December comes after an action-packed experience since the FIFA World Cup began in Qatar. Some teams still need to meet fans’ expectations, while others have greatly surprised the football world.  We shall look at some of the happenings shaping how we’ll experience the beautiful game before the holidays. Here is a roundup coverage of World Cup news going into December.

Messi and Argentina are in Trouble

After arguably dealing with the most embarrassing defeat to Saudi Arabia, Argentina was on a mission to keep its hopes alive against Mexico on Saturday. Lionel Messi was on target with a superb strike in the 64th minute, while Enzo Fernandez sealed the deal with a goal in the 87th minute.

Messi and his team were under fire after the Saudi loss, and the superstar personally took criticism for it. The win against their fellow South American came in handy to give them a chance for the knockout matches, which begin on the first Saturday of December.

The final group match against Poland is vital as the group standings are tight. A loss and a win for either Saudi Arabia or Mexico can complicate matters for the South American side. For sports betting fans, this is your chance to win big using this fixture, as the Betway platform offers infinite wagering options amid tough fixtures like these. 

Most African Nations to Advance

African nations are known to perform dismally in previous events, but the Qatar version is proving to be different. In their last Group A match, Senegal won and qualified for the knockout stages after beating Ecuador 2-1. 

Morocco is another surprising team with the likes of Hakim Ziyech. They stunned a Belgian side on Sunday in a 2-0 convincing win. Comfortably sitting in second place, they can join Senegal when they meet an eliminated Canadian side.

Suarez and Uruguay vs Ghana

The streets will not forget how Luis Suarez denied, with the hand of God, Ghana a place in the Semis of the 2010 World Cup. The two play in their final group match on 2nd Dec, where the Africans have the edge in the 2nd position after their 3-2 win against South Korea in their second group match. 

The involvement of karma in the game is very slim, as the Uruguayans are looking to bounce back from a bad defeat, 2-0, by Portugal and have their share of the knockout stages. 

Top European Teams in Trouble

After Wales bowed out early after a thrashing from Iran, you can expect more surprises going into December. Some will include the downfall of teams initially considered legit contenders. Germany and Belgium are some of these teams we might see take a surprisingly early exit. 

Germany’s defeat to Japan, 2-1, caught all of us by surprise, and to make it worse, they are seated last in their group after their 1-1 will table leaders Spain. Facing Costa Rica in their last group match on 1st Dec, they are hoping for Japan to lose at the hands of Spain for a chance in the knockout stages.

On the other hand, Belgium faces a more challenging task when they face off group F leaders, Croatia, which is a must-win as Morocco, 2nd place, has the edge over Canada in the other group’s match. 

Can Saudi Arabia Capitalize on the Hype?

After pulling off the upset of the World Cup by beating Lionel Messi and Argentina, The Saudi side has a chance to get into the playoffs. According to the coach, Hervé Renard, this is the strongest Saudi side in a while, and he is convinced they have what it takes to go the distance. They are also looking forward to finessing their way against Mexico, and the match is another chance to wager on Betway to try your luck. 

Conclusion

The above analysis is just a snippet of what we can expect come December, mainly on who will be in the knockout stages. One thing is for sure; the tides are changing in the Qatar event. It’s also high time we expect out of the ordinary when it comes to the overall winners, both team and individual awards.