What Are the 2023 Women’s World Cup Group Tiebreakers

With the final group stage matches at the Women’s World Cup set to begin Sunday, several teams already have their sights cast on the tiebreakers that could determine which nations advance to the knockout stage.

In the past—during 24-team, six-group Women’s World Cup tournaments—the top two teams in each group advanced with the top four third-place teams also advancing based on points followed by goal differential.

This year’s tournament in New Zealand and Australia is the first Women’s World Cup to feature eight groups and 32 teams, but the tiebreaker rules mirror those of past World Cups with the top two teams from each group advancing. The final games within each group are played simultaneously. 

After completing the first two group matches, global women’s soccer powerhouses like the U.S. women’s national team, the Netherlands, Canada and Australia all face scenarios where tiebreakers could play a significant role in advancing or winning their respective groups. 

Here are the group tiebreakers at the Women’s World Cup for teams that are tied on points:

1. Goal differential: Subtract the number of goals scored by goals conceded.
2. Goals scored in the entire group stage
3. Head-to-Head result: Most points obtained in the group match(s) between the teams concerned
4. Superior goal difference from the match(s) between the teams concerned
5. Most goals scored in the group match(s) between the teams concerned.
6. Fair Play Points: Teams are deducted one Fair Play point for a yellow card, three for an indirect red card (two yellows), four for a straight red card and five Fair Play points for a yellow card and a straight red. The team with the most number of points after this criteria is applied wins the Fair Play tiebreaker. 
7. Drawing of lots: The most recent description involves a FIFA committee member selecting from a group of table-tennis-sized balls with team names written on one ball each. The team selected advances. 

The drawing of lots has only occurred at one World Cup in men’s and women’s tournament history: the 1990 men’s World Cup in Italy. However, the drawing of lots was not used to eliminate a team; rather, it was used to determine the order within the group of two teams (Ireland and the Netherlands) with identical records that were already advancing to the knockout stage.