In the last two World Cups, the reigning champion was eliminated during the group stages. Italy, the 2006 winner, finished at the bottom of their table in 2010, then 2010 victor Spain missed out by three points at the next tournament.
At this year's FIFA World Cup, defending champion Germany continued that trend, finishing at the bottom of this year's group of death Group F.
On the second-last day of group stage games, South Korea, who had a slim chance of qualifying if they defeated Germany and if Mexico beat Sweden, battled hard throughout. Over 90 minutes, neither side prevailed, with South Korea managing only 30 percent of the possession.
However, during the six minutes of added time, the South Korean side knocked two goals in, pushing Germany to the bottom of the table and bringing themselves up to third.
In the other Group F game, Sweden took control of their own fate and scored two goals. Aided by an own goal from Mexico, Sweden clinched Group F on goal difference with their 3-0 result. Mexico will advance as runner-up.
Meanwhile, in Group E, Brazil and Switzerland secured their positions in the knockout rounds after Brazil defeated Serbia 2-0 and Switzerland tied with Costa Rica 2-2. Costa Rica earned their first and only point of the tournament.
Earlier in the day, the Fire's Diego Campos posted a throwback picture, cheering on his Costa Rican national side. Other Fire players are also keeping tabs on the tournament, often posting to their Instagram Stories.
Now that 12 teams have successfully advanced to the Round of 16, here are the upcoming matchups to look forward to:
The last day of group stage games takes place on Thursday, June 28. Belgium and England will face off to determine who emerges at the top of Group G, while in Group H, Japan, Colombia and Senegal will hope to advance to the next round.
Here are Thursday's matches:
- 9 AM CT: Senegal vs Colombia (Group H)
- 9 AM CT: Japan vs Poland (Group H)
- 1 PM CT: England vs Belgium (Group G)
- 1 PM CT: Panama vs Tunisia (Group G)
For more news and features, follow the Chicago Fire World Cup Central, and the Fire social media hub for more team updates. To join in the fun, also keep an eye out for Watch Party opportunities across Chicago.
