Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter for the latest tips and offers Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter
This summer's tournament in Brazil has by common consent been one of the best ever World Cups.
It's now nearly at an end and on Sunday night either Argentina or Germany will be crowned World Champions.
But heading into the tournament, there were some nations that were never going to make it all the way to the final at the Maracana. Smaller populations, a less glamorous history and fewer resources meant going all the way for some was never likely.
So here we recognise those teams, the ones that achieved most against their expectations and quality.
Show all 32 1 /32The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 1 Costa Rica By far the biggest overachievers, and came a penalty kick from something even more historic.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 2 Colombia The most exciting team in the tournament, and made history in their best ever World Cup.
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 3 Argentina The semi-final was their “minimum objective” but they are on the brink of maximum achievement.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 4 Germany The time has come for their revolution to produce a true-end product. They’ve at least set up the chance.
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 5 Netherlands Louis van Gaal made a young side look so much more mature, and they greatly exceeded expectation.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 6 Algeria A revelation in getting to the second round, while playing some refreshingly progressive football.
AFP/Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 7 Chile Although they did not get as far as they could have, there was a deeper merit in how close they came to eliminating the hosts.
Stu Forster/Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 8 France A deflating last match should not completely overshadow the rejuvenating campaign that preceded it.
Mattias Schrader
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 9 Belgium Didn’t flop like many feared, but never fired in what was a weirdly forgettable campaign.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 10 Mexico Recovered their spirit after an awful qualifying campaign, and came close to doing so much better.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 11 USA A campaign about more than their impressive second-round finish, because of the emotional momentum it generated.
Twitter/@USSoccer
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 12 Nigeria Became the first African side to reach the second round for a third time, which is all the more creditable given the off-field ructions.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 13 Greece Didn’t win much admiration for their football, but deserve huge respect for getting to the brink of the quarter-finals.
GETTY IMAGES
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 14 Ghana The team whose end results at least matched their performances. Had simple luck gone a different way, they could have been quarter-finalists.
Getty
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 15 Iran It is always almost impossible for them to get through, but the impressiveness of their displays brought respect.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 16 Switzerland The thrashing to France rendered their seed status ridiculous, but were resilient against Argentina.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 17 Uruguay Humiliated themselves worse than any thrashing with the reaction to the Luis Suarez incident, and played poorly after it.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 18 Ecuador Didn’t get through, but played supremely in every game, and paid a fine tribute to the tragically departed Chucho Benitez.
Getty images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 19 Croatia Two excellent performances, but dropped off badly just when it mattered.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 20 Australia Lost all of their games, but came encouragingly close to winning the important first two.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 21 Ivory Coast A fortunate first win, but not much else, which sums up a generation who under-performed.
Getty images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 22 Bosnia and Herzegovina A baffling second game undid what should have been a special first World Cup.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 23 Honduras Beaten as expected, but responded with an unsavoury aggression of their own.
GETTY IMAGES
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 24 Japan That they still had a chance of reaching the second round in the final game seems irrelevant, because they never looked like seizing it.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 25 South Korea Thrashed in their most winnable game, which says a lot about a forgettable campaign.
GETTY IMAGES
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 26 England Only one point, only one acceptable performance and very few positives.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 27 Russia A poor third place, even worse performances. Dismal.
GETTY IMAGES
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 28 Brazil A semi-final place simply pales next to what may be the most haunting defeat of their entire history.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 29 Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo will never now have his great World Cup, Portugal just looked like an average team.
GETTY IMAGES
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 30 Italy A side with that kind of talent shouldn’t have gone out so early. So poor after the first game.
Getty Images
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 31 Spain A fourth successive trophy was always a stretch, but the abiding memory is how badly it was all pulled apart.
AP
The alternative World Cup winners based on expectations and quality 32 Cameroon Shambolic off the pitch and on it, this was possibly the worst World Cup campaign ever.
Getty Images
Who do you think should have been top? Let us know in the comments below.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies