The German national soccer team is already facing the final game of the preliminary round Ecuador this Thursday (10 p.m. CEST in FAZ live ticker for the World Cupon ARD and on MagentaTV) certainly first in Group E.
That’s after that surprising 0-0 draw between Ecuador and Curaçao firmly. Both now have one point and can no longer catch up with Germany (six points). The Ivory Coast (three) could draw level on points with a win over Curaçao and a German defeat on Thursday.
But in this case the first criterion as to who is ahead of whom would be the direct comparison, which Germany won 2-1. At the 2022 World Cup, the goal difference was still decisive. The world association Fifa adapted his rule because a victory in a direct duel is supposed to be worth more than a big victory over an outsider – as in German 7:1 against Curaçao.
This marks the German path through the knockout rounds of the World Cup. The round of 16 will take place on Monday, June 29th (10:30 p.m. CEST) in Boston. The opponent is a third party from groups A, B, C, D or F.
The FIFA regulations provide for a total of 495 possible combinations for the best third-placed teams to advance. There are currently 15 possible opponents for the German team. South Korea, the Czech Republic or South Africa could finish third in Group A. In Group B this applies to Canada, Switzerland, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Qatar. Record world champions Brazil, Morocco and Scotland are possible third parties from Group C, and Australia and Paraguay from Group D. In Group F, Sweden or Japan and theoretically also the Netherlands would also be possible. National coach Julian Nagelsmann takes it as it comes. “We can’t influence the other groups. There’s a good team coming our way – sometimes sooner, sometimes later. But they’re all good teams that we’re facing anyway.”
If they win, the German team will advance to the round of 16 in Philadelphia on Saturday, July 4th (11 p.m. CEST). The possibly winner of Group I with France, Norway and Senegal is waiting there. The quarterfinals would be on Thursday, July 9th (10:00 p.m. CEST), again in Boston, the semifinals on Tuesday, July 14th (9:00 p.m. CEST) in Dallas, before the World Cup ends with the game for third place on Saturday, July 18th (11:00 p.m. CEST) in Miami and the final on Sunday, July 19th (9:00 p.m. CEST) in New York.
