■ Japan[2 wins, 1 loss | 6 points | 1st in Group E]
Round 1: vs. Germany 2-0 (◯)
Round 2: vs. Costa Rica 0-1 (×)
Round 3: vs. Spain 2-1 (◯)
The Japanese national team passed the group league E Group, which was said to be the group of death, at the top. In the group league, they won two against Germany, ranked 11th in the FIFA rankings, and Spain, ranked 7th in the same FIFA rankings. Although they lost to Costa Rica, they won two big gold stars against two countries that have won the championship. They topped the group of death in 1st place with 6 points.
■ Croatia[1 win, 2 draws | 5 points | 2nd in Group F]
Round 1: vs Morocco 0-0 (△)
Round 2: vs. Canada 4-1 (◯)
Round 3: vs. Belgium 0-0 (△)
Last year’s runner-up, Croatia, finished second in Group F with 1 win and 2 draws. Although they finished scoreless against Morocco and Belgium, they scored four goals in Round 2 against Canada and won comfortably. Undefeated and advanced to the final tournament.