The report says Ghana entered the tournament ranked 73rd in the world, while Cape Verde were 67th. Their progress is notable because it came against teams positioned well above them, rather than through results between closely matched nations.
That distinction matters. A narrow victory over a similarly ranked opponent can be important, but it does not carry the same shock value as defeating a side with a major ranking advantage.
The upset table uses a selective rule: only matches with a gap of more than 30 ranking places are included. That threshold filters out routine competitive results and focuses attention on games where one team began with a clear ranking disadvantage.
The measure is not a complete performance rating. Rankings can lag behind a team’s current form, while tournament tactics, injuries and game state can reshape any contest. However, the gap offers a consistent way to compare surprises across different groups.
The report says Australia’s win over Turkey is excluded because the ranking difference did not exceed 30 places. That does not make the result insignificant; it simply falls outside the definition of a major ranking upset.
The distinction will remain relevant as the knockout phase begins. Ghana and Cape Verde will now face opponents with greater pressure and, potentially, stronger rankings. Their next results will test whether the group-stage breakthroughs were isolated shocks or evidence of a wider shift in the tournament hierarchy.