There are lots of stats you can use to inform your World Cup betting and learn about how a team is performing. The most common include:
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Points: The 32 teams at the World Cup are split into eight groups of four, with each group ranked based on the number of points earned over the course of the group stage. Each get earns three points for a win, one point for a tie (or draw), and no points for a loss. After each team has played the other three in their group, the final group standings then confirm which two teams progress into the knockout stages of the tournament, and which two are eliminated.
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Wins and defeats: To win the World Cup, a team needs to gain enough points to progress from their group, and then remain undefeated throughout the knockout stages. Therefore, a team’s win-loss record (both before and during a World Cup tournament) can be a strong indicator of a their ability to progress deep into the latter stages.
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World Cup qualification record: While on paper any of the 32 teams competing at the 2022 World Cup can win it, ultimately some are significantly stronger than others. One way to identify the strongest teams is to check the qualification records. Did a team convincingly win their qualification group, or did they barely make it through the playoffs to earn their spot? A team that dominated its qualification group may look best-placed to perform well in Qatar.
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FIFA world rankings: FIFA is the governing body of international soccer, and while their official world ranking system has been criticized in some quarters, it remains a solid indicator of the top performing international teams, especially ahead of major tournaments. Every FIFA-recognized international soccer match counts towards a team’s points, which then determines their place in the latest rankings. When analyzing a World Cup team, you can use the FIFA rankings to gauge their strength compared to upcoming opponents and the tournament favorites, as well as how well they performed during qualification.
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Goals for: In the World Cup group table, the goals for/scored (GF/GS) column shows how many goals a team has scored in that group. Goals for is also the second tiebreaker in the event of two or more teams finishing the group with the same number of points. Naturally, teams with strong offenses can be expected to score more goals at a World Cup.
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Goals against: The goals against/conceded (GA/GC) column in the World Cup group table lists how many goals a team has conceded during the group stage of the World Cup, and therefore gives an indication as to how good their defense is. Teams that are defensively strong traditionally perform well in tournament soccer, so keep an eye out for nations whose defenses have a proven track record.
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Goal difference: Goal difference (GD) is a simple stat that is used to highlight the overall strength of a team in league or group play. Goal difference is defined as goals for minus goals against. If a team has a positive goal difference (more goals scored than conceded), the figure is prefixed with a plus (+) symbol, while a team with a negative goal difference (more goals conceded than scored) will have their figure prefixed with a minus (-) symbol. Goal difference is the first tiebreaker used in the event of two or more teams finishing the group with the same number of points, so it is therefore a crucial stat for teams.
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Form: Form generally refers to a team’s recent run of games, and shows how a team has performed in matches over a longer period of time. When considering form ahead of the World Cup, be sure to consider competitive games (such as those played during qualification) rather than international friendly or exhibition matches to get a better assessment of their form in international competition.