PHILADELPHIA — The World Cup group stage concluded after 72 matches, cutting 48 sides down to 32 and setting up a straight knockout phase, according to ESPN. The opening phase delivered drama, intensity and surprises while preserving room for the tournament’s biggest names to make an impact.
According to ESPN, the group stage produced notable upsets — Cape Verde, DR Congo and South Africa advanced while Uruguay, South Korea and Türkiye were eliminated — and high-profile moments from established stars. The report notes Cristiano Ronaldo extended his scoring run to six straight World Cups and Lionel Messi passed Miroslav Klose’s mark, alongside performances from the next generation such as Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, and figures like Ousmane Dembélé and Vinícius Júnior.
When building a Best XI from that slate, ESPN’s Gab Marcotti stressed the exercise is subjective and must combine individual moments with effective team play. Marcotti’s goalkeeper choice was Thibaut Courtois (Belgium), with the piece saying his saves against Egypt and Iran were crucial to keeping Belgium in the tournament. Honourable mentions in goal included Vozinha (Cape Verde), Zion Suzuki (Japan), Dominik Livakovic (Croatia), Alisson (Brazil) and Eloy Room (Curacao).
The back line in Marcotti’s XI featured Daniel Muñoz (Colombia) at right back, centre-backs Virgil van Dijk (Holland) and 19-year-old Pau Cubarsí (Spain), and Marc Cucurella (Spain) at left back, according to ESPN. Muñoz was noted for his relentless energy and two important goals; Van Dijk for leadership and a goal that helped steady the Oranje; Cubarsí for being trusted to play every minute without error; and Cucurella for consistent, distinctive performances. Honourable mentions spanned Achraf Hakimi, Alex Freeman, Denzel Dumfries, Marc Guéhi, Chris Richards, Gabriel, Dayot Upamecano, Chancel Mbemba, Wilfrid Singo, Cristian Romero, Nathaniel Brown, Antonee Robinson, Ghislain Konan and Ricardo Rodríguez.
Marcotti rounded out his midfield picks with Bruno Guimarães (Brazil) and Declan Rice (England), according to ESPN. The selection reflects an emphasis on players who combined individual quality with tangible contributions to team results during the group stage.
