One of the most thrilling men’s World Cups in recent memory – arguably the most for some – approaches its final stages and so it’s time to look back on the week that was.
It was one filled with extremes in emotion, with some realizing the finality of their experience and others the unbridled joy of surviving to fight another day.
Here are CTVNews.ca’s biggest takeaways:
The drama that came with the final round of group matches seemed unparalleled.
Many have lauded this men’s World Cup to have the greatest group stage ever and it’s hard to argue.
There were matches that presented straight do-or-die scenarios like Iran vs. U.S.A. and Senegal vs. Ecuador, major upsets like Japan beating Spain, Cameroon defeating Brazil, Tunisia beating France, and Australia getting past Denmark, and a stoppage-time winner for South Korea against Portugal to clinch a spot in the next round.
Adding to the drama were tie-breaking scenarios that saw Uruguay’s Luis Suarez brought to tears and Mexico missing out on the Round of 16 for the first time since 1990 when the team missed the tournament entirely due to a ban.
Not to be forgotten, Canada came within inches of its first men’s World Cup point as Atiba Hutchinson’s header off a corner cannoned down onto the line but not over but victory for Morocco meant the Atlas Lions finished top of the group.
Romelu Lukaku had two guilt-edged opportunities and another half-chance to win the match for Belgium against Croatia and help his team advance but stunningly failed to do so.
All of it had viewers on the edge of their seats.
There can be no mistaking it, finishing first in a group that included Spain and Germany was a major accomplishment for Japan.
Head coach Hajime Moriyasu’s tactical adjustments against both powerhouse teams were brilliant and Ritsu Doan is a name that will be remembered for the way he impacted those matches after coming on as a substitute.
Unfortunately, it was a familiar story in the Round of 16 as Japan crashed out at this stage for the third time in the last four men’s World Cups and fourth time in the last six.
After deservedly taking the lead just before the end of the first half, Japan steadily faded and seemed comfortable with going to a shootout. When the situation presented itself, though, it was anything but. Their penalties were timid and suggested they weren’t ready for the pressure of the moment.
Playing at home in 2002, it was a narrow 1-0 loss to Turkey while 2010 was a devastating penalty shootout defeat against Paraguay.
2018 was arguably the worst of all, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory by conceding three goals in the final 20 minutes after taking a 2-0 lead against Belgium, including a 94th-minute counter-attacking winner by Belgium off a Japanese corner.
It’ll be another three-and-a-half years before Japan can dream of a men’s World Cup quarterfinal again.
Morocco is the unlikeliest quarterfinalist of the eight teams involved but anything is possible when you play great defence.
Through four matches and 390-plus minutes now, Morocco has conceded just one goal and even that was an own goal.
Croatia’s goal scoring prowess has been sorely lacking outside of four goals against Canada, managing just one goal in the other 300-plus minutes. How do you overcome that? By also conceding just once in that same span.
England has scored plenty but also hasn’t conceded in its last three matches, Argentina have conceded just once in the last three, and the two goals Brazil have conceded through four matches have come in meaningless scenarios.
The Netherlands have also only conceded just twice through four matches.
France and Portugal are the exceptions, making up for the nine goals conceded combined with 21 goals scored between them.
Enough can’t be said of how big a decision it was for head coach Fernando Santos to leave superstar and captain Cristiano Ronaldo out of the starting XI for Portugal’s Round of 16 encounter against Switzerland.
If Portugal were to have lost, not only would the loss be blamed on that decision, but he’d be out of a job and possibly Enemy No. 1 in his own country.
Ronaldo disrespected his coach in the previous match, but it’s hard to believe this decision was only made for disciplinary reasons. A 6-1 final score, a hat trick for Goncalo Ramos, and a much more free flowing Joao Felix among others spoke for itself.
The emphatic victory also means that outsiders won’t doubt Santos if he does it again.
Six of the seven continents were represented in the Round of 16 for the first time ever, Antarctica being the lone exception.
While there was the usual representation from Europe with eight teams, there were two from South America, two from Asia, two from Africa, one from North America, and Australia.
Seeing the representatives that have yet to win a men’s World Cup pull off big wins against European and South American teams shows that the world’s top sport is improving its global quality and the expanded 48-team World Cup in 2026 may actually be worth the while.
The highlight, undoubtedly, has been Morocco becoming the first Arab team to make the men's World Cup quarterfinals as well as the fourth African team to do so.
Beyond the usual stars we’re accustomed to witnessing, it’s been great to see players like Morocco’s Sofiane Boufal, Japan’s Ritsu Doan, and South Korea’s Cho Gue-Sung make the most of this grand stage.
Canada impressed enough beyond the final score line to have both Alistair Johnston and Ismael Kone make moves to European clubs, the former to Scotland’s Celtic and the latter to England’s Watford.
