THEY came, they saw, they conquered, they failed, they surprised, they entertained, they sent us to sleep, they showed potential for the future, they need to go back to the drawing board.

All 32 teams in Brazil felt at least one or two of these sensations over the last four weeks.

For some, the negative far outweighed any tangible gains.

Others though can hold their heads high and feel comfortable in their achievements or style of play.

With the World Cup school breaking up for another four years before Russia 2018, here is the report card for Brazil to show to your parents!

GERMANY

Results: beat Portugal 4-0, drew with Ghana 2-2, beat USA 1-0, beat Algeria 2-1, beat France 1-0, beat Brazil 7-1, beat Argentina 1-0 in final

Goals scored: 18

Goals conceded: 4

In a nutshell: the champions were the class performers of the whole tournament. Hard to stay perfect for such a long tournament, they did mix in the ordinary (beating Algeria 2-1 in the round of 16 and drawing 2-2 with Ghana in the group stages) with the sublime (thrashing Portugal and Brazil). Outstanding crop of players and should be a force again in four years time. Began the final slowly but worked their way into the game superbly and came away worthy winners.

Grading: A+++

media_camera Argentina fell just short.

ARGENTINA

Results: beat Bosnia 2-1, beat Iran 1-0, beat Nigeria 3-2, beat Switzerland 1-0, beat Belgium 1-0, beat The Netherlands 0-0 (4-2 on penalties), lost to Germany 1-0 in final

Goals scored: 8

Goals conceded: 4

Star players: Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Ezequiel Garay

In a nutshell: derided for their pragmatic tactical approach, Argentina still had enough staying power to make the final. It was a success built on a sound defensive platform and relying heavily on touches of class from Lionel Messi. After winning their opening five games by the odd goal, they snuck by the Netherlands on penalties in the semi-final. They saved their best performance for last but found the Germans marginally too good.

Grading: A

THE NETHERLANDS

Results: beat Spain 5-1, beat Australia 3-2, beat Chile 2-0, beat Mexico 2-1, beat Costa Rica 0-0 (4-3 on penalties), lost to Argentina 0-0 (4-2 on penalties) in semi-final, beat Brazil 3-0 in third-place playoff

Goals scored: 15

Goals conceded: 4

Stars performers: Arjen Robben, Daley Blind, Ronald Vlaar

In a nutshell: semi-final defeat aside, it was a great tournament for Louis Van Gaal’s men. Robben was very impressive as they dominated a tough group. The knock-out phase was harder but they had enough quality to get through to the semi-finals where their lack of attacking intent cost them dearly. Third place was a good reward for an honest squad of players.

Grading: A+

BRAZIL

Results: beat Croatia 3-1, drew with Mexico 0-0, beat Cameroon 4-1, beat Chile 1-1 (3-2 on penalties), beat Colombia 2-1, lost to Germany 7-1 in semi-final, lost to The Netherlands 3-0 in third-place playoff

Goals scored: 11

Goals conceded: 14

Star players: Neymar, Thiago Silva

In a nutshell: who would have thought a lack of class would have been the major stumbling block for a Brazil team? Aside from Neymar, Brazil had little to offer and that quality shortag was ruthlessly exposed in both the semi-final and third-place play-off. There were warning signs in the group games, especially against Mexico, and their wins over Chile and Colombia in their first two knockout games owed more to the defensive naivity of their rivals.

Grading: C

media_camera Tim Cahill’s goal against the Dutch was one of the best of the tournament.

AUSTRALIA

Results: lost to Chile 3-1, lost to The Netherlands 3-2, lost to Spain 3-0

Goals scored: 3

Goals conceded: 9

Star player: Tim Cahill

In a nutshell: three defeats and nine goals conceded was hardly unexpected, but there were some encouraging signs, especially with the Asian Cup just around the corner. Mathew Leckie gives them a nice outlet up front while the likes of Jason Davidson and Matthew Spiranovic had good tournaments. Could have got results out clashes with Chile and the Netherlands but were outclassed by Spain.

