Poland and Mexico both finished with four points at the end of group stage of the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar. However, it was the Polish team which qualified for the round of 16 as the second-placed team in Group C based on a better goal difference.
Going into the final round of group fixtures, Poland was at the top of the group with four points while Mexico had one point but Argentina’s 2-0 win over Poland, which meant Argentina topped the group with six points, and Mexico’s 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia tied Poland and Mexico at four points.
According to the official rulebook of the FIFA World Cup 2022, in such cases where two teams in the same group are tied at same points, the following criteria, in the order below, shall be applied to decide the ranking:
- ⦿ superior goal difference (Goals scored minus goals conceded) in all group matches
- ⦿ greatest number of goals scored in all group matches
- ⦿ head-to-head record
| Poland | Mexico | |
| Match 1 | Drew 0-0 with Mexico | Drew 0-0 with Poland |
| Match 2 | Beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 | Lost 0-2 to Argentina |
| Match 3 | Lost 0-2 to Argentina | Beat Saudi Arabia 2-1 |
Since Poland had a goal difference of zero while Mexico had a goal difference of -1, Poland went through to the knockout stage.
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