In a World Cup where Argentina and Spain were the obvious dominators, a clear improvement in the overall level was the common ground. With several emotions throughout the competition, the final classification brought many surprises.

As expected, Argentina and Spain reached the finals in both categories without a hitch. But several national squads surprised by their level, and many other teams that were expected to finish higher in the rankings suffered as a result. 

Undoubtedly, the biggest surprise of all was the clear improvement on the general level, especially of the European teams. Countries such as Portugal (who eliminated Brazil, a clear aspirant for bronze), France (achieving a third place for men), Belgium and Sweden, showed a high performance, putting in trouble or even eliminating