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Russian air defences downed what authorities described as five Ukrainian balloons overnight, the defence ministry in Moscow said Thursday, as the sides kept up long-range strikes that have featured heavily in what has largely become a war of attrition.
Mainstream political parties failed to act on European farmers' complaints for decades, one farmer says. Now the radical right is stepping in.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Mainstream political parties failed to act on European farmers' complaints for decades, one farmer says. Now the radical right is stepping in.
California regulators voted Wednesday to establish a drinking water limit on hexavalent chromium, a toxic chemical compound made infamous by the movie 'Erin Brockovich.'
An Oklahoma man was arrested Wednesday after authorities accused him of throwing a pipe bomb at the Massachusetts headquarters of a group called The Satanic Temple.
The U.S. Senate killed the articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday as the historic trial of the Cabinet secretary barely got underway.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is at the forefront of European Union citizens' minds, with defence and security seen as key campaign issues ahead of the June elections, according to a study published Wednesday.
The U.S. Justice Department has agreed to pay approximately US$100 million to settle claims with about 100 people who say they were sexually assaulted by sports doctor Larry Nassar, a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
In their 2024 budget, the federal government wants to amend the Canada Labour Code, so employers in federally regulated sectors will eliminate work-related communication with employees outside of scheduled hours. If implemented, this would affect roughly 500,000 employees across the country.
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
Progress has been made on a new compensation model for family doctors, with the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) hopeful for a fall rollout.
Public Health Ontario workers say the potential closure of six laboratories across the province would be dangerous and increase inequity in northern Ontario.
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
There are a lot of risks when it comes to adolescents using screens — and a new multinational study shows weight-related bullying may be among them.
An experimental error led a team of scientists researching bumblebees to make a startling discovery: the insects’ remarkable ability to survive underwater for up to a week.
Congratulations are in order for singer Ashanti and rapper Nelly. The reunited couple have gone public with both a pregnancy and their engagement.
The Sundance Film Festival may not always call Park City, Utah, home. The Sundance Institute has started to explore the possibility of other U.S. locations to host the independent film festival starting in 2027, the organization said Wednesday.
Eight-year-old songwriter Zuri Hamilton from Miramichi, N.B., got to show off her talent on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' on Monday.
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
A National Public Radio editor who wrote an essay criticizing his employer for promoting liberal views resigned on Wednesday, attacking NPR's new CEO on the way out.
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Ten beagles rescued from animal testing in the United States arrived in Alberta on Wednesday, thanks to a Canadian charity.
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Caitlin Clark's salary compared to top National Basketball Association players is drawing attention to Women's National Basketball Association players' pay and the often massive gender gap in professional sports salaries. The highest-paid WNBA player made a US$242,000 salary, while the league minimum salary in the NBA is over a million dollars in 2023.
Former football star and celebrity criminal defendant O.J. Simpson was cremated Wednesday, the lawyer handling his estate said following his death last week at home in Las Vegas at age 76.
Tesla will ask shareholders to reinstate a US$55 billion compensation package for CEO Elon Musk that was rejected by a judge in Delaware this year and to move the electric car maker's corporate home from Delaware to Texas.
Tesla has hit a series of roadblocks, including increased competition and declining sales. The company announced Monday it is slashing 10 per cent of its global workforce.
A driver from London will have to find alternative transportation after an OPP officer clocked them travelling nearly 200 km/h on Highway 401 over the weekend.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.
B.C. resident Robert Conrad spent thousands of hours on Crown land developing an unusual bond with deer.
A Sudbury woman said her husband was bringing the recycling out to the curb Wednesday night when he had to make a 'mad dash' inside after seeing a bear.
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
A social media daredevil has been doing death-defying stunts in the Vancouver area, prompting safety concerns and at least one police investigation.
The driver of a pickup truck was airlifted to hospital after a head-on collision with a school bus outside Mission on Wednesday afternoon, according to authorities.
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
Calgary has a new brand and it's looking up.
It took four years in court, but a group of Eastern Slope ranchers will finally get access to thousands of pages of documents outlining when and how the province decided to tear up 44 years of coal policy.
One person is dead following an overnight crash on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa's east end. The westbound lanes of the Queensway are closed between Innes Road and the Hwy. 174 split.
Talk of transitioning federal buildings into housing has been in the works for a couple of years and it's a move that business leaders in Ottawa say can't come soon enough.
This is the seventh season in a row the Senators failed to qualify for the NHL playoffs. The Sens finished the season with a record of 37-41-4, wrapping up the season Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins with one last win.
Motorists are facing higher prices in many parts of Quebec as gas stations switch from winter to summer gasoline.
François Legault still doesn't know the price of a 4 1/2 apartment in Montreal, three years after getting bogged down on the issue.
