From Champion to 4th:
the top four Teams in the 2006 World Cup!
This page actually allows viewing how each of the four final team's entire World Cup journey has unfolded through the different tournament stages.
Pls. see the brief notes following the table (click on each of the 
text images, on the table header) to understand what each column indicates.
Click on a squad's name or flag, to reach its page in this eBook, the same applying to a Group's letter (green image, on the left).
| Pts Rank |
4Rnk |
3Rnk |
2Rnk |
1Rnk |
Gr |
Pos |
 World Cup
Final Four |
Matches |
Won |
Drew |
Lost |
Goals+ |
Goals– |
Goal diff. |
Pts |
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| 1 |
1 |
2 |
3= |
6 |
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1 |
   Italy |
7 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
12 |
2 |
10 |
16 |
| 3 |
2 |
5 |
8 |
13 |
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2 |
  France |
7 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
9 |
3 |
6 |
15 |
| 2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
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1 |
  Germany |
7 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
14 |
6 |
8 |
16 |
| 4 |
4 |
3 |
3= |
4 |
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1 |
  Portugal |
7 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
5 |
2 |
13 |
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Pts Rank = Unofficial, overall Final Ranking for the top 4 teams at the closing of the 2006 World Cup–pls. note that, in contrast with the official final World Cup results, Germany is shown above to have had a better overall campaign than France, even though Germany finished the World Cup third, while France was the Title runner-up. Italy's campaign, on the other hand, was indeed the best of all contestants, a fact which makes Italy a truly worthy Champion–even if some might argue that Lady Luck favored the Italian side a couple of times, on their way to the Title. And Portugal's campaign was likewise compatible with their fourth place. — The image numbers, beside the country flags, portray the official World Cup results, according to which the final contestants have been ordered above.
4Rnk = Unofficial, overall Semi-Finals Ranking for the top 4 teams contesting the 2006 World Cup–see Semi-Finals for all 4 teams, at that stage
3Rnk = Unofficial, overall Quarter-Finals Ranking for the top 8 teams contesting the 2006 World Cup–see Quarter-Finals for all 8 teams
2Rnk = Unofficial, overall Round of Sixteen Ranking for the top 16 teams contesting the 2006 World Cup–see Round of Sixteen for all 16 teams
Pos = First Round Group Placement–click on each Group letter, above, to see entire Group standings
Pts = Points helping portray Squads' performances, relatively to each other, as in a championship based on points. (See Rating Criteria to understand how points have been attributed above.) The table on this page comprises just the teams that have played seven matches. The previous page (Semi-Finals) displays teams that have moved on to their sixth match, both the Rank & the Points columns (dark green, on either side) reflecting the results of these six matches.
– Pls. note, on Germany's 14 goals: 13 scored + 1 Portuguese own goal in Germany's behalf
Pls. see the Quarter-Finals page, for explanation & purpose of the data displayed above, should it not be entirely transparent by now.
See, below, review preceding the 3rd.Place & Final Matches:
x — Saturday's 3rd.Place Match has every ingredient to be just as exciting as the very Final Match. But how exhausted from their extra-time playing both Germany and Italy may be (on Saturday and Sunday, respectively) is of course an extra factor that should not be overlooked, especially in the German case–they have by now endured extra-time twice. In principle, Germany of course remains with the advantage of playing at home, and motivated to honor their fans' valuable support with a victory, as the World Cup ends. The Portuguese, in turn, have had a single extra-time to challenge their physical fitness, and not in their most recent match. This could thus play into the Portuguese hands, if the Germans cannot rise above the natural physical wear and tear from two demanding matches in succession.
