Preliminary round – week commencing 1 August 2026

Round one – week commencing 7 August 2026

Round two – week commencing 25 August 2026

Round three – weeks commencing 9 September and 16 September 2026

Round four – week commencing 28 October 2026

Round five – week commencing 16 December 2026

Semi-final first leg – week commencing 13 January 2027

Semi-final second leg – week commencing 3 February 2027

Final: Sunday – 21 March 2027

The first and most familiar criterion is total points. When Teams Finish Level on Points When teams finish level on points, FIFA turns to a defined tiebreaking sequence to sort the group. The emphasis is intentional. Results against direct rivals come first, not lopsided scorelines against weaker opposition. It’s a system designed to value competition where it’s most meaningful and to limit the incentive for teams to chase margins once a group begins to settle. Head-to-Head Criteria FIFA first looks only at the matches played between the tied teams. The following criteria are applied in order: 1. Points in head-to-head matches 2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches 3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches Overall Group Performance If teams are still tied after applying head-to-head criteria, FIFA expands the comparison to all group matches. 4. Overall goal difference 5. Overall goals scored Fair Play Points If teams remain level after performance-based criteria, FIFA turns to disciplinary records. Each team gets fair play points deducted based on cards shown: Yellow card: –1 point Second yellow (indirect red): –3 points Direct red card: –4 points Yellow and direct red in the same match: –5 points If still tied then: FIFA World Ranking (Last Resort) If teams are still level after points, goal difference, goals scored, and disciplinary records, FIFA turns to the FIFA World Ranking as the final separator.