World Cup 2022 knockout round qualification scenarios for every group

The 2022 World Cup has gone through two matches in every group and with one match left for everyone, things are as tight as they’ve ever been. Only three teams have booked a spot in the knockout round, and only two others have been eliminated. That means 27 teams are still in the mix for the remaining 13 spots. Here’s a look at the scenarios for each team still in contention, along with the teams that have qualified or been eliminated. This article will be updated as results come through during the week.

Group A

Qualified: Netherlands, Senegal
Eliminated: Qatar, Ecuador

Update: Netherlands and Senegal both won, so they will be advancing to the knockout stage. Netherlands is A1 and Senegal is A2.

Netherlands win or draw: Qualify for knockout round
Netherlands loss: Qualify for knockout round if Ecuador win, tiebreakers in play if Ecuador-Senegal draw or Senegal win

Ecuador win or draw: Qualify for knockout round
Ecuador loss: Eliminated if Netherlands win or draw, tiebreakers in play if Netherlands lose

Senegal win: Qualify for knockout round
Senegal draw: Eliminated if Netherlands win or draw, tiebreakers in play if Netherlands lose
Senegal loss: Eliminated from knockout round

Group B

Qualified: England, USA
Eliminated: Wales, Iran

Update - England and USA both won, so they are B1 and B2 respectively heading into the round of 16. Wales and Iran are out.

England win or draw: Qualify for knockout round
England loss: Tiebreakers come into play with either Wales and potentially Iran

Iran win: Qualify for knockout round
Iran draw: Tiebreakers come into play if Wales beat England
Iran loss: Eliminated from contention

USA win: Qualify for knockout round
USA draw or loss: Eliminated from contention

Wales win: Tiebreakers come into play with England and potentially Iran
Wales draw or loss: Eliminated from contention

Group C

Qualified: Argentina, Poland
Eliminated: Mexico, Saudi Arabia

Update: Argentina won 2-0 over Poland and Mexico won 2-1 over Saudi Arabia, which means goal differential sends Poland to the round of 16. Argentina win the group, while Poland are the runners-up.

Poland win or draw: Qualify for knockout stage
Poland loss: Tiebreakers in play depending on Saudi Arabia-Mexico result

Argentina win: Qualify for knockout stage
Argentina draw: Tiebreakers in play depending on Saudi Arabia-Mexico result
Argentina loss: Tiebreakers in play if Mexico defeat Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia win: Qualify for knockout round
Saudi Arabia draw: Tiebreakers in play if Argentina defeat Poland or Argentina-Poland ends in a draw
Saudi Arabia loss: Tiebreakers in play if Poland defeat Argentina

Mexico win: Qualify for knockout round if Poland defeat Argentina, tiebreakers in play with Argentina if Argentina-Poland ends in draw, tiebreakers in play with Poland if Argentina beat Poland
Mexico draw or loss: Eliminated from contention

Group D

Qualified: France, Australia
Eliminated: Denmark, Tunisia

Update: Australia beat Denmark, so Tunisia’s result did not make a difference.

Australia win: Qualify for knockout round
Australia draw: Tiebreakers come into play if Tunisia beat France
Australia loss: Eliminated from contention

Denmark win: Tiebreakers come into play if Tunisia beat France
Denmark draw or loss: Eliminated from contention

Tunisia win: Eliminated from competition as Australia beat Denmark
Tunisia draw or loss: Eliminated from contention

Group E

Qualified: Japan, Spain
Eliminated: Costa Rica, Germany

Update: Japan defeated Spain, but Germany did not score enough goals in the win over Costa Rica to make up the goal differential deficit. Japan wins the group and Spain comes in as the second team.

Spain win or draw: Qualify for knockout round
Spain loss: Tiebreakers in play if Costa Rica-Germany ends in a draw or Germany win, eliminated if Costa Rica win

Japan win: Qualify for the knockout round
Japan draw: Tiebreakers in play if Costa Rica-Germany ends in draw or Germany win, eliminated if Costa Rica win
Japan loss: Eliminated from contention

Costa Rica win: Qualify for knockout round
Costa Rica draw: Tiebreakers in play if Japan-Spain ends in draw, qualify if Spain win, eliminated if Japan win
Costa Rica loss: Eliminated from contention

Germany win: Tiebreakers in play if Japan-Spain draw or Japan win, qualify if Spain win
Germany draw or loss: Eliminated from contention

Group F

Qualified: Morocco, Croatia
Eliminated: Canada, Belgium

Update: Morocco won and Croatia managed to draw with Belgium, sending Morocco and Croatia into the round of 16.

Morocco win or draw: Qualify for knockout stage
Morocco loss: Qualify for knockout stage if Croatia beat Belgium, tiebreakers come into play if Croatia-Belgium ends in draw or Belgium win

Croatia win or draw: Qualify for knockout stage
Croatia loss: Eliminated if Morocco win or draw, tiebreakers come into play if Morocco lose to Canada

Belgium win: Qualify for knockout stage
Belgium draw: Tiebreakers come into play if Morocco lose to Canada, eliminated if Morocco win or draw
Belgium loss: Eliminated from knockout stage

Group G

Qualified: Brazil, Switzerland
Eliminated: Serbia, Cameroon

Update: Switzerland defeat Serbia, which locks them into a spot in the round of 16.

Switzerland win: Qualify for knockout round
Switzerland draw: Qualify for knockout round if Brazil win or draw against Cameroon, tiebreakers in play if Cameroon beat Brazil
Switzerland loss: Eliminated from contention

Serbia win: Qualify for knockout round if Brazil win or draw against Cameroon, tiebreakers in play if Cameroon beat Brazil
Serbia draw or loss: Eliminated from contention

Cameroon win: Qualify for knockout round if Switzerland win or draw against Serbia, tiebreakers in play if Serbia beat Switzerland
Cameroon draw or loss: Eliminated from contention

Group H

Qualified: Portugal, South Korea
Eliminated: Ghana, Uruguay

Update: South Korea scored a late goal in stoppage time to advance to the knockout round over Uruguay on goals scored in the group stage.

Ghana win: Qualify for knockout round
Ghana draw: Qualify for knockout round if Portugal win or draw against South Korea, tiebreakers in play if South Korea beat Portugal
Ghana loss: Eliminated from contention

Uruguay win: Qualify for knockout round if Portugal win or draw against South Korea, tiebreakers in play if South Korea beat Portugal
Uruguay draw or loss: Eliminated from contention

South Korea win: Tiebreakers in play Ghana draw against Uruguay or Uruguay beat Ghana
South Korea draw or loss: Eliminated from contention