The number of teams in the World Cup is increasing. But the story remains the same. This World Cup featured the participation of 48 teams. This was the first World Cup in which so many teams played. Now, this tournament has reached the quarterfinals.

Of the teams that reached the quarterfinals, six are from Europe. While Morocco produced a stunning result, one fact is certain: this time too, the winner will be from Europe. If not, then from South America. Once again, it seems the same thing is happening in the World Cup.

It has been almost a hundred years since the World Cup began. The first World Cup was held in 1930. Since then, there have been 22 editions of the World Cup. Of these, European teams have won the title 12 times. South America has won it ten times, and the number of titles won by teams from other continents is zero.

This time, there is one team from South America and one from Africa in the quarterfinals. Therefore, the possibility of making history is slim. This has surprised even some of Europe’s best players, given how this tournament has progressed. Norway’s Erling Haaland says, “I thought this wouldn’t happen, but I was proven wrong myself.”

What happened was that he thought it would be difficult for Norway to beat Brazil in the World Cup. But with his two goals, Norway won comfortably. Ultimately, this World Cup was not good for the three co-host nations either. This World Cup was also significant because it was hosted by three countries.

The United States, Canada, and Mexico are all representatives of the North American continent. None of these teams managed to reach the quarterfinals. The United States was eliminated from the tournament after losing to Belgium. Immediately afterward, American star Christian Pulisic said, “There are still many obstacles ahead of us.”

The United States’ 4–1 defeat to Belgium left him disappointed as well, and he said, “Now our goal should be to find a way to beat the world’s best teams in football; that should be our objective from now on.”

All three co-host teams easily reached the round of 32. In that process, they looked comfortable against their opponents. Together, they scored 20 goals against opposing teams. It seemed that everything was going well. Then came the round of 16. Mexico lost 3–2 to England. The United States’ loss to Belgium was almost one-sided.

Similarly, Canada also lost to Morocco. After that, a French football legend emphasized one word: “level.” While analyzing the World Cup on Fox, he said, “The group stage of the World Cup is different. Previously, there was no round of 32 in the World Cup. So everyone made new history in this stage.”

He adds, “Unfortunately, all three host countries were eliminated one after another. We hope this doesn’t happen in the World Cup, but it has. I am saddened by this.” If such performances sadden Henry, it’s easy to imagine how football fans in Canada, Mexico, and the United States must feel. Since 2014, no representative from CONCACAF has played in the World Cup quarterfinals.

That refers to the union of countries from North and Central America and the Caribbean. The last team to reach the quarterfinals was Costa Rica. Before that, the United States reached the last eight in 2002. The third-place finish in the 1930 World Cup remains the United States’ best performance to date. Canada has never advanced beyond the round of 16.

What is even more noteworthy is that Mexico has played in the last nine consecutive editions of the World Cup and reached the round of 16 eight times. But they have never advanced beyond that stage. Mexico’s midfielder Erick Lira says, “Everyone played as hard as they could, but in the end, that wasn’t enough to move forward.”

The equation for which teams reach the quarterfinals every four years has shifted, but this has not been the case for Europe and South America. The 2002 World Cup was perhaps different in many ways; in that tournament, representatives from five continents reached the quarterfinals. They were from Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, and North America.

This was a rare opportunity in itself. After that, everything changed. In the six World Cups since then, of the 48 available quarterfinal spots, Europe has occupied 30, South America 14, Africa 3, and North America just one. Now, Morocco carries Africa’s hopes. Africa sent 10 teams to this World Cup.

Of those, nine teams reached the round of 32. Except for Morocco, all were eliminated there; almost all conceded goals toward the end of their matches, ending their challenge. Ivory Coast, South Africa, and DR Congo conceded decisive goals in the 86th minute or later. Cape Verde’s magical run ended with an own goal in the 111th minute.

The exits of Senegal and Egypt were even more painful. Both held a two-goal lead for a long time but could not maintain it. In the end, Senegal lost 3–2 to Belgium and Egypt lost by the same score to Argentina. Egypt’s defeat was, to a large extent, controversial due to the referee’s decisions. Many disagreed with and protested the referee’s calls.

Egypt’s coach Hussein Hassan said, “The aim was for the World Cup champion to stay in this World Cup for a long time, and for Messi’s challenge to continue.” Even so, a powerhouse like Argentina managed to find a way forward. In the last six editions of the World Cup, Argentina has reached the quarterfinals five times.

This is a trend that has repeated itself and shows no sign of changing. Lionel Messi says, “It’s not easy to win a game from a two-goal deficit in the knockout stage of the World Cup. In a tournament like the World Cup, no one gives you anything for free. We must thank God that we were able to stage another comeback victory.”