This 48-team extravaganza is the biggest World Cup there has ever been, and it might just be the most complex too. Twelve groups of four teams might be enough to follow in the first place, but those fans of brackets who have a familiarity of past tournaments might have a sense of what the issue is here. A dozen groups do not a round robin path to the final easily make.
As such, eight of the 12 groups will send their third-placed team to the first knockout rounds, meaning 72 games will be required to trim a third off this field. Those third-placed teams will be ranked first by the points they accrue and then by goal difference, goals scored, their team conduct score (yellow and red cards), and then their FIFA ranking.
In short, this could get complicated. There's going to be a lot to follow, an awful lot of permutations that might, for example, decide whether Scotland get through and Sweden don't. Catch up with all the standings below.
Group A
TeamMPWDLGFGAGDPTS1Mexico000000002South Korea000000003South Africa000000004Czechia00000000Thursday, June 11 Mexico vs. South Africa, 3 p.m. South Korea vs. Czechia, 10 p.m.
Thursday, June 18 Czechia vs. South Africa, 12 p.m. Mexico vs. South Korea, 9 p.m.
Wednesday, June 24 Czechia vs. Mexico, 9 p.m. South Africa vs. South Korea, 9 p.m.
Group B
TeamMPWDLGFGAGDPTS1Canada000000002Switzerland000000003Qatar000000004Bosnia & Herz.00000000Friday, June 12 Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3 p.m.
Saturday, June 13 Qatar vs. Switzerland, 3 p.m.
Thursday, June 18 Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3 p.m. Canada vs. Qatar, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, June 24 Switzerland vs. Canada, 3 p.m. Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar, 3 p.m.
Group C
TeamMPWDLGFGAGDPTS1Brazil000000002Morocco000000003Scotland000000004Haiti00000000Saturday, June 13 Brazil vs. Morocco, 6 p.m. Haiti vs. Scotland, 9 p.m.
Friday, June 19 Scotland vs. Morocco, 6 p.m. Brazil vs. Haiti, 9 p.m.
Wednesday, June 24 Scotland vs. Brazil, 6 p.m. Morocco vs. Haiti, 6 p.m.
Group D
TeamMPWDLGFGAGDPTS1USA000000002Australia000000003Paraguay000000004Turkiye00000000Friday, June 12 USA vs. Paraguay, 9 p.m.
Saturday, June 13 Australia vs. Turkiye, 12 a.m.
Friday, June 19 USA vs. Australia, 3 p.m. Turkiye vs. Paraguay, 12 a.m.
Thursday, June 25 Turkiye vs. USA, 10 p.m. Paraguay vs. Australia, 10 p.m.
Group E
TeamMPWDLGFGAGDPTS1Germany000000002Ecuador000000003Ivory Coast000000004Curacao00000000Sunday, June 14 Germany vs. Curacao, 1 p.m. Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 20 Germany vs. Ivory Coast, 4 p.m. Ecuador vs. Curacao, 8 p.m.
Thursday, June 25 Ecuador vs. Germany, 4 p.m. Curacao vs. Ivory Coast, 4 p.m.
Group F
TeamMPWDLGFGAGDPTS1Netherlands000000002Japan000000003Sweden000000004Tunisia00000000Sunday, June 14 Netherlands vs. Japan, 4 p.m. Sweden vs. Tunisia, 10 p.m.
Saturday, June 20 Netherlands vs. Sweden, 1 p.m. Tunisia vs. Japan, 12 a.m.
Thursday, June 25 Japan vs. Sweden, 7 p.m. Tunisia vs. Netherlands, 7 p.m.
Group G
TeamMPWDLGFGAGDPTS1Belgium000000002Iran000000003Egypt000000004New Zealand00000000Monday, June 15 Belgium vs. Egypt, 3 p.m. Iran vs. New Zealand, 9 p.m.
Sunday, June 21 Belgium vs. Iran, 3 p.m. New Zealand vs. Egypt, 9 p.m.
Friday, June 26 Egypt vs. Iran, 11 p.m. New Zealand vs. Belgium, 11 p.m.
Group H
TeamMPWDLGFGAGDPTS1Spain000000002Uruguay000000003Saudi Arabia000000004Cape Verde00000000Monday, June 15 Spain vs. Cape Verde, 12 p.m. Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay, 6 p.m.
Sunday, June 21 Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, 12 p.m. Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, 6 p.m.
Friday, June 26 Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, 8 p.m. Uruguay vs. Spain, 8 p.m.
Group I
TeamMPWDLGFGAGDPTS1France000000002Senegal000000003Norway000000004Iraq00000000Tuesday, June 16 France vs. Senegal, 3 p.m. Iraq vs. Norway, 6 p.m.
Monday, June 22 France vs. Iraq, 5 p.m. Norway vs. Senegal, 8 p.m.
Friday, June 26 Norway vs. France, 3 p.m. Senegal vs. Iraq, 3 p.m.
Group J
TeamMPWDLGFGAGDPTS1Argentina000000002Austria000000003Algeria000000004Jordan00000000Tuesday, June 16 Argentina vs. Algeria, 9 p.m. Austria vs. Jordan, 12 a.m.
Monday, June 22 Argentina vs. Austria, 1 p.m. Jordan vs. Algeria, 11 p.m.
Saturday, June 27 Algeria vs. Austria, 10 p.m. Jordan vs. Argentina, 10 p.m.
Group K
TeamMPWDLGFGAGDPTS1Portugal000000002Colombia000000003DR Congo000000004Uzbekistan00000000Wednesday, June 17 Portugal vs. DR Congo, 1 p.m. Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, 10 p.m.
Tuesday, June 23 Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, 1 p.m. Colombia vs. DR Congo, 10 p.m.
Saturday, June 27 Colombia vs. Portugal, 7:30 p.m. DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan, 7:30 p.m.
Group L
TeamMPWDLGFGAGDPTS1England000000002Croatia000000003Ghana000000004Panama00000000Wednesday, June 17 England vs. Croatia, 4 p.m. Ghana vs. Panama, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, June 23 England vs. Ghana, 4 p.m. Panama vs. Croatia, 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 27 Panama vs. England, 5 p.m. Croatia vs. Ghana, 5 p.m.
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