Quebec's police watchdog has opened an investigation into a Montreal police (SPVM) intervention in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough that ended with one person seriously injured.
More than 150 people have reported vehicle crashes in Edmonton on Wednesday.
In at least a couple of ways, it's fitting the Edmonton Oilers will be the Arizona Coyotes' final opponent before the Desert Dogs shed their Kachina-styled uniforms for whatever hues and themes may await them in Salt Lake City.
While snow and ice aren't ideal weather for hitting the links, a local golf course said it's happy to see some April precipitation.
The RCMP says it is investigating a sudden death in Nova Scotia’s Colchester County.
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
A Winnipeg man is raising a red flag after his landlord said no to health-care equipment that could change his life – a problem he believes is a human rights issue.
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.
RCMP say they are concerned for the wellbeing of a missing 35-year-old woman.
After two days of negotiations, the province has presented the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) a final offer, which will go to members for a vote.
A Regina man who says he was given two hours to vacate the seniors' home he lived in after being evicted should not have been forced to move in the first place.
The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) conference wrapped up on Wednesday with educational sessions in the morning, followed by a bear pit session for delegates to speak directly with the provincial government.
The Waterloo Region Police Services Board wants to explore new ways of dealing with an annual unsanctioned St. Patrick’s Day street party in Waterloo’s University District.
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Despite being at the top of the Basketball Super League standings, the KW Titans are struggling to make ends meet.
The woman accused of hitting and killing a child while driving under the influence of THC was called to the stand on Wednesday.
After two days of negotiations, the province has presented the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) a final offer, which will go to members for a vote.
A former massage therapist who pleaded guilty to a string of sexual assaults has had his day parole revoked.
In a lengthy council meeting Tuesday night, city council in Sudbury unanimously voted to build a new arena and events centre downtown.
A former girlfriend of a murder suspect in Sudbury testified Wednesday that he talked about his role in the deaths a day after a firebombing that killed three people.
The body of a missing man has been found after his vehicle was pulled into a northern creek on Saturday morning, Ontario Provincial Police say.
According to the London Police Service (LPS), a 35-year-old Constable who lives in Woodstock was arrested and charged with impaired driving.
The rapid pace of infrastructure needed to build the largest factory in Canada continues.
The first joint meeting by the elected councils of the City of London and Oneida Nation of the Thames saw the long-time neighbouring communities take a collaborative step forward.
Provincial police are investigating after a man's body washed up on the shores of Lake Couchiching in Severn Township.
Tim Hortons Roll Up The Rim contest may be in hot water yet again after several customers received emails falsely congratulating them on winning the Tracker boat worth nearly $60,000.
A multi-vehicle collision involving a semi-truck snarled traffic in Barrie on Wednesday afternoon.
Morgan Hurt shares a birthday with her grandfather, Bruce Rand – but it’s the fact both have received life-saving organ donations that has really solidified their special bond.
Many made a dash to the pumps because experts say the price of gas is set to rise Thursday.
The hockey community in Chatham-Kent and beyond is mourning the sudden death of a player caught in a highway crash this week in London.
The British Columbia government is encouraging anglers to pack their tackle boxes and head out to a remote lake on Vancouver Island as the province attempts to eradicate an invasive population of sport fish.
Evan Jamieson’s nine-year-old son Oliver has thrived at Mill Bay Nature School in Mill Bay, B.C., despite all of his challenges.
B.C.'s police watchdog has finished its investigation into an incident on Vancouver Island, concluding the actions of officers weren't connected to a man's death.
Nurses held a rally Wednesday at a hospital in the B.C. Interior that closed its emergency department more than a dozen times last year due to insufficient staff.
British Columbia is planning to add 240 new units to its complex-care housing program, providing homes for people with mental-health and addictions challenges that overlap with other serious conditions.
More than 80 residents from a low-income apartment building in Kelowna, B.C., have learned they won't be able to return to their homes for at least another two weeks.
Three men who helped lead and co-ordinate the 2022 border blockade at Coutts, Alta., have been found guilty of public mischief.
Lethbridge police have arrested a Vermilion, Alta., man in connection with a 'grandparent scam' that took aim at a local senior.
An Alberta woman was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on a highway north of Coaldale, Alta., on Wednesday morning.
For the next several months, the City of Sault Ste. Marie will be cracking down on people who improperly use accessible parking spaces.
A suspect riding a bicycle on Gibbs Street in Sault Ste. Marie this week has been charged with assaulting police, along with drug-related offences.
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 26-year-old woman with several offences following an incident Monday morning.
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
A pricing agreement has been reached between crab fishers and seafood processors that will allow for Newfoundland and Labrador's annual crab fishery to get started.
Longliners across Newfoundland and Labrador are tied up once again, as a new protest by the province's fish harvesters threatens to derail the crab fishery for a second straight year.
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