The CONCACAF World Cup, held after expanding the number of participating nations from 32 to 48, saw an “underdog rebellion” continue until the very end of the tournament. This was due to the fierce performances displayed by countries initially identified as underdogs. It completely dispelled concerns that the level of the competition would decline due to the expansion of participating nations.
Norway, the “descendants of the Vikings,” who returned to the final stage for the first time in 28 years, and Cape Verde, the “small African nation” making its World Cup debut, are the main protagonists of major upsets. Led by star striker Erling Haaland, Norway displayed solid teamwork to defeat African powerhouse Ivory Coast 2-1 in the Round of 32, and then showed their steadfastness by eliminating title contender Brazil in the Round of 16.
Norway’s challenge ended with a 1-2 comeback defeat against England in the quarter-finals following a hard battle in extra time, but they received great applause for achieving the best result in World Cup history. Cape Verde, with a population of 600,000, was the biggest talking point of the tournament. They foreshadowed an upset from their very first match in the group stage, drawing 0-0 with Spain, who went on to win the tournament. Cape Verde continued to surpass expectations with a tenacious performance, remaining undefeated (three draws) in the group stage and advancing to the Round of 32 as the runner-up in their group.
Cape Verde did not back down even in the Round of 32 match against Argentina, led by “football god” Lionel Messi. After a hard battle in extra time, they were eliminated following a narrow 2-3 defeat. Argentina finished as the runner-up in the tournament. In particular, Cape Verde’s 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper Bozinha emerged as the tournament’s biggest star, making a whopping 18 saves over four matches. The African nations, comprising 10 participating countries, benefited significantly from the increased number of spots, with nine teams—excluding Tunisia—successfully advancing from the group stage.
Unfortunately, Asian football failed to become the protagonist of an upset. On the contrary, member nations of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) received the most painful report card in this tournament. In the 2022 Qatar tournament, which featured six teams, three nations—South Korea, Japan, and Australia—advanced to the Round of 16, making Asian football known; however, in this tournament, South Korea was eliminated early in the group stage. Japan, which prided itself on “transcending Asia,” entered the Round of 32 on an unbeaten run (1 win, 2 draws) in the group stage, but ended its challenge after losing 1-2 to Brazil.