What would happen if Mexico/Uruguay just kicked the ball aimlessly?

The Game Room
1

The reason that the final group games are at the same time is so as to not give teams so much knowledge over what they need to do to qualify. However Mexico/Uruguay know that a draw will put them both through so they both have an incentive to do nothing aggressive. This happened before when the group matches were not simultaneous, but can FIFA impose penalties for “not doing anything”?

2

There’s usually a huge boost to finishing top of the group, because you’d normally then face a weaker team in the next round. Finish second in this group and you’re likely to face Argentina, which I’d say was a pretty good incentive to go for the win.

There was a famous(ly boring) match I vaguely recall featuring Germany v Austria who played out exactly as you describe - but this was before the ‘everyone play simultaneously’ rule, so they both knew they were through, as well as obviously being best buddies.

3

Unless some explicit collusion is discovered, they have earned the right from previous results to play this game cautiously. I can’t see FIFA doing anything official even if they literally passed the ball around at the back for 90 minutes. The press and the football world in general would despise them for it, though.
Anyway, as **SanVito **says they still have some incentive to win.

4

Mexico will have to face Argentina if it ties Uruguay. That should be an incentive to do more than tie.

5

I remember that. It was in the 1982 World Cup. A 1-0 win for Germany ensured that both teams went through. After Germany scored both teams aimlessly passed the ball around for the rest of the game. Shameful. The rules were changed after that to make the final group games kick off at the same time

6

If there had been any rule to exclude them from the Cup, I’d have voted for it to be employed. We call it “die Schande von Gijon” (Disgrace at Gijon)

Best buddies? Oh, how mistaken you are.

But to get back to the relevant question: the FIFA would punish any team that was involved in some secret agreement to arrange a specific result of a game – but they need evidence for that. If two teams simply play the ball from one player to the next without attacking, they can’t do much beyond an investigation.