We are officially at the halfway point of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. With another two weeks to go, the tournament concluded three rounds of group matches on Friday and headed to the knockout stage.

For anyone who did not follow the tournament game by game, here are some takeaways from the first half of the tournament that ends on December 18:

"A horror movie" for Germany

The World Cup in Qatar has already delivered plenty of major shocks but the elimination of Germany from a compelling Group E was still unbelievable for many.

"A horror movie" -- that was German forward Kai Havertz's diction after his national team suffered cruel early elimination from Qatar 2022 on Thursday.

Germany's players applaud the fans at the end of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group E football match between Costa Rica and Germany at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha on December 1, 2022. (Photo: AFP)

The four-time champions headed to Qatar desperate to bounce back from 2018 disappointment four years after their embarrassing display as defending champions in Russia. But a 2-1 loss against Japan in the opener at Qatar 2022 ultimately proved costly for Germany.

Despite a 4-2 win against Costa Rica at Al Bayt Stadium, Japan's surprising 2-1 victory against Spain in Doha ended the European side's hopes to secure a spot in the round of 16.

Germany defender Antonio Rudiger sits alone on the pitch after his side suffered the ignominy of crashing out of the World Cup at the group stage for the second successive tournament at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar on December 2, 2022. (Photo: CFP)

In Group E, Germany and Spain both bagged four points after three rounds of group matches, but Spain advanced to the last 16 on the basis of a better goal difference.

Germany is due to host Euro 2024 in just over 18 months. With that tournament looming large, Germany coach Hansi Flick said that big changes will be made to ensure Germany is competitive at Euro 2024.

"We can get up quickly and recover. We will see what the future looks like and how we can implement our ideas. I am a very critical person and we will assess everything."

Fallen powerhouses

Germany was not alone in terms of crushed World Cup dreams. Belgium and Uruguay understand Germany's feeling of powerlessness very well.

After a goalless draw with Croatia on Thursday, Belgium was left third in Group F and consequently crashed out of this year's tournament.

Belgium players react after their side were eliminated from the World Cup following a 0-0 draw with Croatia at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar on December 2, 2022. (Photo: CFP)

The world's second-ranked side went into the final Group F game needing to win to be certain of reaching the last 16 after a 1-0 win over Canada and a 2-0 loss to Morocco, but Romelu Lukaku's failure to grasp a string of late chances in the second half to score has only jeopardized the Red Devils' hopes of a deeper run.

Romelu Lukaku (#9) of Belgium looks on during the FIFA World Cup game against Croatia at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Qatar on December 1, 2022. (Photo: CFP)

Belgium coach Roberto Martinez led the team to a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals last year. But the team's aging "golden generation" could not replicate that form in Qatar, crashing out after scoring just one goal in three games.

In Group H, Uruguay suffered the same fate. The South American side won Friday's final group match against Ghana but was denied a place in the Round of 16 by South Korea, who beat already qualified Portugal 2-1 to join in the knockout stage.

Uruguay's forward #09 Luis Suarez gives the captain's armband to Uruguay's forward #21 Edinson Cavani after being exchanged during the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group H football match between Ghana and Uruguay at the Al-Janoub Stadium in Al-Wakrah, south of Doha on December 2, 2022. (Photo: AFP)

For the two powerhouses, the broken World Cup bid was very likely to become a finale on the biggest stage for some aging stars, including Kevin De Bruyne, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. That is going to be particularly emotional for many football fans.

Asian and African football on the rise

Qatar 2022 is the first World Cup since South Africa 2010 in which teams from Asia, Africa and North America have all been represented in the last 16.

Asian countries have forced traditional giants to sit up and take notice, with three teams from the Asian Football Confederation making it to the round of 16 for the first time ever, and two others exceeding expectations.

Japan's players react after the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group E football match between Japan and Spain at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on December 1, 2022. (Photo: AFP)

Japan defeated both higher-ranked Germany and Spain for a surprising top place finish in Group E. South Korea held Uruguay before prevailing over Portugal in a crucial Group H clash. And Australia beat Tunisia and Euro 2020 semifinalist Denmark to emerge from Group D and secure a place in the knockout stage.

South Korea's midfielder #07 Son Heung-min (C) fights for the ball with Portugal's midfielder #06 Joao Palhinha (L) and Portugal's midfielder #14 William Carvalho during the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group H football match between South Korea and Portugal at the Education City Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of Doha on December 2, 2022. (Photo: AFP)

Another two Asian teams have witnessed remarkable breakthroughs, though they did not advance to the next round. Saudi Arabia recorded the biggest upset in World Cup history by defeating Argentina before frustrating Mexico in a 1-2 loss to prevent the North Americans from qualifying. Iran, though crushed by England, stunned the Welsh with two match-winning goals and then narrowly lost to USA.

The struggle of African teams in Qatar has been a success story as well. Four years ago Africa was left without a representative in the World Cup last 16. But the story has been very different in Qatar.

The 2022 tournament has seen two teams from the continent reach the knockout phase for only the second time -- after Algeria and Nigeria in 2014.

Morocco celebrates after defeating Canada in a group F World Cup football match at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar on December 1, 2022. (Photo: AP)

African nations have also taken a record-breaking 24 points in the group stage, smashing the previous best of 15 points in 1998.

Morocco beat the world's second-ranked side Belgium and Canada en route to the top of Group F, while Senegal bounced back from an opening defeat by the Netherlands to record wins over Qatar and Ecuador.

Senegal's players celebrate after Senegal's forward #18 Ismaila Sarr scored their team's first goal during the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group A football match between Ecuador and Senegal at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on November 29, 2022. (Photo: AFP)

Brazil was beaten by an African team for the first time with a 1-0 defeat by Cameroon, who exited the tournament in glory.

What to watch in the coming week

After two weeks of intense action, the group stage of the 2022 World Cup is done and the ensuing knockout stage is where any error can be fatal and where the added drama of extra time and penalties can come into play.

The Netherlands moved into the quarter-finals of the World Cup on Saturday with a 3-1 win over the United States and will set up a last-eight clash with Argentina as Lionel Messi delivered one goal in the 1,000th game of his era-defining career to lead the South American giant to a 2-1 win over Australia on the same day.

Denzel Dumfries (R) of the Netherlands shoots to score in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 game against the USA at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar on December 3, 2022. (Photo: CFP)

Argentina and the Netherlands will play their quarter-final match at Lusail Stadium, the 89,000-seat venue where the final will be staged. The teams last met at the World Cup in 2014, when Argentina won a penalty shootout in the semifinals.

Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates after his team won the Qatar 2022 World Cup round of 16 football match between Argentina and Australia at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of Doha on December 3, 2022. (Photo: AFP)

On the following competition day, a brilliant double from Kylian Mbappe fired France into the quarter-finals as England romped past Senegal to set up a mouthwatering last-eight showdown with Les Bleus.

France is staying well on the track to become the first team to win successive World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 in Qatar.

France's Olivier Giroud, left, celebrates with France's Kylian Mbappe, after scoring the opening goal during the World Cup round of 16 football match between France and Poland, at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar on December 4, 2022. (Photo: AP)

Another four berths in the last eight are reserved for the winning sides of Japan versus Croatia, Brazil versus South Korea, Morocco versus Spain, and Portugal versus Switzerland.

In the coming week, you will come to know four outstanding teams that survived the quarter-finals and one of them would take home the trophy later this month.

As each team plays until only one remains undefeated and crowned the champion for four years of glory, there could be surprising upsets or upsetting surprises, upsetting only if the team you have been rooting for falls short of going further.

But the answer is not always certain on the greatest stage of football and that process has something to mean as well.