The FC Porto is stuck in second place in Group A of the Club World Cup, and it’s not because of their skills on the field. With two games down and no goals scored, the Portuguese team is trailing behind Al Ahly, the Egyptian team that has taken the top spot. But what’s really giving Al Ahly the edge is their disciplinary record.
In their game against Inter Miami, Al Ahly only got one yellow card, while Inter Miami racked up four, putting them at the bottom of the group. FC Porto, on the other hand, had two players – Martim Fernandes and Nehuén Pérez – get red cards, with Pérez’s coming in the 91st minute. This puts them in second place for now. The Palmeiras players got just as many cards, but their coach, Abel Ferreira, also got a warning, which bumps them down to third place.
So, how does the FIFA determine the standings when teams are tied? They have a list of 10 criteria to break the tie. Here’s how it works:
- Most points earned in the group games between the tied teams
- Best goal difference in the group games between the tied teams
- Most goals scored in the group games between the tied teams
If those criteria don’t work, they move on to the next ones:
- Best goal difference in all group games
- Most goals scored in all group games
- Best disciplinary record, based on team conduct scores
- A draw made by the FIFA
For now, Al Ahly is in the lead, thanks to their clean disciplinary record. But with more games to come, anything can happen. You can catch all the action live on the DAZN app.