MOSCOW, July 9 -- We take a look at five lessons that China can learn from the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

1. History counts for nothing

In a World Cup of surprises, teams that have traditionally had only moderate success on the international stage have proven that even the world's best can be vulnerable under pressure. No team typified this more than Russia. The hosts showed the benefit of playing with passion, tactical discipline and self-belief as they made it to the last eight for the first time in the post-Soviet era.

Iceland, despite failing to advance beyond the group stage, were another team to make an impression. With a population of less than 350,000, the Nordic nation was able to field a team that was more than competitive here. Heimir Hallgrimsson's men outplayed Lionel Messi's Argentina in the first half of their tournament opening before holding the two-time champions to a 1-1 draw. They also pushed Croatia until the last minute in Rostov, where they came away with an unlucky 2-1 defeat.

2. Asian power

Often maligned as one of FIFA's weaker regions, Asia was well represented here. South Korea and Japan, in particular, showed that they can compete against the world's strongest teams. Fast and fearless, Japan looked like overcoming Belgium by scoring the first two goals in their round of 16 duel. However the European side struck three goals in the last 25 minutes to snatch victory in stoppage time.

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