As we move on to the last games of the group stages this week. Let’s take a look at the permutations of who can move forward depending on the last game.
Group A
Netherlands beats or draws Qatar, Ecuador beats or draws Senegal: Netherlands and Ecuador advance
Netherlands beats or draws Qatar, Senegal beats Ecuador: Netherlands and Senegal advance
Qatar beats Netherlands, Ecuador beats Senegal: Netherlands and Ecuador advance
Qatar beats Netherlands, Ecuador draws Senegal: Ecuador qualifies and If Netherlands loses to Qatar by one goal, Netherlands advances based on goal difference. If Netherlands loses to Qatar by two goals, whichever of Senegal or Netherlands scores more goals in their final match advances; if they score the same number of goals in their final match, Netherlands advances based on having previously beaten Senegal head-to-head. If Netherlands loses to Qatar by three goals or more, Senegal advances based on goal difference.
Qatar beats Netherlands, Senegal beats Ecuador: Senegal wins the group, and whichever of Netherlands or Ecuador loses by fewer goals advances as runner-up.
Group B
England beats or draws Wales, USA beats Iran: England and USA advance
England beats or draws Wales, Iran beats or draws USA: England and Iran advance
England and Wales draw, USA and Iran draw: England and Iran advance
Wales beats England, USA beats Iran: USA advances and England advances unless Wales wins by at least four goals in which case Wales advances
Wales beats England, Iran beats USA: Iran and England advance
Wales beats England, USA draw Iran: Wales advances and England or Iran qualify. If Wales beats England by exactly six goals, Wales wins the group, either Iran or England advances as runner-up based on goals scored. If Wales win by more than six points Iran advances.
Group C
Argentina beats Poland, Mexico beats Saudi Arabia: Argentina advances and either Poland or Mexico advances based on goal difference.
Argentina beats Poland, Saudi Arabia beats Mexico: Argentina and Saudi Arabia advance
Argentina beats Poland, Mexico and Saudi Arabia draw: Argentina advance and either Poland or Saudi Arabia advances. Poland advances if it loses to Argentina by two goals or fewer; Saudi Arabia advances if Poland loses to Argentina by four goals or more. If Poland loses to Argentina by three goals, either Poland or Saudi Arabia advances based on whichever team scores more goals in their final match; if they score the same number of goals, Poland advances because they beat Saudi Arabia head-to-head.
Argentina and Poland draw Mexico beats Saudi Arabia: Poland advances and either Argentina or Mexico advance.Mexico advances if it beats Saudi Arabia by four goals or more. Argentina advances if Mexico beats Saudi Arabia by two goals or fewer. If Mexico beats Saudi Arabia by three goals, either Mexico or Argentina advances based on goals scored, which Argentina leads Mexico by three going into the final matches. If they remain tied (i.e. Argentina and Poland draw 0-0, Mexico beats Saudi Arabia 3-0), Argentina advances because it beat Mexico head-to-head.
Argentina and Poland draw, Mexico and Saudi Arabia draw: Poland and Argentina advance
Argentina and Poland draw, Saudi Arabia beats Mexico: Saudi Arabia and Poland advance
Poland beats Argentina, Mexico beats Saudi Arabia: Poland and Mexico advance
Poland beats Argentina, Saudi Arabia beats or draws Mexico: Poland and Saudi Arabia advance
Group D
France beats or draws Tunisia, Denmark beats Australia: France and Denmark advance
France beats or draws Tunisia, Australia beats or draws Denmark: France and Australia advance
Tunisia beats France, Denmark beats Australia: France advances with either Denmark or Tunisia, based on whichever team scores more goals in their final match.
Tunisia beats France, Denmark and Australia draw: France and Tunisia advance.
Tunisia beats France, Australia beats Denmark: France and Australia advance
Group E
Germany beats Costa Rica, Spain beats Japan: Spain and Germany advance
Germany beats Costa Rica, Spain and Japan draw: Spain advances and either Germany or Japan advance with them based on goal difference. Germany advances if it wins by more than one goal.
Germany beats Costa Rica, Japan beats Spain: Japan advances and either Spain or Germany advance based on goal difference, which Spain leads Germany by eight going into the final matches.
Germany draws Costa Rica, Spain beats Japan: Spain and Costa Rica advance
Germany draws Costa Rica, Spain draws Japan: Spain and Japan advance
Germany draws Costa Rica, Japan beats Spain: Japan advances and would be joined by Spain or Costa Rica. Spain leads Costa Rica by 13 goal difference points going into the final matches.
Costa Rica beats Germany, Spain beats or draws Japan: Spain and Costa Rica advance
Costa Rica beats Germany, Japan beats Spain: Costa Rica and Japan advance
Group F
Croatia beats or draws Belgium, Morocco beats, loses or draws Canada: Croatia and Morocco advance
Belgium beats Croatia, Morocco beats or draws Canada: Belgium and Morocco advance
Belgium beats Croatia, Canada beats Morocco: Belgium advances, and either Croatia or Morocco advances as runner-up, based on goal difference, which Croatia leads Morocco by one going into the final matches.
Belgium draws Croatia and Canada beat Morocco: Croatia advances, and either Belgium or Morocco advances based on goal difference which would be Morocco with a lead of one before the games.
Group G
Brazil beats or draws Cameroon, Switzerland beats or draws Serbia: Brazil and Switzerland advance
Brazil beats or draws Cameroon, Serbia beats Switzerland: Brazil and Serbia advance
Cameroon beats Brazil, Switzerland beats Serbia: Brazil and Switzerland advance
Cameroon beat Brazil. Serbia beats Switzerland: Brazil advance and either Serbia and Cameroon advance based on goal difference which Cameroon lead Serbia by one.
Cameroon beat Brazil, Switzerland and Serbia draw: Brazil advance and if Cameroon wins by more than one goal, the team advances. If Cameroon wins by only one goal, the next tiebreaker would be goals scored, which Cameroon leads Switzerland by two going into the final matches. If they remain tied, Switzerland advances because it beat Cameroon head-to-head.
Group H
Portugal beats or draws South Korea, Uruguay beats Ghana: Portugal and Uruguay advance
Portugal beats or draws or loses South Korea, Ghana beats or draws Uruguay: Portugal and Ghana advance
South Korea beats Portugal, Uruguay beats Ghana: Portugal advances, and either Uruguay or South Korea advances as runner-up based on goal difference, which South Korea leads Uruguay by one going into the final matches
South Korea beats Portugal, Uruguay draw Ghana: Portugal advances and either Ghana or South Korea advance as runner-up, based on goal difference, which Ghana leads South Korea by one going into the final matches.