What seems fairly certain is that both sides will be on a mission to revenge their defeats, so to speak, to prove that they would, each, have deserved a ticket to the Final Match. So, any result will be logical on Saturday, no matter which of the above-mentioned variables might be playing the major role. At any rate, both teams, & , have come further than initially expected. They should be able offer an exciting, well-fought match, out of which the third place winner will have hopefully grabbed the honors convincingly.
x — A look at Italy's campaign, above, in comparison with the remaining teams, clearly places them as deserving Champions, should they win, on Sunday. The French, on the other hand, could raise their game for the Final Match, and cause a stronger impression than their two 1x0 victories may have suggested as far as their current firing power. It is worth reminding, though, that the French will be entering the Final Match with the advantage of not having faced a single extra-time period, whereas the Azzurri will be emerging from an exhausting match against Germany. That is to say, if tradition prevails, then the odds lean toward France, for this year's World Cup, though Italy is emerging as a more convincing Title candidate, given the two sides' World Cup campaigns.
For certainly Italy has had a superior campaign, as compared to the rest of contenders: as of now, the Azzurri have the best attack, the best defense, and the highest number of victories. Moreover, quite differently from their tradition, the Italians have brought to Germany a pleasantly exciting attack-minded team, in contrast to the more defensive (and somewhat boring) style of football which the Italians had been known to deliver, in the last decades, at least (see details on the Records & Memorable Details page). Yet, the Azzurra defense seems just a strong as they have become famous for. Moreover, the remarkable Buffon, who has conceded just a single goal so far, is likely the best keeper in 2006.
Les Bleus, in turn, despite the indisputable quality of their players, have not been as efficient as the Italians, whether in their attack or in their defense, but especially in the former. Now, they have at last recovered from their eight-year long fasting, as far as World Cup goals and victories. Additionally, Zidane and Henry can be unforgiving at a defender's mistake or lack of attention, as it was indeed against Brazil. The challenge, here, though, is that the Italian defenders are renowned for their strength.
But given what the French offered the public against the Selecção das Quinas, one is still entitled to wander whether their victories against both 
Spain and 
Brazil were a true indication of a French recovery and genuine upward trend, or perhaps the combined result of [1] Spain's tendency to fail beyond the First Round, and of [2] Brazil's strange illusion that they could globe-trot their way through to the World Cup Final Match, while collecting record upon record, instead of directing their interest to playing in that competitive earnest that the Brazil side had done both in the 
2002 World Cup, and in the 2005 Confederations Cup (see related remarks on the Records & Memorable Details page).
In sum, in the match against Portugal, the Uruguayan referee 
Jorge Larrionda ended up making it all too easy for France, by kindly saving his most rigorous judgment for interpreting that penalty on Henry, which got the French side ahead. Thus the French players' probably not facing pressure to score and win, for the penalty had already given them an advantage, which they were competent to administer. But that meant a missed chance to prove once for all that they have indeed gathered a special momentum. France, therefore, still remains an unknown...whereas the Italians have had chances to prove their game and have made good use of these chances. Well...by Sunday night, we will know which of the two sides will have made it, and how convincingly so!...
Teams' performances & 
possibilities:
Hopefully, the World Cup winner is going to be the Squad exhibitingthe best football & campaign of all!
The 32 Teams, Rd. by Rd.:
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GER: Germany |
 ENG: England |
 ARG: Argentina |
 MEX: Mexico |
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 CRC: Costa Rica |
 PAR: Paraguay |
 CIV: Côte d'Ivoire |
 IRN: Iran |
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 POL: Poland |
 TRI: Trinidad and Tobago |
 SCG: Serbia and Montenegro |
 ANG: Angola |
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 ECU: Ecuador |
 SWE: Sweden |
 NED: Netherlands |
POR: Portugal |
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ITA: Italy |
BRA: Brazil |
FRA: France |
ESP: Spain |
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 GHA: Ghana |
 CRO: Croatia |
 SUI: Switzerland |
 UKR: Ukraine |
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 USA: United States |
 AUS: Australia |
 KOR: Korea Republic |
 TUN: Tunisia |
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 CZE: Czech Republic |
 JPN: Japan |
 TOG: Togo |
 KSA: Saudi Arabia |
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Top 16, above, unshaded – in the Top 8, in italics – the Top 3+4, underlined in italics, the Top 2, in bold type
The 16 not making past the 1st Round, in gray shade Abbreviations, above: used by FIFA, as well as in this eBook.
