How long can they remain unbeaten at World Cup?

The Fifa World Cup 2022 has been crazy, full of surprises and upsets, and the knockout stage hasn't even begun yet. Title contenders like France, Argentina, Spain have lost a match in the group stage to teams who are way below them in the Fifa rankings. European powerhouse Germany and Belgium have already been knocked out. 

Despite all the dramas and upsets, a number of teams remained unbeaten to reach the Last 16 of the tournament. The likes of England, Croatia, Morocco, Netherlands and the USA are so far unbeaten in the tournament and gearing up for their knockout challenge. The question remains - how long can they keep their unbeaten run going in the tournament?

Here, The Business Standard (TBS) takes a look at their Qatar World Cup journey so far and what awaits them in the knockout phase.

England's probable knockout run seems tricky

The Three Lions have had a comfortable run in the group stage. Gareth Soutgate's men finished top of Group B on seven points having beaten Iran 6-2 and drawn 0-0 with the United States, before defeating Wales 3-0.

But their probable knockout run seems somewhat tricky and probably a bit out of their reach. England face Senegal in the round of 16 on Sunday night. The runners-up of Group A will not be an easy opponent by any means, but the Three Lions are expected to see them through.

If England beat Senegal they could encounter France in the quarter-finals, provided the 2018 champions can beat Poland. This will be a tough challenge for Southgate's men as France have been a brilliant team so far despite their defeat to Tunisia in the last group stage match. 

And if they can beat the current champions in the Quarter-final and make it to the semis, England may face Group E runners-up Spain, or Portugal if they win Group H. Morocco could be a surprise opponent too.

And in the grand finale, considering England win the semi-final as well, they could potentially find themselves taking on Brazil if, as expected, the five-times winners top Group G. 

Arab Spring's flagbearer Morocco can cause a few more upsets

Morocco have been the surprise package of this World Cup. After a goalless draw against 2018 runners-up Croatia, the Atlas Lions defeated Belgium and Canada respectively to not only their place in the last 16, but also top the Group F. Their surprising rise saw Belgium's 'olden' generation eventually getting knocked out.

Morocco will feel they still have some upsets to cause in this World Cup. They are set to face Spain who played some brilliant football in their first two group stage game, one of which they won by a whopping 7-0 margin. But Spain got a reality check from Asia's Japan in the final group game and Morocco will try to follow that formula. 

If the Atlas Lions can somehow beat Spain, they may face Portugal in the Quarter-final. This will be a difficul game for Morocca and may see the end of them in Qatar. But they will always have a go and cause some problems to Ronaldo and Co.

If, by any means, Morocco pass the Portugal test, they will face either England or France in the semi-final. And it's always anybody's game in the semis. 

Morocco's probable opponents in the final are Brazil or maybe Netherlands, if, as predicted, the Atlas Lions go all the way in the World Cup 2022. 

Netherlands' road to glory looks tough but not impossible
Netherlands topped Group A with two wins and a draw from their three matches. They beat Senegal and hosts Qatar while drew against Ecuador to bag 7 points.

Louis van Gaal's men will feel this is their time to win the trophy but their road to the final looks a bit tough. The Oranje will face the USA in their round of 16 clash which is set to be a mouthwatering clash. The USA have played some brilliant football on their way to the last 16 and will give the Dutch a hard time as well. But the Netherlands are expected to win the match anyway. 

Their biggest challenge will be in the Quarter-final where the Dutch will probably face Lionel Messi's Argentina. This will be an important battler in the context of the tournament and beating Argentina will instantly make the Dutch title favourites. 

If van Gaal's men manage to beat Argentina, they will probably face Brazil or Croatia given who win the quarter-final battle between the two. Back to back battle against football's two biggest teams will surely take a lot on the Dutch. But if they are to win the championship, they will have to do it the hard way. 

If Netherlands manage to reach the final, they may have any of their European counterpart to battle it out for the trophy. France, England, Portugal and Spain all will be in the race to reach the final and lift the trophy in the end. 

Croatia probably don't have the firepower this time but they can always surprise

Croatia haven't had the best World Cup yet. They couldn't show the surprising element that they had in Russia four years ago. They were unbeaten in the group stage but came second to Morocco in Group F.

Croatia's run is expected to end in Quarter-final max, considering they beat Japan in the round of 16. They are supposed to take Brazil in the Quarter-final and it is unlikely that they will come out victorious. But if they do, like they did in 2018, will face either Argentina or Netherlands in the semis, which too seems like a near impossible task for Modric and Co.

USA's journey may end in the Quarter-finals max
For the third time in four appearances, the USMNT has qualified for the knockout stage at the World Cup. They drew their first two matches in Group B before winning 1-0 against Iran which helped them clinch the Last 16 berth. But it is highly unlikely that the young USA team will go any further, and even if the do, they will go down in the Quarter-finals in a probable Argentina clash.

USA's match against Netherlands will be interesting. While USA have a solid young lineup, the Duth will rely on their big stage experience. If USA can somehow beat the Dutch, they are supposed to face title favourites Argentina. 

There will be hardly any chance for them, but this World Cup has been full of surprises and if USA can cause two more upsets, they will face either Brazil or Croatia. It will be interesting to see how long these young bunch can keep their run going.