Well it doesn’t work exactly like that. There are actual rules that cover eventualities like this. I’ll tell you. Just keep reading.
The answer is in Article 13 of the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 26.
There are criteria that are applied in a strict order when things like this happen.
First, FIFA will examine the matches between the tied teams only. They’ll check points won head to head, then goal difference in those games, then goals scored in those games.
In a four-way tie this is usually where things separate, because it is almost impossible for every result between every team to be identical.
But if it somehow is, and the head to head record cannot split them either, FIFA will move to the whole group and examine the overall goal difference. Then total goals scored across all matches.
If it is still level, it will have to end with team conduct. There will be a fair play score calculated from the yellow and red cards each team received. The more disciplined team ranks higher and needless bookings accrued by players could be the difference between what keeps you in the tournament and what sends you home.
And if all of that still fails to separate them, The final tiebreaker will be the most recent FIFA World Ranking.
So in theory- and in our instant scenario, the four teams involved could play their hearts out across three matches, end up genuinely inseparable, and still be ranked by a combination of how many cards they collected and where they sat in the world rankings.
Someway, somehow, very goal matters. Every booking matters. At a World Cup, nothing is ever truly meaningless.
My name is Ajoje. I am a FIFA Licensed Agent and International Sports Lawyer. I write on the Law and Business of Football, a lot. Repost and Follow if you want to read more posts like this.