and Ulises Dávila for Nani.
Pre-match: Spain vs Australia
Just one change for Spain, as Karim Benzema gets his chance to start after two disappointing games for Robert Lewandowski. Australia were the better team against Iran, but they still make a couple of changes: Javi López for Thomas Lam and Ulises Dávila for Nani.
Pre-match: Norway vs Iran
Norway make no personnel changes, but instead slightly change from their trademark diamond to a 4-1-3-2. Iran meanwhile make just one change themselves, Reza Ghoochannejhad in for Mehdi Torabi.
Norway make no personnel changes, but instead slightly change from their trademark diamond to a 4-1-3-2. Iran meanwhile make just one change themselves, Reza Ghoochannejhad in for Mehdi Torabi.
Kick-off
ESPvAUS (11 mins): Spain start strongly, with a few shots albeit none seriously testing Mathew Ryan. But then Jules Koundé picks the ball up and rampages into the open space. Tongo Doumbia comes over and bundles him over - penalty! I have never seen Football Manager's VAR overturn such a call, and that doesn't change here. Up steps Benzema, who missed a penalty against Iran... but this time he sends Ryan the wrong way!
NORvIRN (14 mins): The pattern of this match is that Norway are able to control midfield and put Iran under pressure, but their opponents can find space out wide on the break. It's fairly even, but then Patrick Berg plays a wonderful pass in behind for Amahl Pellegrino - whose place in the team had been under pressure before today - and he calmly slots it in the bottom corner!
ESPvAUS (14 mins): Ousmane Dembélé has the ball wide on the right, with very little support. He simply blasts past Craig Goodwin and fizzes a low cross in where Benzema meets it 10 yards from goal and strokes in his and Spain's second! A stunning assist and Spain are cruising.
NORvIRN (39 mins): Iran nearly level straight away with a similar chance to that which Norway scored with; Sardar Azmoun played through, but he can't get his shot past André Hansen. And later on he has an even better chance after a fluid passing move. This time he gets it past Hansen, but he can't get it inside the post and it bounces clear! And Iran are made to really rue that miss, as Norway get down the other end where Vegar Hedenstad's low cross is tapped in by Veton Berisha!
ESPvAUS (40 mins): Australia are able to firefight, and even have a couple of chances of their own. But Spain look totally comfortable, and Koundé nearly scores a goal of the tournament contender with a 35-yard shot that curls over Ryan but settles on the roof of the net. And then Federico Valverde finds a pocket of space and slides a pass through for Vinícius Júnior, who is too fast for the defenders and hares away to blast in Spain's third!
NORvIRN (45+2 mins): Iran really haven't been as poor as the scoreline suggests, they have just had a couple of defensive lapses. And they do so yet again to end the half, as nobody tracks Martin Odegaard's run on the inside of Berisha, who plays him in and Odegaard buries a low shot! Somehow, a very even game is 3-0 at the interval and this group looks done and dusted.
Half time
ESPvAUS (50 mins): Spain take off Thiago and Vinícius with an eye on the next round, whilst Australia retreat into a 'damage limitation' 4-1-4-1. It doesn't exactly work, as Spain have the ball in the net five minutes into the half; when a cross is headed clear Koundé is there to head it back towards goal, and Dembélé makes the most of Australian disarray to glance it past Ryan!
ESPvAUS (56 mins): And another! But this time it's for Australia! It's a gorgeous goal, as Dávila slisp away from opponents, feeds Doumbia who puts a perfectly-weighted ball through for Róbert Mak to run onto, and he calmly dinks it over Thibaut Courtois! It won't matter in the grand scheme of things, but it's a really great goal.
NORvIRN (68 mins): Iran finally get some reward for their play today, as Ricardo Alves' inch-perfect cross allows Roberto Torres to nod in! But then VAR comes along to ruin the party - Torres was a fraction offside!
ESPvAUS (70 mins): Spain make more changes to protect key players, but Dembélé isn't one of those, and it backfires as he's forced off.
NORvIRN (90+3 mins): Iran make a belated switch to 4-4-2, with Leandro Pereira joining Azmoun up front. But it's all a bit half-hearted, and the game fizzles out. After losing all their matches at their only other DWC, Norway are through to the second round this time!
ESPvAUS (90+4 mins): With Spain not that bothered in pushing on, and Australia not wanting to risk further punishment, very little happens in the final portion of this match. A very easy win for Spain who broke the back of this match early on.
Final score: Spain 4-1 Australia
Player of the match: Ousmane Dembélé (ESP)
Australia didn't put in as bad a performance as the scoreline suggested, but then Spain had clearly taken their foot off the gas. The European champions will rue not taking off the notoriously injury-prone Dembélé, who really shone today, but otherwise they progress with no worries.
Player of the match: Ousmane Dembélé (ESP)
Australia didn't put in as bad a performance as the scoreline suggested, but then Spain had clearly taken their foot off the gas. The European champions will rue not taking off the notoriously injury-prone Dembélé, who really shone today, but otherwise they progress with no worries.
Final score: Norway 3-0 Iran
Player of the match: Veton Berisha (NOR)
A flattering scoreline, but Norway won't care. They were still the better side, and finish in a very comfortable second place. Iran did themselves no disservice though, and it's surely not the last time they'll make the DWC.
Player of the match: Veton Berisha (NOR)
A flattering scoreline, but Norway won't care. They were still the better side, and finish in a very comfortable second place. Iran did themselves no disservice though, and it's surely not the last time they'll make the DWC.
Despite Iran managing a draw with Spain in the opening match of this group, there are no further shocks in the group and the two Eurpean sides progress with ease:
So in the second round France will take on Norway and Spain will face Saudi Arabia. The lack of major upsets so far this tournament is great news for Germany and Brazil, who will be looking to confirm their places next time.