Worst team: Saudis, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Panama?

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

Worst team in my book is Panama not only for number of goals up the arse but also because they played some ugly football at times which was brutal and could have caused serious injury to some opponents.

[Satchmo Distel]

Yeah but they're bollocks, obviously. Saudis higher than Morocco? Sweden higher than Colombia? Russia/Sweden better than Japan/Porrtugal?

The unbalanced draw makes them irrelevant.

[Diable Rouge]

Last 16:

16. Mexico - The only side to lose by more than one goal.
15. Switzerland - Of the sides eliminated by a one goal margin, the only ones not to score.
14. Portugal - The other sides all scored more than the Iberians.
13. Japan - Scored twice in defeat.
12. Argentina - Scored thrice in defeat.
11. Spain
10. Denmark
9. Colombia - All eliminated on penalties, so again, ranked alphabetically.

Quarter-finals:

8. Uruguay
7. Sweden - Both lost 2-0.
6. Brazil - By virtue of a one-goal defeat
5. Russia - The only last-eight side to go to penalties.

[Diable Rouge]

We can do the official rankings for 32-5 at this point:

Fourth-placers:

32. Panama - Lost all their games, and had a -9 GD.
31. Egypt - The biggest group stage disappointment, finished pointless and -4.
30. Iceland
29. Costa Rica
28. Australia - All three had one point, scored two and conceded five, so alphabetical order separates them.
27. Morocco - Conceded one goal fewer than 30-28.
26. Poland - But for defeating Japan, they would have been 30th.
25. Germany - The best bottom-placed team.

Third-placers:

24. Saudi Arabia - The Egyptian win and Russian tonking leave them in a strange position.
23. Tunisia - Their -3 GD just improves on the Saudi's -5.
22. Serbia - Another marginal improvement to -2.
21. Nigeria - Again, one win and a -1 GD.
20. Peru - A level GD and two scored.
19. South Korea - The same, but three scored.
18. Iran - One of two eliminated teams with four points, scored twice.
17. Senegal - With 4 points, and four goals scored, officially the best team knocked out before the last 16.

[Satchmo Distel]

True, my bad, they do not belong in this company. Better than Tunisia, for one.

[N est à?]

Even Poland's one win just made them look even more shit.

[Jah Womble]

In terms of aptitude, Panama.

In terms of expectation, Germany without any shadow of a doubt.

[Satchmo Distel]

Only Egypt and Panama finished pointless but Panama finished with a GD of -9 to Egypt's -4.

Saudis would probably have finished pointless in most other groups. Australia, Morocco, Iceland and Costa Rica just got a point. These plus Poland would be my bottom 8.

Biggest flops were obviously Germany, probably the most shocking exit ever because it's never happened to them in World Cup first phase group play. Poland less of a shock because they've done this before.

[Satchmo Distel]

As Doraeman points out, Costa Rica are the last goalless team. If we are weighing declines since 2014, they are in the list. Some of that is due to excessive caution and relying on counters that are ineffective, like Egypt.

[Satchmo Distel]

Poland were a top seed but whether any neutrals expected them to do well, as in a possible semi final, is debatable.

[Jah Womble]

Nobody had any real expectation of those teams, however.

In terms of a side in which one did, Argentina must be winning this hands-down at the moment. One last chance for them to redeem...

[Satchmo Distel]

Iniesta has been the best player of this group stage. Ronaldo had a poor display last night by his standards.

Lukaku and Harry have been about level and it's a toss-up as to which I would have in my XI. Both are proving they are great players.

[tee rex]

In fact, Portugal are the only team with "The best player in the world" who've performed close to expectations. Argentina, Brazil and Egypt have all been deeply underwhelming.

De Bruyne is the best player in the world, as any fule know. (Harry needs another couple of weeks).

[Patrick Thistle]

Yeah, I'd vote for Egypt as well.

[Wouter D]

Saudis beat Egypt on merit and Egypt were so poor that even Panama may have beaten them.

Based on their awful performance against Russia, I thought that Saudi Arabia had clinched this title. But now I'm not sure whether to go for Egypt or Panama. Probably the former, but the latter still get the opportunity to disgrace themselves against Tunisia.

[Satchmo Distel]

Brazil could still turn it around. Very doubtful Argentina can.

[San Bernardhinault]

In fact, Portugal are the only team with "The best player in the world" who've performed close to expectations. Argentina, Brazil and Egypt have all been deeply underwhelming.

[SouthdownRebel]

Egypt are the team that disappointed me the most in this WC. Maybe it was the Salah hype clouding my judgement, but they've been awful sadly.

[Satchmo Distel]

Saudis beat Egypt on merit and Egypt were so poor that even Panama may have beaten them.

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

White Stripes earworm.

Sorry about that

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

Panama for me not only because of the goal difference but they have played some ugly football.

[Kevin S]

Ahead of the last round at total of seven nations could end up on 0 points. Is that some sort of record? Checked 2014 and three ended on 0. 2010 it was two.

White Stripes earworm.

[Satchmo Distel]

It feels like there have been more poor sides this year. However, there are groups where the two weakest teams still have to play each other, which will reduce the nil pointers, especially if they draw.

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

Ahead of the last round at total of seven nations could end up on 0 points. Is that some sort of record? Checked 2014 and three ended on 0. 2010 it was two.

[KGR]

Panama clearly the worst.