* Featuring Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele, Alexander Isak, Gilberto Mora, Cristiano Ronaldo and more
92
Egypt finally ended their quest for a first World Cup win after 92 years. The Pharaohs debuted in 1934 and, in what was their 4th edition and 9th game, beat New Zealand from behind thanks to goals from Zico, Mohamed Salah and Trezeguet.
Egypt outranked Norway, who first appeared in 1938 and first won 56 years later. Korea Republic took 48 years to register a World Cup victory, while Peru, Belgium, the Netherlands and Canada waited 40 years.
78
Dick Advocaat, who took charge of Curaçao against Côte d’Ivoire at the age of 78 years and 271 days, is the oldest coach in World Cup history.
The categorical record had belonged to Otto Rehhagel, who guided Greece against Argentina in 2010 at the age of 71 years and 317 days, heading into these finals.
It was seized by South Africa coach Hugo Broos in the opening match, before his Czechia counterpart and fellow 74-year-old Miroslav Koubek stole it a few hours later.
Broos and Ghana selector Carlos Queiroz, 73, will become the oldest coaches ever in the knockout phase.
32
France’s Ousmane Dembele took merely 32 minutes against Norway to mark the second-fastest hat-trick from kick-off in World Cup history. Erich Probst managed it in 24 minutes for Austria against Czechoslovakia in 1954.
Lionel Messi, for Argentina against Algeria, and Jonathan David, for Canada against Qatar, were the only other players to grab a group-stage treble.
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17
Mexico sensation Gilberto Mora, at 17 years and 240 days, became the sixth-youngest player to make a World Cup appearance. Pele, Salomon Olembe, Femi Opabunmi, Samuel Eto’o and Norman Whiteside were his junior.
Senegal’s Ibrahim Mbaye, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Kerim Alajbegovic and Lamine Yamal, who are all 18, went fourth, eight and ninth on the competition’s all-time youngest goalscorers.
16
Eloy Room astonishingly made 16 saves to inspire Curaçao to a stunning 0-0 draw with Ecuador. It is comfortably the most ever registered in a 90-minute match, and equalled all-time record set by Tim Howard in USA’s extra-time loss to Belgium at Brazil 2014.
9
Argentina, France and Mexico were the only teams to advance with a full nine points. Group H, which Spain won with seven points, was only the fourth section in World Cup history in which only one team won a game, following Group A in 1982, Group F in 1990 and Group B in 1998.
6
Germany thrashed Curaçao by six goals to register the biggest victory. Dick Advocaat’s underdogs were threatening a seismic upset, but six goals in 50 minutes, including two from Kai Havertz, inspired Julian Nagelsmann’s team to a 7-1 win.
It was followed by Canada 6-0 Qatar, Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan and Senegal 5-0 Iraq. Only three wins this century were bigger than Germany’s: Portugal 7-0 Korea DPR in 2010, Spain 7-0 Costa Rica in 2022 and Germany 8-0 Saudi Arabia in 2002.
Portugal No7 Cristiano Ronaldo extended his record for scoring in the most editions to six. Lionel Messi is next having netted for Argentina in five.
In hitting the target against Uzbekistan, the 41-year-old Ronaldo became the second-oldest marksman in World Cup history behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla. Ronaldo joined Dane Michael Laudrup and Messi in reigning as his nation’s youngest and oldest World Cup scorer.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi is leading the race for the adidas Golden Boot with six goals. France duo Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, Brazil’s Vinicius Jr and Erling Haaland of Norway are on four apiece.
Mbappe and Messi, each with six, have the most goal involvements, with Dembele, Vinicius and Germany’s Deniz Undav one behind.
3
Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Michael Olise registered the most assists: three apiece. Roberto Alvarado, Brahim Diaz, Breel Embolo, Julio Enciso, Ryan Gravenberch, Viktor Gyokeres, Joshua Kimmich, Kylian Mbappe, Hannibal Mejbri, Iliman Ndiaye, Martin Odegaard, Mohamed Salah, Nathan Saliba, Deniz Undav, Florian Wirtz and Chris Wood managed two each.
0
Mexico and Spain were the only teams to progress without conceding. Their nets were principally protected by Raul Rangel and Unai Simon respectively.
For La Roja, it was the first time they navigated a group stage of the tournament without letting in a goal. Simon has now gone 430 minutes without conceding in the World Cup.
The competition record is 517 minutes, set by Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga in 1990. Thibaut Courtois and Alisson, meanwhile, took their clean sheet tallies to eight and seven overall. The World Cup shutout record is 10, shared by England’s Peter Shilton and Fabien Barthez of France.—Reporting by FIFA Media; editing by Maravi Express
Group stage results
Group A
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
South Korea 2-1 Czechia
Czech Republic 1-2 South Africa
Mexico 1-0 South Korea
South Africa 1-0 South Korea
Czech Republic 0-3 Mexico
Group B
Canada 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Qatar 1-1 Switzerland
Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Canada 6-0 Qatar
Switzerland 2-1 Canada
Bosnia & Herzegovina 3-1 Qatar
Group C
Brazil 1-1 Morocco
Haiti 0-1 Scotland
Scotland 0-1 Morocco
Brazil 3-0 Haiti
Morocco 4-2 Haiti
Scotland 3-0 Brazil
Group D
USA 4-1 Paraguay
Australia 2-0 Turkiye
USA 2-1 Australia
Turkiye 0-1 Paraguay
Turkiye 3-2 USA
Paraguay 0-0 Australia
Group E
Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 Ecuador
Germany 7-1 Curaçao
Germany 2-1 Côte d’Ivoire
Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao
Curaçao 0-2 Côte d’Ivoire
Ecuador 2-1 Germany
Group F
Netherlands 2-2 Japan
Sweden 5-1 Tunisia
Tunisia 0-4 Japan
Netherlands 5-1 Sweden
Tunisia 1-3 Netherlands
Sweden 1-1 Japan
Group G
Belgium 1-1 Egypt
Iran 2-2 New Zealand
Belgium 0-0
New Zealand 1-3
Egypt 1-1 Iran
New Zealand 1-5 Belgium
Group H
Spain 0-0 Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay
Uruguay 2-2 Cape Verde
Spain 4-0 Saudi Arabia
Cape Verde 0-0 Saudi Arabia
Uruguay 0-1 Spain
Group I
France 3-1 Senegal
Iraq 1-4 Norway
Norway 3-2 Senegal
France 3-0 Iraq
Norway 1-4 France
Senegal 5-0 Iraq
Group J
Argentina 3-0 Algeria
Austria 3-1 Jordan
Argentina 2-0 Austria
Jordan 1-2 Algeria
Jordan 1-3 Argentina
Algeria 3-3 Austria
Group K
Portugal 1-1 DR Congo
Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia
Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan
Colombia 1-0 DR Congo
DR Congo 3-1 Uzbekistan
Colombia 0-0 Portugal
Group L
England 4-2 Croatia
Ghana 1-0 Panama
England 0-0 Ghana
Panama 0-1 Croatia
Panama 0-2 England
Croatia 2-1 Ghana
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