Doha November 29 2022: The second round of group matches at Qatar 2022 has come to an end and, in some sections, the fight for spots in the knockout stage is simply too close to call.
So tight are a few of the groups, in fact, that many are already asking: what happens if two or more last-16 hopefuls finish level on points?
If two or more teams in the same group are equal on points after the completion of the group stage, the following criteria, in the order below, shall be applied to determine the ranking:
• Step 1:
(a) greatest number of points obtained in all group matches;
(b) superior goal difference in all group matches;
(c) greatest number of goals scored in all group matches.
• Step 2:
If two or more teams in the same group are equal on the basis of the above three criteria, their rankings will be determined as follows:
(d) greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
(e) superior goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned;
(f) greatest number of goals scored in all group matches between the teams concerned;
(g) highest team conduct score relating to the number of yellow and red cards obtained;
(h) drawing of lots by FIFA.
