NORWAY are on course to win the World Cup – and it’s all because Japan lost to Brazil.
In a bizarre twist, every team that has beaten the country that knocked Japan out of the World Cup has gone on to win it.
Norway are on track to win the World Cup – if the weird quirk continues Credit: Getty
Japan lost to Brazil in the last 32 – before Brazil were dumped out by Norway Credit: Alamy
Or in other words, Japan’s knockout conquerors have always then lost to the eventual champions.
The freak streak applies to all four previous occasions the Samurai Blue have progressed through the group stages.
The first time they did so was when they co-hosted the 2002 tournament with South Korea.
lost 1-0 to Turkey in the round of 16 before Turkey were dumped out by Brazil in the semi-finals and Brazil beat Germany in the final.
In 2010, Paraguay won the last-16 clash with the Asian side on penalties before falling to Spain in the very next round.
La Roja won all four knockout matches 1-0 in South Africa, backing up the Paraguay victory by seeing off Germany and then Holland.
Japan were eliminated in the group stages in 2006 and 2014.
But at the 2018 edition, they lost to Belgium in the last 16.
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The Red Devils shocked Brazil in the quarter-finals and faced France in the last four, losing 1-0, before Les Bleus beat Croatia 4-2 for their second triumph.
And the crazy run continued at Qatar 2022.
Croatia beat Japan in the last 16 after a shootout and then got past Brazil on penalties too.
That set up a semi-final with Argentina but the Croatians lost 3-0.
Fast forward to the final, where Lionel Messi and Co secured victory over France in a shootout after a dramatic 3-3 draw.
And so if the unbelievable quirk were to carry on in North America this summer, it is good news for – and .
Japan made it out of the groups for the fifth time to set up a last-32 meeting with Brazil.
Casemiro equalised and Gabriel Martinelli secured a last-gasp winner deep into injury time to progress.
Croatia came unstuck by the curse when they lost the 2022 semi-final to Argentina Credit: Getty
France beat Belgium en route to 2018 glory – after the Red Devils saw off Japan Credit: AFP
Carlo Ancelotti’s side then faced Norway at the MetLife last Sunday – but were downed by Erling Haaland’s superb double.
And now the omens suggest .
They then might have to get past Argentina and France but history suggests the .
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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