Grading: C-

ALGERIA

Results: lost to Belgium 2-1, beat South Korea 4-2, drew with Russia 1-1, lost to Germany 2-1 in round of 16

Goals scored: 7

Goals conceded: 7

Stars players: Islam Slimani, Abdelmoumene Djabou, Yacine Brahimi

In a nutshell: one of the pleasant surprises and unlucky not to at least reach the final eight. Clearly the best performed African team, they played an entertaining brand that shocked quite a few high-profile European opponents. Young team who could go to rule African football for some time.

Grading: A

media_camera A star is born in the form of James Rodriguez.

COLOMBIA

Results: beat Greece 3-0, beat Ivory Coast 2-1, beat Japan 4-1, beat Uruguay 2-0, lost to Brazil 2-1 in quarter-final

Goals scored: 13

Goals conceded: 4

Stars players: James Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado, Jackson Martinez

In a nutshell: a bit of an unknown quantity entering the tournament, Colombia announced themselves on the world stage in no uncertain terms and left with many, many admirers. They unearthed a superstar in Rodriguez and had observers marvelling at their swift, incisive passing game that tore opponents apart.

Grading: A+

GHANA

Results: lost to USA 2-1, drew with Germany 2-2, lost to Portugal 2-1

Goals scored: 4

Goals conceded: 6

Stars performers: Andre Ayew

In a nutshell: never really gave themselves much chance of getting out of a tough group, although there were moments of promise, especially against the Germans. Wasteful finishing was a major problem as was concentration lapses in defence at crucial times.

Grading: C

media_camera Keylor Navaswas spectacular for Costa Rica.

COSTA RICA

Results: beat Uruguay 3-1, beat Italy 1-0, drew 0-0 with England, beat Greece 1-1 (5-3 on penalties), lost to the Netherlands 0-0 (4-3 on penalties) in quarter-final

Goals scored: 5

Goals conceded: 2

Stars performers: Keylor Navas, Bryan Ruiz, Joel Campbell

In a nutshell: they showed that team passion and commitment to the cause can outweigh any superstar individual input. Considered unlikely to even pick up a point from their group, they defied the naysayers to finish top and then held their nerve to beat Greece in a tense round of 16 clash. They then held their own against mighty Dutch in the quarter-finals. Fantastic effort that has made the world stand up and take notice od central American football.

Grading: A+++

GREECE

Results: lost to Colombia 3-0, drew with Japan 0-0, beat Ivory Coast 2-1, lost to Costa Rica 1-1 (5-3 on penalties) in Round of 16

Goals scored: 3

Goals conceded: 5

Star performers: Georgios Samaras, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Andreas Samaris

In a nutshell: written off after a disasterous first game against Colombia, they bounced back and grew in confidence to make the round of 16. Their style wasn’t particularly pretty but it was effective and they really should have at least made the final eight by putting away Costa Rica. Finding a proven goalscoring is a real issue if they are to keep improving.

Grading: B

NIGERIA

Results: drew 0-0 with Iran, beat Bosnia 1-0, lost to Argentina 3-2, lost to France 2-0 in Round of 16

Goals scored: 3

Goals conceded: 5

Star performers: Emmanuel Emenike, Vincent Enyeama, Ahmed Musa

In a nutshell: even though they made the final 16, it was another underwhelming tournament for a nation who seem to be making a habit of them. As African Cup of Nations champions, more was expected. Fortunate to progress out of an ultimately poor group, they failed to inspire against the French in the second round. They certainly have some up-and-coming talents but need to build a more steely resolve.

Grading: C

IVORY COAST

Results: beat Japan 2-1, lost to Colombia 2-1, lost to Greece 2-1

Goals scored: 4

Goals conceded: 5

Star performers: Gervinho, Serge Aurier

In a nutshell: with their star players firing only intermittently, they were one of the biggest disappointments of the tournament. Wilfried Bony, Yaya Toure and Salomon Kalou never fired up the side despite their big reputations. With star striker Didier Drogba coming towards the end of his career, it’s a period of transition for the African nation, although they do have some exciting young players in the squad.

Grading: D

media_camera It was a frustrating tournament for Cristiano Ronaldo

PORTUGAL

Results: lost to Germany 4-0, drew 2-2 with the USA, beat Ghana 2-1

Goal scored: 4

Goals conceded: 7

Star performer: Cristiano Ronaldo (and that’s pushing it)

In a nutshell: they just didn’t turn up for their opening game - and that effectively ended their tournament. Germany were brilliant but Portugal were insipid and got what they deserved. They kept their hopes alive against the USA with the last kick of the match but ended up well short anyway despite beating Ghana. Ronaldo was disappointing but the supporting cast failed to rise to the occasion as well.

Grading: E

HONDURAS

Results: lost to France 3-0, lost to Ecuador 2-1, lost to Switzerland 3-0

Goals scored: 1

Goals conceded: 8

Star performer: Carlo Costly

In a nutshell: one of the few teams to actually live up to their minnow status. Gave Ecuador a run for their money but were no match for the two European sides - and could have lost by a lot more. Bears thinking the carnage a far tougher group - such as the one Australia faced - would have created.

Grading: E

ENGLAND

Results: lost to Italy 2-1, lost to Uruguay 2-1, drew with Costa Rica 0-0

Goals scored: 2

Goals conceded: 4

Star performer: Daniel Sturridge

In a nutshell: chaotic campaign and one of the first teams to bomb out. Big guns failed to fire and they never looked like getting by Uruguay and Italy while the draw with Costa Rica was one of the worst games of the tournament. Plenty of potential in the squad but didn’t really see it materialise in Brazil.

Grading: F

media_camera Paul Pogba emerged as a world-class player.

FRANCE

Results: beat Honduras 3-0, Switzerland 5-2, drew with Ecuador 0-0, beat Nigeria 2-0, lost to Germany 1-0 in quarter-final

Goals scored: 10

Goals conceded: 3

Star performers: Mathieu Valbuena, Paul Pogba, Raphael Varane

In a nutshell: looked like potential title winners after the group stage but quickly came back to earth when the pressure was ramped up. Laboured past Nigeria in the round of 16 before failing to fire in the quarter-final loss to Germany. Led by Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane, they do have some exciting talent coming through though.

Grading: B+

SPAIN

Results: lost to the Netherlands 5-1, lost to Chile 2-0, beat Australia 3-0

Goals scored: 4

Goals conceded: 7

Star player: Andres Iniesta

In a nutshell: stunning first-up 5-1 defeat to the Dutch effectively ended their campaign, and probably the careers of a number of their stalwarts. The defeat to Chile five days later put the seal on one of the earliest exits of a defending champion in Cup history. They bounced back to beat the Socceroos but by then it was immaterial.

Grading: F

ITALY

Results: beat England 2-1, lost to Costa Rica 1-0, lost to Uruguay 1-0

Goals scored: 2

Goals conceded: 3

Star player: Andrea Pirlo

In a nutshell: the first-up win over England proved a mirage as defeats to Costa Rica and Uruguay condemned them to an early exit. Poor discipline and a lack of firepower up front came back to haunt them after Mario Balotelli and Claudio Marchisio got them off to a great start. They do have some nice, up-and-coming players in Marco Verratti and Mattia De Sciglio.

Grading: D

media_camera The infamous Luis Suarez biting incident against Italy.

URUGUAY

Results: lost to Costa Rica 3-1, beat England 2-1, beat Italy 1-0, lost to Colombia 2-1 in Round of 16

Goals scored: 5

Goals conceded: 6

Star player: Diego Lugano

In a nutshell: did little to disprove they were a one-man team after a disappointing campaign that ended with defeat to Colombia in the round of 16. Luis Suarez missed the defeat to Costa Rica but returned and played a big part in the win over England. Then came the infamous biting episode against Italy but they had done enough to make the second round. But against Colombia they were never in the hunt.

