Plus: England debutants at major tournaments and why the name isn’t always on the back of the shirt. Mail us here or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU

“Mexico, Sweden or Germany could go out of the tournament despite winning two of their group games,” notes Paul Blandon. “Has this ever happened before? And on the flip side, what are the worst-performing teams to get out of their group?”

Only one team has been eliminated after finishing third despite winning two of their group games: Algeria, whose loveable 1982 team were stitched up by West Germany and Austria. But this question is muddied slightly by the fact that, from 1986 to 1994, the four best third-placed teams also qualified for the last 16. Had only the top two teams in each group gone through, both Argentina and Belgium would have been eliminated in 1994 despite winning two of their three matches.

And we should point out that Yugoslavia went out in the groups in 1950 after winning two out of three group games – they finished second behind Brazil but only the group winners qualified for the second stage.

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Another team who were pretty unfortunate to go out were Norway in 1994. They had the same points and goal difference as the other teams in their group – Mexico, the Republic of Ireland and Italy – but went out because they scored the fewest goals.

As for the worst-performing teams to qualify, let’s start at the top: Italy, who finished second in their 1982 group after drawing all three games – and then went on to win the tournament. Mind you, the official Fifa site has them in third place in their group, so maybe history needs to be rewritten.

From 1986-94, it was possible to sneak through as one of the best (sic) third-placed teams with two draws and a defeat. Bulgaria did that in 1986, as did Uruguay’s “scum of world football” after their infamous 0-0 draw with Scotland.

Since the tournament went to 32 teams in 1998, and back to the old system in which only the top two teams qualified, Chile have the worst record of a team to reach the last 16. They failed to win a game at France 98 but got through with three draws.

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Making their bow on the biggest stage

“Has an England player ever made their international debut in the finals of a tournament?” tweets BadPhotosAtGigs.

Alan Peacock fits the bill for this one. He was selected for the 1962 squad even though he had never represented his country before, played for Second Division Middlesbrough, and had missed the end of the season with a fractured cheekbone, his call-up causing considerable controversy. After England lost their opening game to Hungary he was brought in for the next two matches, replacing Internazionale’s Gerry Hitchens. Some journalists obviously liked him: in the Express, Desmond Hackett called him “a handsome young husky”, while in the Mirror they described a “slim, shy six-footer”. He didn’t score in that tournament, but ended his international career with three goals in six games.

Giles Leigh, meanwhile, has the rest of this question covered. “The most recent to do so was Allan Clarke in 1970 against Czechoslovakia,” he writes. “Laurie Hughes was the first to do so in the ill-fated 1950 campaign against Chile. Other debutants included Eddie Bailey and Bill Eckersley (1950), Bill McGarry (1954) and Peters Brabook and Broadbent (1958). Additionally, Michael Dawson was uncapped when selected in 2010, but did not actually play. Tommy Wright remains the only England player to have made his debut at the Euros, in 1968 against Yugoslavia. Gordon West (1968), Tony Dorigo (1988) and Jack Butland (2012) were all uncapped when they received their call-ups, but did not actually play.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Michael Dawson in action for England during a World Cup 2010 warm-up match against Platinum Stars. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

Say my name

“In the World Cup 2018 opener Salem Al-Dawsari’s shirt number was 18. The 8 was printed upside down,” tweets Chris. “What other examples are there of shirt printing errors at the World Cup?”

“Costa Rica defender Mauricio Wright played the 2002 World Cup with his name spelled ‘Wrigth’ on the back of his shirt,” recalls Stijn. “It would’ve been nice to have some visual proof in this video, but the commentator is kind enough to mention the spelling error. Ghana made a real mess of their player registrations at the 2006 World Cup. They can be forgiven in the case of goalkeeper Richard Kingson, who for some reason got rid of the ‘t’ in his name, but there are no excuses for registering John Paintsil as ‘Pantsil’ and in one game printing his name as ‘Panstil’.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Costa Rica’s Mauricio Wright scores past China’s goalkeeper Jiang Jin at the 2002 World Cup. Photograph: Lawrence Jackson/AP

Knowledge archive

“For some reason, I believe that no bearded player has ever won the World Cup,” claimed Jonathan Taylor in 2006. “Can this be right? And I mean full beards, not stubble, goatees or moustaches - the full works.”

Strict guidelines indeed, but Olly Winkles was one of several readers to have remembered at least one hairy-faced winner. “Step forward Sergio Batista of Argentina,” wrote Olly. “He sported a full-on beard in the 1986 final.” You want evidence? Then check this out.

Olly added that, “arguably, West Germany’s Paul Breitner could be described as bearded in 1974 too,” but despite an impressive ‘tache/sideburns combo, we’re not letting ‘Der Afro’ into the select band. Nor Fabien Barthez’s 1998 goatie effort, or Ricky Villa’s handlebar in 1978, both of which were good, but not good enough.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sergio Batista, top left, poses with the Argentina starting XI before the 1986 World Cup final. Photograph: Bongarts/Getty Images

The forever-snarling Gennaro Gattuso was the most recent inductee into the pantheon of hirsute legends having been part of the victorious Italy squad in 2006. Potential 2018 candidates include Brazil goalkeeper Alisson, France defender Adil Rami, Portugal’s Bernardo Silva, Diego Costa of Spain and, of course, a certain Lionel Messi.

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Can you help?



“Who are the biggest clubs to have never had a player at a World Cup?” wonders Will Hughes.

“Has a player, at the World Cup or elsewhere, ever been booked when already on a yellow for taking too long to leave the pitch when substituted and sent off, thus cancelling the substitution?” asks Toby Christie.

“Your image of post-penalty Mile Jedinak looked awfully like an impatient barista in a coffee shop angrily asking me if I’d like a flat white,” writes Raphael Chaskalson. OK. “Are they any notable stories of footballers being particular coffee enthusiasts?”

Andrew Vick (@AndrewVickers12) Been reminded of this by Argentina’s debutant Armani this week. Ze Carlos, Brazilian right back, only ever played once for Brazil. WC semi-final against Netherlands in 98. Is this the greatest ever one-cap wonder or can someone top that in a final?