# World Cup Round 1. (points, GD, Goals Scored, then what?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 15, 2002, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-round-1-points-gd-goals-scored-then-what/114242 "2002-06-15T17:47:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JamesGrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/258eb7/32.png) [@JamesGrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesGrey)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-round-1-points-gd-goals-scored-then-what/114242/1 "2002-06-15T17:47:49Z")
In the Worl cup round 1 the teams with the highest points in each group go through. If there are not 2 clear victors, then the goal difference is brought in. If that is the same then higher Number of goals scored wins. What I have ne never heard mention is, what then if that is identical? How is the deadlock broken after that? ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-round-1-points-gd-goals-scored-then-what/114242/2 "2002-06-15T17:50:54Z")
By comparing the number of goals conceded. ---
**Author:** ![JamesGrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/258eb7/32.png) [@JamesGrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesGrey)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-round-1-points-gd-goals-scored-then-what/114242/3 "2002-06-15T18:01:06Z")
If GD is equal and Goals scored is equal I’d like to see how Goals Conceded can possibly be different. Maybe you’ve got an idea??? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-round-1-points-gd-goals-scored-then-what/114242/4 "2002-06-15T18:02:59Z")
Eventually it goes to a drawing. Two balls are put into a cup, each one with one of the teams names on it. A representative of the host country pulls out one of the balls to decide who moves on. This has happened once in World Cup history but it was to determine first versus second place in the group, not to decide who would advace. Haj ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-round-1-points-gd-goals-scored-then-what/114242/5 "2002-06-15T18:27:10Z")
I think before it goes to a drawing, it goes to how the teams performed _against each other_. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-round-1-points-gd-goals-scored-then-what/114242/6 "2002-06-15T20:53:38Z")
I’ve heard the same as **ruadh**. If, say, England and Argentina were on equal points, equal GD and equal goals scored at the end of the group stage, England would go through as they’d beaten Argentina. I presume the ‘balls’ stage comes if the match was a draw. ---
**Author:** ![Hokienautic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@Hokienautic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hokienautic)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-round-1-points-gd-goals-scored-then-what/114242/7 "2002-06-16T00:08:24Z")
Here’s how it goes: 1 - Points 2 - Goal Differential 3 - Goals Scored If it’s still tied between two or more teams, it then goes to: 4 - Points scored in matches involving the tied teams (with two tied teams, this is where head-to-head comes into play) 5 - Goal Differential in matches involving the tied teams 6 - Goals Scored in matches involving the tied teams 7 - Draw Lots Note that 5 and 6 would only come into play in a three-way tie, as if there was a two-way tie with 4 not coming into play, the game between the two would thereby be a tie and have the same GD and GS by definition. That then rewards the teams that did better against the better teams, while punishing the team that beat up on the worst team in the group (not in the tie) but struggled against the two other involved teams.