Article by Daniel Scorpie, Adrian Duţă – Published Thursday, June 11, 2026, 11:21 / Updated Thursday, June 11, 2026 11:46
The World Championship starts today, from 22:00, with the match Mexico – South Africaat the legendary Azteca stadium. As this will be the biggest final tournament in history, with 48 teams, the criteria for tie-breakers in the group stage are commensurately complex, with the last resort being the FIFA ranking.
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The 2026 World Championship takes place from June 11 to July 19 in the USA, Mexico and Canada. The final will be played on MetLife, from New Jersey.
The top two teams from each group plus the best eight third-placed national teams qualify for the round of 16 stage.
Tie-off criteria at the 2026 World Championship
If two or more teams in a group finish tied on points, the ranking will be determined by:
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Points scored in head-to-head matches;
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Goal average in head-to-head matches;
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Most goals scored in head-to-head matches.
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Total goal average in the group;
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Number of goals scored in the group;
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Disciplinary ranking (number of yellow and red cards).
How are the 8 teams that advance from the 3rd places in the groups decided:
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The points in the group;
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Group goal difference;
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Goals scored in the group;
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Disciplinary ranking (number of yellow and red cards);
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FIFA ranking.
Regulation on suspensions
Two yellow cards picked up by a player automatically attract a one-match suspension, as does a straight red card or second yellow card in the match.
Warnings received will be canceled after both the group stage and the quarter-finals. Basically, if a player receives a yellow in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, he will not be suspended in the final, because the warning received in the quarter-finals will no longer count.
The groups from CM 2026
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Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
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Group B: Canada, Bosnia, Qatar, Switzerland
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Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
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Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
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Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
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Group F: The Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
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Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
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Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
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Group I: France, Iraq, Senegal, Norway
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Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
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Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
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Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
