England made a statement of intent in their Group B opener with a 6-2 win over Iran that basically gives the Three Lions one foot in the Round of 16.
The negative goal difference likely hurts Iran’s chances and a win and draw might not be enough to get through given that goal difference is the first tiebreaker.
With England seemingly coasting to the Round of 16 after their lopsided victory, the other berth in the group looks wide open with the USA and Wales tying 1-1 in their meeting. It left both with a chance to advance, but there will be work to do.
England are looking to finally bring it home with narrow losses in the latter stages of recent major competitions: a semifinal defeat to Croatia at Russia 2018, followed by penalty shootout heartbreak against Italy in the Euro 2021 final.
A new generation of exciting young players is eager to take the USA to new heights, while Wales will go as far as Gareth Bale will take them in their first World Cup since 1958.
MORE: Full World Cup 2022 schedule
World Cup Group B standings
| Team | PTS | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. England | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | -4 |
| 2. USA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 3. Wales | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 4. Iran | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | -4 |
World Cup Group B results and fixtures
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium | Final Result |
| Mon, Nov. 21 | England 6, Iran 2 | Highlights | ||
| Mon, Nov. 21 | USA 1, Wales 1 | Highlights | ||
| Fri, Nov. 25 | Wales vs. Iran | 5 a.m. | Ahmad Bin Ali | |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | England vs. USA | 2 p.m. | Al Bayt | |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | Wales vs. England | 2 p.m. | Ahmad Bin Ali | |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | Iran vs. USA | 2 p.m. | Al Thumama |
World Cup group tiebreakers
FIFA have confirmed a continuation of their group-stage final standings and tiebreaking criteria for the 2022 World Cup, with the final positions ranked based on following the system below.
- Points obtained in all group matches
- Goal difference in all group matches
- Number of goals scored in all group matches
- Points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question
- Goal difference in the matches played between the teams in question
- Number of goals scored in the matches played between the teams in question
- Fair play points in all group matches (only one deduction can be applied to a player in a single match):
- Yellow card: −1 point;
- Indirect red card (second yellow card): −3 points;
- Direct red card: −4 points;
- Yellow card and direct red card: −5 points;
- Drawing of lots.
World Cup 2022 Group B betting odds
The pre-tournament betting odds for England and other Group B sides in the major global territories are below (odds via BetMGM for U.S., Sky Bet for U.K., Sports Interaction for Canada and Ladbrokes for Australia).
| Team | To win group |
|---|---|
| England | -350 (US) 2/5 (UK) 1.32 (CAN) 1.36 (AU) |
| USA | +550 (US) 5/1 (UK) 6.36 (CAN) 6.00 (AU) |
| Wales | +600 (US) 11/2 (UK) 6.75 (CAN) 6.00 (AU) |
| Iran | +1800 (US) 14/1 (UK) 16 (CAN) 15.00 (AU) |
| Team | To qualify |
| England | -2500 (US) 1/12 (UK) 1.05 (CAN) 1.10 (AU) |
| USA | +100 (US) 11/10 (UK) 2.02 (CAN) 2.00 (AU) |
| Wales | +120 (US) 5/4 (UK) 2.12 (CAN) 2.00 (AU) |
| Iran | +275 (US) 11/4 (UK) 5.23 (CAN) 3.50 (AU) |
| Team | To win World Cup |
| England | +800 (US) 7/1 (UK) 5.80 (CAN) 8.00 (AU) |
| USA | +10000 (US) 100/1 (UK) 90 (CAN) 101 (AU) |
| Wales | +15000 (US) 150/1 (UK) 119 (CAN) 151 (AU) |
| Iran | +50000 (US) 250/1 (UK) 301 (CAN) 501 (AU) |
Do 3rd place teams advance at World Cup 2022?
In short, no they do not. FIFA have confirmed third-place teams will not qualify for the last 16, with only the top two nations from each group going through to the knockout stages.
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