After suffering one of the biggest upset in World Cup history in their opening game, Argentina have stormed home to finish first in Group C.
Back-to-back 2-0 wins against Mexico and Poland saw Lionel Messi's side top a competitive group that went right down to the wire.
Mexico came within a goal of claiming second place but they couldn't swing goal difference enough in their ultimate 2-1 win against Saudi Arabia.
Poland, despite their 2-0 loss to Argentina, hung on to seal second spot and progress to the Round of 16 where they'll face reigning champions France.
Argentina, meanwhile, will face Australia who stunned Denmark 1-0 to reach the knockout stages for the first time since 2006.
MORE: Full World Cup 2022 Schedule: All the games, times, dates and fixtures
World Cup Group C standings
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Argentina-Q | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 |
| 2. Poland-Q | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 3. Mexico-E | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| 4. Saudi Arabia-E | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | -2 |
- Q = Qualified to Round of 16
- E = Eliminated
Group C schedule, results
| Date | Match | |
| Tue, Nov. 22 | Argentina 1, S. Arabia 2 | Highlights |
| Tue, Nov. 22 | Mexico 0, Poland 0 | Highlights |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | Poland 2, S. Arabia 0 | Highlights |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | Argentina 2, Mexico 0 | Highlights |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | Poland 0, Argentina 2 | Highlights |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | S. Arabia 1, Mexico 2 | Highlights |
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 C betting odds
The pre-tournament betting odds for Mexico and other Group C 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 |
|---|---|
| Argentina | -250 (US) 4/11(UK) 1.39 (CAN) 1.40 (AU) |
| Saudi Arabia | +1800 (US) 28/1 (UK) 22.00 (CAN) 26.00 (AU) |
| Mexico | +450 (US) 9/2 (UK) 5.73 (CAN) 6.00 (AU) |
| Poland | +500 (US) 11/2 (UK) 5.64 (CAN) 6.00 (AU) |
| Team | To qualify |
| Argentina | -1600 (US) 1/16 (UK) 1.07 (CAN) 1.06 (AU) |
| Saudi Arabia | +650 (US) 7/1 (UK) 6.12 (CAN) 7.00 (AU) |
| Mexico | -115 (US) 5/6 (UK) 1.92 (CAN) 1.91 (AU) |
| Poland | -110 (US) 1/1 (UK) 1.92 (CAN) 1.91 (AU) |
| Team | To win World Cup |
| Argentina | +500 (US) 11/2 (UK) 4.30 (CAN) 6.50 (AU) |
| Saudi Arabia | +60000 (US) 750/1 (UK) 450.00 (CAN) 501 (AU) |
| Mexico | +10000 (US) 100/1 (UK) 90.00 (CAN) 101 (AU) |
| Poland | +10000 (US) 100/1 (UK) 90.60 (CAN) 101 (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. This has been the case for all recent World Cups.
