In the 2026 men’s World Cup group stage, 48 nations are each chasing one of 32 spots in the knockout phase.

How does the World Cup group stage work?

In the tournament’s opening round, each team has been placed in a group of four, with all four countries playing each other once. At the end of the group stage in North America, the top two finishers in each section will progress automatically to the round of 32. They will be joined there by the eight best third-placed sides.

In each group, teams are ranked by the number of points their earn over their three first-round games. They get three points for each win, one for each tie, and zero for each loss.

But what happens if a single group sees more than one team end up with the same number of points?

Explained: group-stage tiebreakers

When two or more teams are tied on the same points total at the conclusion of the group stage, FIFA applies a series of tiebreakers to determine the final standings.

For the 2026 World Cup, unlike the 2022 tournament, head-to-head results are the first factor considered.

• Step one: head-to-head criteria

The following criteria are applied to the tied teams, in descending order of priority:

1. Greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned
2. Superior goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned
3. Greatest number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned

If the teams are still level after the head-to-head comparison, world soccer’s governing body turns its attention to their overall performance in the group.

• Step two: overall group record

The following criteria are applied in descending order of importance:

1. Superior goal difference in all group games
2. Greatest number of goals scored in all group games
3. Best disciplinary score (based on the yellow and red cards received by players and team officials)

• Step three: the final tiebreaker

If teams still cannot be separated after their sporting and disciplinary records have been compared, FIFA will use the most recent men’s world rankings. This replaces the drawing of lots as the group stages’ last-resort tiebreaker.

Explained: third-place tiebreakers

FIFA must also create a ranking of the group stage’s 12 third-placed finishers, given that the best-performing eight will advance and the worst-performing four will exit the tournament. This ranking process is certain to feature points clashes, so tiebreakers will again come into play to separate teams.

The following criteria are used, again in descending order of priority:

1. Superior goal difference in all group games
2. Greatest number of goals scored in all group games
3. Best disciplinary score (based on the yellow and red cards received by players and team officials)
4. FIFA men’s world ranking

Related stories

World Cup 2026

The Mexico stars born in the USA

World Cup 2026

The day FIFA let a couple get married at a World Cup match

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.