Group C: What each team needs to qualify for the round of 16 of the World Cup
After a huge upset to Saudi Arabia in their opening game, Argentina roared back to win their second World Cup game against Mexico to remain in contention.
Argentina came back with a vengeance against Mexico. After losing their opening World Cup match to Saudi Arabia in a shock 1-2 defeat, they would have lost all hope of qualifying for the round of 16 had they lost to Mexico. With such a scenario on the line, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernández gave Argentina a 2-0 win over El Tri to keep their hopes of making it to the next round alive.
Remaining Group C games:
All remaining Group C games will be played on Wednesday, November 30 at 12 p.m. ET. Argentina will play Poland at Stadium 974 and Mexico will play at Lusail Stadium.
Group C Table
| Group C Team | GP | Wins | Ties | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Poland | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +2 | 4 |
| 2 - Argentina | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 - Saudi Arabia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 - Mexico | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 1 |
Group C: How can each team qualify?
Argentina:
Argentina moved to second place in Group C behind Poland after beating Mexico in their second World Cup game of the group stage. A win over Poland would guarantee their spot in the round of 16. If Argentina and Poland tie, Argentina would only certainly advance if Saudi Arabia also ties with Mexico. If Argentina and Poland tie and Saudi Arabia beat Mexico, Argentina will be eliminated. If they tie and Mexico win by one or two goals, Argentina would finish second and Mexico third; if Mexico win by three goals, second place would be decided by the goal difference and then goals scored. If the result is the same, Argentina would finish second on head to head. If Mexico win by four, they would be second and Argentina would be eliminated. If Argentina loses, they will be eliminated.
Mexico:
Mexico has to win in order to qualify for the round of 16. Their loss to Argentina on Saturday bumped them down to last place in Group C. If they beat Saudi Arabia by four, and Argentina lose or draw, they would move up to second and push the Albiceleste down to third. If both Poland and Mexico win, Mexico would qualify. If Poland lose but Mexico win, second place would be determined on group goal difference and goals scored and Mexico would have to win by four goals. If the results are the same, second place would be decided on fair play points. If the Poland vs Argentina game ends in a tie, second place would be decided on goal difference and goals scored and Mexico would have to win by three goals. If results are the same, Argentina would finish second on head to head.
Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia will advance to the round of 16 if they beat Mexico. They will not advance if they lose to Mexico. If Saudi Arabia and Mexico tie, Saudi Arabia would only certainly qualify if Argentina lose to Poland. If Saudi Arabia and Mexico tie, and Poland lose by one or two goals, Saudi Arabia would be eliminated from contention. If Saudi Arabia and Mexico tie and Poland lose by three, second place would be decided by goal difference and goals scored. If results are the same, Poland would finish second on head to head. If Poland loses to Argentina by four or more goals, Saudi Arabia would finish second and qualify. If both games end in a tie, Saudi Arabia would be eliminated.
Poland:
Poland will qualify with a win over Argentina. They would also qualify with a draw with Argentina as long as Saudi Arabia loses or draws with Mexico. If Poland lose and Saudi Arabia draw, they would still qualify if they only lose by two or fewer goals. If they lose by three goals, second place would be decided by the group goal difference and goals scored. If the results are the same, Poland would finish second on the head to head. If they lose by four or more goals, they would be eliminated. If Poland lose to Argentina and Saudi Arabia beat Mexico, Poland will be eliminated.