Great stories, little jeopardy - does the new World Cup format work?

Great stories, little jeopardy - does the new World Cup format work?Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Cape Verde will take on Argentina after a remarkable run to the knockout roundsByDale JohnsonFootball issues correspondentPublished2 minutes agoCommentsNew format, new teams and fascinating storylines. But did the new World Cup group stage really work?Cape Verde achieved the unthinkable and qualified for the last 32 - knocking out Uruguay in the process.Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, may well have been thinking 'I told you so' as Cape Verde were one of the countries to benefit from expanding the tournament to 48 teams.But away from the good news stories, there was no real jeopardy for the major nations.That was partly caused by the need to send third-placed teams through and Fifa deciding to use head to head as the first group stage tiebreaker.It meant four teams won their groups with a game to spare, and five were eliminated. With more goals than any tournament since Sweden 1958, can Fifa claim it has been a success?Let us know your thoughts in the comments and cast your vote below.Pros: New faces, new storiesLionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane trading blows in an electric race for the Golden Boot made plenty of headlines.That in itself was a gift for Fifa, with the world's most recognisable players all showing up and trying to outdo each other. But the World Cup is not just about the star names, certainly at the group stage.The colour and character of football from around the globe takes the focus.We did not get any shock defeats in meaningful games for the big teams, like Saudi Arabia beating eventual champions Argentina four years ago.But there were real stories.Cape Verde, an archipelagic country in the Atlantic Ocean, may not have come to the World Cup expecting to qualify for the knockout rounds. And they were written off by many before they got on the plane. After all, who could have imag...