World Cup 2026: How does qualification for the knockout stage work?

Goal difference, which since 1970 has been Fifa’s tiebreaker of choice, is now superseded by head-to-head results, the method long favoured by Uefa.

Traditionalists may be aghast, but those in favour say head-to-head is a fairer comparison of even teams than goal difference, which is often skewed by thrashings handed out to weaker sides.

If one team tied on points with another has beaten them in the group stage, the winners will finish higher up the table. So far, so simple.

Where multiple teams are level on points, a mini-league is created, removing the results against the remaining teams. Those tied teams are ranked by points won in the games involving each other, then by goal difference, followed by goals scored.

If that does not split them, the next criteria are goal difference followed by goals scored – for the group overall. Still level? Fifa’s catchily named Team Conduct Score (TCS) comes into play.

What might commonly be referred to as a team’s fair play or disciplinary record, each nation started the tournament on zero and are deducted points for any cards shown to players or – coaching staff beware – team officials, as below:

The closer to zero, the better the score. South Africa, for example, have the worst TCS in the tournament so far, sitting on -12 after receiving two straight red cards and four yellows. At this stage, 14 teams remain on zero.

If, somehow, the teams are still level, whoever had the higher Fifa ranking in June’s published update will prevail.