World Cup winners – the knockout stages

The football itself has been of an exceptionally high standard so far, with many predicting this World Cup will end up breaking the goals scored total of 171 set at the France 1998 tournament. We’ve also seen the likes of Spain, Portugal, England and Italy fail to navigate the group stages while Greece, Costa Rica and Chile have played above expectations.

The following nations have qualified for the knockout stages of World Cup 2014: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Netherlands, Mexico, Costa Rica, Greece, France, Nigeria, Germany, Algeria, Argentina, Switzerland, Belgium and USA.

The following packaging examples from my World Cup winners blog are to be used: Um Bongo football edition, Lucozade - The Brazilian, Peperami - Original, Peperami - Hot, Babybel, Krispy Kreme, Pot Noodle Brazilian BBQ Steak, Terry’s Chocolate Orange, limited edition Mattessons Fridge Raiders, Haribo Brazil P!K, limited edition M&M’s (UK), édition limitée M&M’s (France), Rowntree’s Randoms football mix, The Fabulous Bakin’ Boys World Cup-cakes, Walkers crisps multi-pack bag and Pepsi eight-pack collation wrap.

In case you've missed them, check out my World Cup winners article to refresh your memory on what they all look like.

I have decided to draw the countries and the packaging from a hat, so the pairings are completely at random, and the results are in:

Brazil – Pot Noodle Brazilian BBQ Steak

Colombia – Haribo Brazil P!K

Greece – limited edition M&M’s (UK)

Uruguay - édition limitée M&M’s (France)

USA – Lucozade - The Brazilian

Argentina – Mattessons Fridge Raiders

Chile – Um Bongo

Nigeria – Peperami - Hot

Switzerland – Peperami - Original

Costa Rica – Terry’s Chocolate Orange

Netherlands – Rowntree’s Randoms

Belgium – Pepsi eight-pack collation wrap

Mexico – The Fabulous Bakin’ Boys World Cup-cakes

France – Krispy Kreme

Algeria – Babybel

Germany – Walkers crisps multi-pack bag

Tomorrow (June 28) sees Brazil take on Chile in the first of the last 16 matches at World Cup 2014, shortly followed by Colombia versus Uruguay.

This means Pot Noodle takes on Um Bongo (both pictured right) and French Haribo packaging goes up against M&M’s, also from France, on the first day of knockout games in World Cup 2014/my packaging World Cup. This will be followed by a further three days of last 16 games, where you'll see Netherlands (Rowntree’s Randoms) play Mexico (The Fabulous Bakin’ Boys World Cup-cakes), Costa Rica (Terry’s Chocolate Orange) play Greece (UK M&M’s packaging), France (Krispy Kreme) play Nigeria (Peperami - Hot), Germany (Walkers crisps multi-pack bag) play Algeria (Babybel), Argentina (Mattessons Fridge Raiders) take on Switzerland (Peperami – Original) and Belgium (Pepsi) play USA (Lucozade - The Brazilian).

As the real football plays out we’ll see the packaging whittled down to a final two playing out the final on July 13. I’ll then be able to crown a 2014 packaging World Cup winner. But who are you backing to win, either the country or the packaging? Why not let me know at dpittman@tarsus.co.uk or on Twitter.

June 30

The first round of 16 matches have now been played, with Colombia and Netherlands qualifying for the quarter-finals during regulation time, while Brazil and Costa Rica needed penalty shootouts to book their passage.

For the packaging World Cup, this means Haribo Brazil P!K, Rowntree's Randoms football mix, Pot Noodle Brazilian BBQ Steak and Terry’s Chocolate Orange respectively go through, with the following quarter-final matches now scheduled - Haribo Brazil P!K versus Pot Noodle Brazilian BBQ Steak and Rowntree's Randoms football mix versus Terry's Chocolate Orange.

The final four round of 16 matchers are to take place over the next 48 hours, so it will be interesting to see which of France (Krispy Kreme), Nigeria (Peperami - Hot), Germany (Walkers crisps multi-pack bag), Algeria (Babybel), Argentina (Mattessons Fridge Raiders), Switzerland (Peperami – Original), Belgium (Pepsi) and USA (Lucozade - The Brazilian) make it through to the quarter-final stage.

Best of luck to all the World Cup packaging still in contention.

July 2

So now we know the full line-up for the World Cup 2014 quarter-finals and as a result the quarter-final contest in the packaging World Cup.

Those through in the global football/soccer competition are Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Costa Rica.

In football-themed packaging terms, this means Pot Noodle Brazilian BBQ Steak, Haribo Brazil P!K, Mattessons Fridge Raiders, Pepsi eight-pack collation wrap, Krispy Kreme, Walkers crisps multi-pack bag, Rowntree’s Randoms and Terry’s Chocolate Orange will battle it out to reach the semi-finals.

The quarter-final matches take place over the coming weekend (July 4-5), so keep an eye on Twitter to see how this unfolds, and check back here early next week for a full update on the state of play of the packaging World Cup.

This will see France (Krispy Kreme) and Germany (Walkers crisps multi-pack bag), and then Brazil (Pot Noodle Brazilian BBQ Steak) and Colombia (Haribo Brazil P!K), play each other on July 4, with Argentina (Mattessons Fridge Raiders) facing Belgium (Pepsi) and Netherlands (Rowntree’s Randoms) taking on Costa Rica (Terry’s Chocolate Orange) on July 5.

If you need to refresh your memory on what all this packaging looks like, see the World Cup winners post here.

July 3

July 6

The football/soccer World Cup moves on with the four quarter-final ties coming to an end, leaving Brazil, Germany, Netherlands and Argentina still in the running to lift the trophy.

For the packaging World Cup contest, this leaves Pot Noodle Brazilian BBQ Steak, Walkers mutli-pack bag, Rowntree's Randoms and Mattessons Fridge Raiders to battle it out for top spot.

On July 8, Brazil take on Germany:

July 9

I'm not sure anyone was expecting last night's result, with Germany annihilating Brazil 7-1 in the first World Cup 2014 semi-final. In terms of the packaging World Cup, this means Walkers crisps multi-pack bag progresses to the final to face either Mattessons Fridge Raiders or Rowntree's Randoms football mix, with Argentina and Netherlands meeting tonight in the second semi-final.

July 10

So after a month of on-field action, World Cup 2014 is nearing its conclusion, with Germany and Argentina to contest the final on July 13 in Rio, Brazil.

In terms of the packaging World Cup, this leaves Walkers crisps multi-pack bag and Mattessons Fridge Raiders in the running to come out on top. To get here they have overcome packaging from the likes of Terry's Chocolate Orange, Um Bongo, Babybel and more, and you can read all about their route to the final above.

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I’ll be continuing to update my initial World Cup winners blog, adding other examples of “fans”, like the Jaffa Cakes cartons above, to the article as the World Cup progresses.