Grading: C

BELGIUM

Results: beat Algeria 2-1, beat Russia 1-0, beat South Korea 1-0, beat USA 2-1, lost to Argentina 1-0 in quarter-final

Goals scored: 6

Goals conceded: 3

Star players: Dries Mertens, Kevin De Bruyne

In a nutshell: for a team that hit Brazil with so much publicity and promise, their campaign was a little underwhelming, to say the least. Even though they made the quarter-finals, they never really found their stride, often leaving it until the final 20 minutes to put away games. And their listless performance in that final eight clash against Argentina will be regarded as one of the more turgid of the tournament.

Grading: B-

BOSNIA

Results: lost to Argentina 2-1, lost to Nigeria 1-0, beat Iran 3-1

Goals scored: 4

Goals conceded: 4

Star player: Miralem Pjanic

In a nutshell: with a berth in the second round there for the taking, the tournament newcomers simply couldn’t deliver. After a respectable first up loss to Argentina, everything hinged on their match against Nigeria. Despite having much of the possession but fashioning few chances, they went down 1-0. A 3-1 win over Iran in their final match showed what they were capable of.

Grading: B-

RUSSIA

Results: drew with South Korea 1-1, lost to Belgium 1-0, drew with Algeria 1-1

Goals scored: 2

Goals conceded: 3

Star player: Alan Dzagoev

In a nutshell: it’s one of the football world’s great mysteries as to why Russia continually fail to perform on the world stage. In a group they not only should have qualified out of but also probably should have topped, they not only just managed two goals and two points but also played a brand of football that was hardly deserving of anything but an early exit.

Grading: F

media_camera Xherdan Shaqiri emerged as a top-class player for Switzerland.

SWITZERLAND

Results: beat Ecuador 2-1, lost to France 5-2, beat Honduras 3-0, lost to Argentina 1-0 in the Round of 16

Goals scored: 7

Goals conceded: 7

Star player: Xherdan Shaqiri

In a nutshell: everyone feared the worst when the French smacked five past them but they bounced back and were desperately unlucky not to take out Argentina in the round of 16. Xavier Shaqiri was the undoubted star and his hat-trick against Honduras restored belief. After defending resolutely against Argentina, they were undone in the final minutes of extra time by Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria - no embarrassment there.

Grading: B-

CROATIA

Results: lost to Brazil 3-1, beat Cameroon 4-0, lost to Mexico 3-1

Goals scored: 6

Goals conceded: 6

Star player: Ivan Perisic

In a nutshell: at least they will be remembered for scoring the first goal of the tournament against Brazil. Even with a classy, dynamic line-up at their disposal, Croatia failed to reach the second round. Defeat to Brazil was excusable, but the manner in which they lost to Mexico in their final group game was not. More was expected of star man Luka Modric who has restricted to playing in a defensive role and rarely got forward.

Grading: D

CAMEROON

Results: lost to Mexico 1-0, Croatia 4-0, Brazil 4-1

Goals scored: 1

Goals conceded: 9

Star player: Joel Matip

In a nutshell: it’s a far cry from the glory years of 1990 and Roger Milla. Cameroon simply made up the numbers here. After keeping Mexico honest in their first game, the floodgates opened against Croatia and Brazil and they conceded eight goals. It wasn’t pretty and was made even worse by allegations of internal strife, match-fixing and general unrest. A tournament to forget in a hurry.

Grading: G

media_camera Arturo Vidal made the headlines for more than just his haircut.

CHILE

Results: beat Australia 3-2, beat Spain 2-0, lost to the Netherlands 2-0, lost to Brazil 1-1 (3-2 on penalties) in the Round of 16

Goals scored: 6

Goals conceded: 5

Star players: Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sanchez, Claudio Bravo

In a nutshell: fantastic overall tournament as they announced themselves on the world stage in no uncertain terms. They got a bit overwhelmed in their round of 16 defeat to Brazil but they showed their potential in group wins over the Socceroos and Spain. Nice blend of youth and experience but they do need to unearth more quality to complement the silky skills of Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sanchez.

Grading: A-

ECUADOR

Results: lost to Switzerland 2-1, beat Honduras 2-1, drew with France 0-0

Goals scored: 3

Goals conceded: 3

Star player: Enner Valencia

In a nutshell: they may not have progressed through to the round of 16 - and got little value out of star man Antonio Valencia - but Ecuador still enjoyed a decent tournament. In the end it came down to a 92nd minute goal by Switzerland’s Haris Seferovic in their first game to deny them. They bounced back from that setback to beat Honduras and then arguably had the better of a 0-0 draw with France.

Grading: B-

media_camera Guillermo Ochoa was a stand out between the posts for Mexico

MEXICO

Results: beat Cameroon 1-0, drew with Brazil 0-0, beat Croatia 3-1, lost to the Netherlands 2-1 in the Round of 16

Goals scored: 5

Goals conceded: 3

Star players: Guillermo Ochoa, Oribe Peralta, Andres Guardado

In a nutshell: they probably win the award for the team to exceed most expectations. A real pleasant surprise, Mexico were resolute in defence and dynamic when counter-attacking. It also helped they had Guillermo Ochoa in goals. They probably should have beaten Brazil in group play before stunning Croatia in a clinical display. They were only two minutes away from knocking out the Dutch in the round of 16 before Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben made them pay.

Grading: A-

USA

Results: beat Ghana 2-1, drew with Portugal 2-2, lost to Germany 1-0, lost to Belgium 2-1 in the Round of 16

Goals scored: 5

Goals conceded: 6

Star players: Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey

In a nutshell: a potentially promising campaign was cut short in the second round by Belgium as their inability to create enough chances came back to haunt them. Tim Howard kept them in games and they were certainly industrious and full of endeavour, but they just lacked the midfield class to support captain Clint Dempsey. Three tough group games took their toll in 120 minutes of gruelling second-round action.

Grading: B-

SOUTH KOREA

Results: drew with Russia 1-1, lost to Algeria 4-2, lost to Belgium 1-0

Goals scored: 3

Goals conceded: 6

Star player: Son Heung-Min

In a nutshell: with a place in the second round at their mercy, South Korea flunked their exams badly - and their early departure certainly calls into question their ability to win the Asian Cup. They offered very little going forward and were torn apart at the back by Algeria in particular. Needing to beat Belgium in their final game to have a chance of qualifying, they simply ran out of ideas.

Grading: F

JAPAN

Results: lost to Ivory Coast 2-1, drew 0-0 with Greece, lost to Colombia 4-1

Goals scored: 2

Goals conceded: 6

Star player: Shinji Okazaki

In a nutshell: first team qualified, one of the first to go home, it’s safe to say that Japan were a major disappointment. With star men Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda ineffective, the Blue Samurai only picked up a point from a bore draw with a 10-man Greece. While they predominantly played a more expereinced line-up in Brazil, they aren’t short of some exciting young talent which augers well for their Asian Cup hopes.

Grading: D-

media_camera Reza Ghoochannejhad could be a player to watch in the Asian Cup next year.

IRAN

Results: drew 0-0 with Nigeria, lost to Argentina 1-0, Bosnia 3-1

Goals scored: 1

Goals conceded: 4

Star players: Reza Ghoochannejhad, Ashkan Dejagah, Ehsan Hajsafi

In a nutshell: easily the best performed Asian team and unlucky not to go through to the round of 16. After a resolute performance to hold Nigeria to a scoreless draw, they were minutes away from repeating the dose against Argentina until Lionel Messi intervened. The effort obviously told against Bosnia but they look in good shape for a real shot at the Asian Cup crown in Australia next year.

Grading: B