The group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup is coming down to the wire and the pressure is on for teams to qualify for the knockout stage.
Defending champions France became the first team to advance to the round of 16 following a win over Denmark on Saturday.
There are a lot of factors that determine whether a team advances within the prestigious tournament that go beyond a win, loss or a draw.
For instance, if teams have the same amount of points after the three group matches, there is a tiebreaker by FIFA's 2022 World Cup regulations that takes place, making the final result ahead of the knockout phase coming down to the nitty gritty.
As the group stage concludes on Friday, here is a breakdown of how each team can qualify for the knockout stage:
Group A
1. Netherlands (7 points):
Qualified
2. Senegal (6 points):
Qualified
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3. Ecuador (4 points):
Eliminated
4. Qatar (0 points)
Eliminated
Group B
1. England (7 points):
Qualified
2. United States (5 points)
Qualified
3. Iran (3 points)
Eliminated
4. Wales (1 point):
Eliminated
Group C
1. Argentina (6 points):
Qualified
2. Poland (4 points):
Qualified
3. Mexico (4 points):
Eliminated
4. Saudi Arabia (3 points):
Eliminated
Group D
1. France (6 points):
Qualified
2. Australia (6 points):
Qualified
3. Tunisia (4 points):
Eliminated
4. Denmark (1 point):
Eliminated
Group E
1. Japan (6 points):
Qualified
2. Spain (4 points):
Qualified
3. Germany (4 points):
Eliminated
3. Costa Rica (3 points):
Eliminated
Group F
1. Morocco (7 points):
Qualified
2. Croatia (5 points):
Qualified
3. Belgium (4 points):
Eliminated
4. Canada (0 points):
Eliminated
Group G
1. Brazil (6 points):
Qualified
2. Switzerland (3 points):
- A win or draw vs. Serbia
3. Cameroon (1 point):
- A win against Brazil plus a Switzerland loss
- A win vs. Brazil by more than one goal plus a Switzerland-Serbia draw
4. Serbia (1 point):
- A win vs. Switzerland plus a Cameroon loss
Group H
1. Portugal (6 points):
Qualified
2. South Korea (4 points):
Qualified
3. Uruguay (4 points):
Eliminated
4. Ghana (3 points)
Eliminated
How do teams advance in the World Cup?
In the group stage, teams advance based on a point system.
Teams that win a game earn three points while a tie earns the squad a single point. No points are awarded to a losing team.
If two teams have the same amount of points after all three group games, then the overall goal difference will determine the advancement.
If the two teams are still neck and neck, the team that scored the most goals will move forward.
After this step, those matches' total points will determine the move.
Lastly, if teams are still even, the fair play system will be implemented, awarding the team with the least amount of penalties in matches to advance.
How many teams advance in the World Cup?
A total of 16 teams will qualify for the knockout stage.
The two teams with the most points from each of the eight groups will move on to the Round of 16.
Who advances from the World Cup group?
The following teams have advanced into the Round of 16 so far:
- France (Group D)
- Brazil (Group G)
- Portugal (Group H)
- Netherlands (Group A)
- Senegal (Group A)
- United States (Group B)
- England (Group B)
- Australia (Group D)
- Argentina (Group C)
- Poland (Group C)
- Japan (Group E)
- Spain (Group E)
- Morocco (Group F)
- Croatia (Group F)
- South Korea (Group H)
The top two teams of each of the eight groups will advance.
What does Mexico need to advance in the World Cup?
Mexico was eliminated from the 2022 World Cup after its win to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
Despite goals from Henry Martín and Luis Chávez, Mexico fell short in Group C based on goal differential with a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia. With Argentina's 2-0 win over Poland, Mexico's minus-one goal differential wasn't enough to Poland's zero.
Even if Mexico held on to win 2-0, it would've been eliminated based on yellow cards accumulated. Mexico had picked up seven over the three group stage games while Poland had just five.
What does Argentina need to advance to the World Cup?
Argentina has advanced to the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup after its win over Poland on Wednesday.
Which teams have been eliminated from World Cup 2022?
The teams that have been eliminated from the 2022 World Cup are as follows:
- Qatar (Group A)
- Canada (Group F)
- Ecuador (Group A)
- Iran (Group B)
- Wales (Group B)
- Denmark (Group D)
- Tunisia (Group D)
- Mexico (Group C)
- Saudi Arabia (Group C)
- Germany (Group E)
- Costa Rica (Group E)
- Belgium (Group F)
- Ghana (Group H)
- Uruguay (Group H)
Qatar was eliminated on Nov. 25, becoming the first host country to get eliminated after its first two games following a loss to Senegal and a Netherlands-Ecuador draw.
