World Cup knockout round clinching scenarios: How each team can qualify for the Round of 16

With South Korea joining Portugal in the knockouts and Brazil having already qualified for the Round of 16, only one berth remains unspoken for at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The final place will be determined on Friday afternoon when Brazil meets Cameroon and Switzerland takes on Serbia.

Let’s take a look at what needs to happen for one of the three remaining teams to advance, but first a quick overview of tiebreaking procedures should they come into play.

Should teams finish level on points, the first tiebreaker is goal differential. This is why teams will not let up in a rout. Every goal might matter.

If goal differential doesn’t decide things, the next tiebreaker is goals for. Again, every goal could matter.

While the chances of more than two tiebreakers being required are low, it’s not unprecedented, so let’s keep going here. Next up is the head-to-head match between the two teams. The victor wins this tiebreaker, but in the case of a draw we would have to go on to the next tiebreaker.

The fair play record is next and that’s actually what decided who advanced between Japan and Senegal at Russia 2018. The better a team’s discipline has been, the higher the fair play record. The team with the smallest accumulation of yellow and red cards advances.

Should everything remain level after all previous tiebreakers, the final way to determine which side advances is a drawing of lots. A random draw takes place where the team whose ball is drawn advances. This scenario took place at the 1990 World Cup in Italy (note the fair play tiebreaker wasn’t introduced until 2018) to determine who finished in second and third place respectively between Ireland and the Netherlands in Group F with both teams level on every other tiebreaker.

Needless to say, that would be a more than cruel way to crash out of the World Cup.

Group A

Advanced: The Netherlands and Senegal

Eliminated: Qatar and Ecuador

The Netherlands only needed one point from their final match, but got all three in a 2-0 win over Qatar to advance.

Senegal joined them in the Round of 16 with a thrilling 2-1 win over Ecuador that sent the South American side home.

Group B

Advanced: England and United States

Eliminated: Iran and Wales

England only needed one point to move on and they got it and more in a 3-0 thrashing of Wales that ended the Dragons' World Cup.

It was a must-win for the USMNT and they did just that, defeating Iran 1-0 and condemning their opponents to an early exit.

Group C

Advanced: Argentina and Poland

Eliminated: Mexico and Saudi Arabia

Argentina handled their business with a comprehensive 2-0 win over Poland, but Poland still advanced on goal differential even though Mexico topped Saudi Arabia 2-1.

Group D

Advanced: France and Australia

Eliminated: Tunisia and Denmark

With France having already qualified after their second victory, Australia joined them in the knockouts with a thrilling 1-0 win over Denmark.

Group E

Advanced: Japan and Spain

Eliminated: Germany and Costa Rica

Germany beat Costa Rica 4-2 on Thursday, but that wasn't enough as both teams still went home with Japan and Spain moving on.

Group F

Advanced: Morocco and Croatia

Eliminated: Belgium and Canada

Morocco's 2-1 win over Canada was enough to top Group F with Croatia also moving on with a 0-0 draw in the final group-stage match.

Canada had already been eliminated following their loss to Croatia on Sunday, but No. 2-ranked Belgium heading home with them is one of the true shocks in Qatar thus far.

Group G

Already qualified: Brazil

Already through, a single point from their match with Cameroon will have Brazil top the group.

Currently on three points, Switzerland advances with a win over Serbia. A draw would be enough to advance should Cameroon fail to defeat Brazil in the other match. An unlikely scenario, but Switzerland can also move on if Cameroon were to win by a single goal and a high-scoring draw between Switzerland and Serbia gave them a superior goal differential over Cameroon.

Cameroon goes home with anything short of a victory and even then that might not be enough. As stated above, a win for Cameroon coupled with a Serbia-Switzerland draw would see Cameroon and Switzerland go to tiebreakers. A win plus a Serbia victory would go to tiebreakers between Cameroon and Serbia. Any Switzerland victory will result in Cameroon’s elimination.

Like Cameroon, Serbia’s chances of advancing first hinge on a victory. Anything less than that and it’s curtains. A win coupled with Cameroon failing to beat Brazil would put Serbia in the final 16. A win and a Cameroon win would send Serbia and Cameroon to tiebreakers.

Group H

Qualified: Portugal and South Korea

Eliminated: Ghana and Uruguay

South Korea's 2-1 victory over Portugal ensured that Uruguay's 2-0 victory over bitter rival Ghana would be moot with Son Heung-min and company moving on and La Celeste and the Black Stars going home.