With a total of 32 teams, this will be the largest women’s World Cup to date. But this will not increase the number of teams in the knockout stage of the tournament. Teams have been drawn into eight groups of four, and those finishing in third place will no longer have a chance to progress. With teams vying for one of the two spots in their group that will advance to the round of 16, expect tiebreakers and fair-play to be part of the conversation.
Fair play is the most elaborate of FIFA’s tiebreakers but is often not mentioned until it comes into focus as the rule that might see a team progress to the knockout stage.