NEW YORK, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Cabo Verde's shock 0-0 draw with Spain may be the standout surprise of the World Cup so far, but it is far from the only result highlighting the narrowing gap between football's traditional powers and emerging teams.
The opening days of the tournament have produced a string of unexpected results, raising fresh questions about how rapidly standards are improving across the global game.
Alongside Cabo Verde's historic point against Spain, Australia defeated Türkiye, Cote d'Ivoire upset favored Ecuador, Egypt held Belgium to a 1-1 draw, Saudi Arabia shared the points with Uruguay and Qatar earned a 1-1 draw against Switzerland.
Meanwhile, teams such as Morocco and Japan have developed to such an extent that draws against Brazil and the Netherlands are no longer considered major surprises.
Even Germany's 7-1 victory over Curacao contained a memorable moment, with the Caribbean island briefly leveling the score at 1-1 before eventually being overpowered.
Austria also endured a difficult evening in its 3-1 victory over World Cup debutant Jordan on Tuesday.
Ali Olwan's 50th-minute goal drew Jordan level at 1-1, and Austria required an own goal to regain the lead before Marco Arnautovic converted a penalty in the 12th minute of stoppage time to secure the result.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick said the struggle was a reflection of Jordan's quality rather than any shortcomings from his own team.
"I think it was due to the opponent. It's not that easy to win during this tournament. We have 48 teams and there is not going to be one easy opponent," Rangnick said, adding that he has seen a significant improvement in standards worldwide.
"The teams have really caught up in the last 15 years or so, so there are really no easy teams," he said.
Rangnick also defended the expanded 48-team format, which has faced criticism since FIFA increased the field from 32 teams. He described the change as "an enriching experience" and said the smaller nations were proving they are far more than just participants. ■
