There was a possibility that the World Cup final would see Hakim Ziyech and Mateo Kovacic square off on Sunday for Morocco and Croatia, respectively.
That potential was crushed swiftly on Tuesday and Wednesday as both suffered heartbreak and in doing so, end Chelsea's representation in the tournament at the semi-final stage. Given the predictions before a ball was kicked, Ziyech and Kovacic being the last two standing was something few anticipated.
Kai Havertz was the first eliminated with Germany's exit in the group stage, Christian Pulisic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and Denis Zakaria were next in the last 16 for USA, Senegal and Switzerland.
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Thiago Silva, Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling and Conor Gallagher were next in the quarter-final for Brazil and England before the aforementioned duo in the last four.
With the tournament wrapping up, it is a neat time to look back and reflect on how Chelsea players fared, rating all of their campaigns out of 10.
This period acted as a good place to regain confidence for some, whilst others continued the struggles they were suffering at Stamford Bridge before the international break with Graham Potter.
Kai Havertz - 6
Havertz's time in Qatar appeared to be heading towards a forgettable end. Barely did anything in the opener with Japan and played no part against Spain. Having to wait until the 66th minute to get on as Germany fell behind to Costa Rica, Havertz sprung into life, scoring two goals and turning the game on its end.
Going out so early will be seen as a failure, but his impact deserves some credit.
Christian Pulisic - 8
Pulisic is one of the top two performers from this tournament from Chelsea. His huge goal against Iran got USA out of their group and he also created the two other goals scored by Gregg Berhalter's side in the Middle East against Wales and Netherlands. Pulisic's Chelsea future remains uncertain but he looked influential from his favoured left-wing role in a 4-3-3.
Denis Zakaria - 2
A bit like his time at Chelsea so far, Zakaria was a forgotten man for his nation, only making two substitute appearances in Switzerland's final two games against Serbia and Portugal.
Kalidou Koulibaly - 5
Koulibaly gained praise for his defensive display in Senegal's group opener against the Netherlands but failed to prevent England's confident attack in the last 16, being run ragged by Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden. The high point of Koulibaly's tournament, like Pulisic, was scoring a winner to secure qualification from Group A against Ecuador.
Edouard Mendy - 3
Mendy needed a convincing tournament to regain some form after a challenging start to the season with Chelsea. Although he did make some wonderful saves against Qatar, his errors that gifted Netherlands two goals and then the criticism faced in the 3-0 loss to England reaffirmed concerns over his ability.
Thiago Silva - 7
It is sad that this will be Thiago Silva's last World Cup and he will not lift one in his already astonishing career. Brazil suffered penalty heartbreak to Croatia in the quarter-final, but Silva's performances were expectedly proficient, keeping two clean sheets in four appearances, also sumptuously assisting a goal in Brazil's dominant 4-1 victory over South Korea.
Mason Mount - 4
Mount's struggles at Chelsea were widely discussed before he left for Qatar and things look to be changing when he starred in England's impressive win over Iran almost a month ago. But failing to impact things in the 0-0 draw with USA and losing his starting spot for the rest of England's journey stifled that revival. He won the penalty against France that could have got England back into the game which he deserves praise for.
Raheem Sterling - N/A
A fine finish to round off a dazzling England counter opened Sterling's World Cup in the best way possible, becoming the first English Chelsea player to score in a World Cup since Joe Cole in 2006 in the 6-2 thrashing of Iran. But personal events disrupted his tournament, even if he did come off the bench in the quarter-final. It would be harsh to conclude such a judgement given the circumstances.
Conor Gallagher- N/A
Gallagher is one of the unlucky group of players taken to Qatar and getting no minutes for their nation. It probably still was a big experience for him at the age of 23 to be picked by Gareth Southgate but he'll be hoping for much better at the European Championships in 2024.
Mateo Kovacic - 7
A very strong tournament for the midfielder who demonstrated the dribbling and guile that have made him an admired talent on the European stage. Kovacic still lacked an end product, as has been a critique of his game for years, but he was an essential part of Croatia's technically sound midfield that included the legendary Luka Modric.
Hakim Ziyech - 9
Ziyech deserves the highest rating here, scoring a goal and creating the second in a historic win over Belgium in the second group game. Few would have anticipated back then how far Morocco would go. Shocking Spain and Portugal in the knockout stages, with Ziyech starting every World Cup game for his nation. He has looked like a changed man in Qatar, considering his fringe status in west London with Chelsea.
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