England are close to reaching the knockout stage of the World Cup, but Wales face an uphill battle in their quest to qualify for the last 16.
A 2-0 loss by Iran means Wales will have to beat England on Tuesday, and hope the results will go their way, if they are to progress to their first World Cup appearance since 1958.
england null and void with the United they missed the chance to conclude qualification, but Gareth Southgate’s side will go through regardless if they avoid a four-goal loss to Wales.
Meanwhile, hosts Qatar have already been knocked out after back-to-back defeats.
As we approach the commercial end of the group stage, we take a look at how it’s going.
group A
Qatar suffered heartbreak on Friday as the hosts became the first team to be knocked out of the tournament.
After losing 3-1 to Senegal, a 1-1 draw between the Netherlands and Ecuador condemned Qatar to an early exit. This is the first time that a host country has been eliminated from the World Cup.
The draw between the Dutch and Ecuador leaves just one point between the top three ahead of the final Group A games on Tuesday.
Three-time runners-up Netherlands and Ecuador draw against Qatar and Senegal, respectively, to advance to the knockout stages.
Group B
England missed the chance to seal a place in the Round of 16 with one game to spare as they were held to a draw by the United States.
This means that all four teams still have a chance to reach the next round before the final group matches.
England are better off with four points from two games and Southgate’s side will progress if they avoid a four-goal loss to Wales on Tuesday.
A win would guarantee England first place, but they can still draw and finish top unless Iran beat the USA or the USA beat Iran by at least four goals. England will also finish first if Iran and USA draw and do not lose to Wales by four or more goals.
Wales still have a chance of reaching the knockout stages despite losing to Iran on Friday. To qualify, Wales must beat England and hope for a draw between the United States and Iran.
If the USA-Iran match does not end in a draw, Wales will need to beat England by four goals to qualify.
The United States must win to progress, while Iran will go through a draw unless Wales beat England.
How is qualification decided?
If the teams are level on points after the three group games, progress is determined by goal difference. The full tiebreaker is:
- Points accumulated
- Goal difference
- Goals scored
- Head-to-head results
- Fair play: the team that has accumulated the fewest indiscipline points wins (a yellow card is worth one point, a red card for two yellows is worth three points, a direct red card is worth four points and a direct red card for a player who has already been on a yellow is equivalent to five points)
- Draw
