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World Cup 2018: Final group standings, results and highlights

World Cup 2018: Final group standings, results and highlights
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford of England is beaten by Adnan Januzaj (far left) of Belgium as Belgium go 1-0 during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group G preliminary round soccer match between England and Belgium in Kaliningrad, Russia, 28 June 2018. EPA-EFE/MARTIN DIVISEK

This is how the groups wrapped up.

Stay up to date with all the latest news from Russia with Daily Maverick‘s dedicated World Cup 2018 section.

Group A

Standings provided by Sofascore LiveScore

Hosts Russia could not have wished for a better start to their own FIFA World Cup following their resounding 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia. Watch the highlights here.

Jose Gimenez was the unlikely 89th-minute match winner as Uruguay defeated an Egypt side short of star man Mohamed Salah 1-0 in their World Cup opener on Friday. Watch the highlights here.

World Cup hosts Russia have one foot in the last 16 after a resounding 3-1 win over Egypt on Tuesday, despite the presence of Mohamed Salah in the Egyptian lineup. Watch the highlights here.

Luis Suarez broke the deadlock midway through the first half on his 100th international appearance and the Saudis failed to find an equaliser, slipping to their second straight defeat. Watch the highlights here.

Luis Suarez helped fire Uruguay into the last 16 of the World Cup as Group A winners on Monday after opening the scoring in their 3-0 win over host nation Russia, who had a man sent off.

Egypt’s Essam El Hadary, the oldest player ever to appear at a World Cup, marked his record achievement with one outstanding penalty save for Egypt but was powerless to stop a second in a 2-1 defeat.

Group B

Standings provided by Sofascore LiveScore

Iran’s players stormed the pitch at full-time as if they had won the World Cup rather than just their opening match after an own goal from Morocco’s Aziz Bouhaddouz gifted them a dramatic 1-0 victory on Friday. Watch the highlights here.

Hat-trick hero Cristiano Ronaldo’s sensational free-kick two minutes from time earned Portugal a 3-3 draw with Spain in a pulsating World Cup Group B encounter on Friday. Watch the highlights here.

Morocco are out of contention for the World Cup in Russia after Portugal beat the north African side 1-0 in their Group B match on Wednesday. Watch the highlights here.

Spain beat a battling Iran 1-0 thanks to a deflected Diego Costa goal, putting them on course to qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup. Watch the highlights here.

Group C

Standings provided by Sofascore LiveScore

France beat Australia 2-1 in their opening World Cup match on Saturday after the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system was used for the first time in the competition’s history. Watch the highlights here.

Yussuf Poulsen ruined Peru’s first appearance at a World Cup finals for 36 years on Saturday with the winning goal for Denmark to seal a 1-0 victory in Saransk. Watch the highlights here.

Australia drew 1-1 with Denmark in Group C of the World Cup on Thursday, a result that puts the Danes on course for the knockout phase with four points. Watch the highlights here

France reached the last 16 of the World Cup on Thursday after Kylian Mbappe’s 34th-minute goal defeated Peru. Watch the highlights here.

France topped World Cup Group C on Tuesday after the first 0-0 draw of the tournament against Denmark, a result that also sees the Scandinavians progress as runners-up. Full report and highlights.

Australia’s World Cup ended with a whimper as goals from Andre Carrillo and Paolo Guerrero gave Peru a 2-0 victory in the teams’ group finale on Tuesday. Full report and highlights.

Group D

Standings provided by Sofascore LiveScore

Lionel Messi missed a second-half penalty as Iceland held mighty Argentina to a 1-1 draw in their Group D clash in Moscow on Saturday. Watch the highlights here.

A Luka Modric penalty and an own goal from Oghenekaro Etebo gave former semi-finalists Croatia an easy 2-0 win over Nigeria in their World Cup Group D opener on Saturday. Watch the highlights here.

Argentina are standing on the brink of a shock exit from the 2018 World Cup after losing 3-0 to Croatia in their match on Thursday. Watch the highlights here.

Nigeria moved to within one win of the World Cup last 16 as Ahmed Musa scored twice in a dramatic second half to secure a 2-0 victory over Iceland in Volgograd on Friday. Watch the highlights here.

Marcus Rojo’s stunning finish four minutes from time kept Lionel Messi and Argentina’s World Cup hopes alive to see off Nigeria 2-1 on Tuesday and set up a last 16 meeting with France. Full report and highlights

Croatia secured first place in Group D on Tuesday after a hard-fought 2-1 win over gallant Iceland in Rostov, setting up a last-16 tie with Denmark. Full report and highlights

Group E

Standings provided by Sofascore LiveScore

Aleksandar Kolarov’s brilliant second-half free-kick gave Serbia a 1-0 victory over Costa Rica in their opening World Cup group match in Samara on Sunday.  Watch the highlights here.

Brazil’s bid for a sixth World Cup got off to a slow start as Switzerland withstood an early onslaught to snatch a 1-1 draw in Rostov-on-Don on Sunday. Watch the highlights here

Philippe Coutinho and Neymar scored in injury time as Brazil beat Costa Rica 2-0 to edge towards the last 16 of the World Cup on Friday despite another unconvincing performance. Watch the highlights here.

Switzerland came from behind to beat Serbia 2-1 in the World Cup on Friday as Xherdan Shaqiri scored in the 90th minute to secure a victory that moves the Swiss into contention in Group E. Watch the highlights here.

Brazil cruised through to the World Cup last 16 on Wednesday, topping Group E to set up a match against Mexico in knockouts. Full report and highlights.

A 93rd minute own goal by the unfortunate keeper Yann Sommer from a Bryan Ruiz penalty gave the central American side a deserved 2-2 draw on a night of late drama in Nizhny Novgorod. Full report and highlights

Group F

Standings provided by Sofascore LiveScore

Mexico stunned holders Germany 1-0 in their opening World Cup match in Moscow on Sunday. Watch the highlights here.

Sweden beat South Korea 1-0 in both countries’ first match at the 2018 World Cup in Russia thanks to a penalty from captain Andreas Granqvist that was awarded thanks to VAR. Watch the highlights here

Toni Kroos scored a dramatic winner deep into injury time on Saturday as Germany beat Sweden 2-1 to keep their World Cup hopes alive. Ola Toivonen put the Swedes ahead in the first half. Marco Reus equalised shortly after half-time and Kroos netted the winner in the 95th minute. Full report and highlights available in the World Cup section.

Germany crashed out of the World Cup on Wednesday after a stoppage-time VAR-assisted goal from Younggwon Kim and a late second by Son Heungmin earned South Korea a famous 2-0 win. Full report and highlights.

Sweden surged into the last 16 of the World Cup with a deserved 3-0 victory on Wednesday over a poor Mexico side, who still qualified ahead of Germany after the holders’ loss to South Korea. Full report and highlights.

Group G

Standings provided by Sofascore LiveScore

A sensational volley by Dries Mertens and a Romelu Lukaku double fired classy Belgium to a 3-0 win against World Cup debutants Panama in Sochi on Monday. Watch the highlights here.

England beat Tunisia 2-1 in their opening World Cup group game on Monday thanks to an injury-time header from Harry Kane. Watch the highlights here.

Belgium moved to the brink of the World Cup knockout rounds on Saturday after a comprehensive 5-2 win against Tunisia. Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku scored two goals apiece and Michy Batshuayi added a late fifth for Belgium, considered one of the dark horses to win the tournament. Full report and highlights available in the World Cup section.

Januzaj’s superb second-half goal sent Belgium into a last 16 clash with Japan while England will now advance to a second-round meeting with Colombia on Tuesday. Full report and highlights

Group H

Standings provided by Sofascore LiveScore

Japan beat ten-man Colombia 2-1 in the opening match in World Cup Group H on Tuesday, taking advantage of an early red card for midfielder Carlos Sanchez. Watch the highlights here.

Senegal recorded the first African win at the 2018 World Cup when they beat Poland 2-1 on Tuesday thanks to a deflected Thiago Cionek own goal and a terrible error by Polish ‘keeper Wojciech Szczesny. Watch the highlights here.

Colombia brushed aside Poland 3-0 in Kazan on Sunday to boost their hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stage as captain Radamel Falcao starred with a goal and an assist. Watch the highlights here.

A powerful header from Barcelona’s Yerry Mina fired Colombia into the last 16 of the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Group H rivals Senegal, who crashed out due to a poorer disciplinary record than Japan.
Full Report and highlights.

Japan and Poland were booed from the pitch in Volgograd after a farcical end to their final Group H match which saw the Blue Samurai qualify for the last 16 despite a 1-0 defeat. Full report and highlights.
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