Now that Groups A and B have been decided, it’s the turn of Groups C and D to decide who will advance to Wednesday’s World Cup knockout round. For Mexico, their 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia was not enough to overcome their goal difference against Poland. Lionel Messi and Argentina beat Robert Lewandowski’s Poland 2-0, meaning Argentina won Group C and Poland finished second for most of the game A fair play decider appeared to be the deciding factor, with Mexico and Poland level on points, goal difference and goals, but a late goal from Saudi Arabia sealed the deal, leaving Mexico behind Poland. Mexico failed to reach the knockout rounds for the first time since 1978. Poland advanced to the round of 16 with a better goal difference.
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Earlier, in Group D, Tunisia beat France 1-0 and Australia beat Denmark 1-0. France, despite losing the game, will advance after winning the group stage, while Australia managed to win and will advance to the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time since 2006 and only the second time in their history. Denmark ended up bottom of the group after a very disappointing game.
Group C standings
| Group C | Congressman | World Digital Library | Guangdong Province | PR Department |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina (first in group) | 3 | 2-1-0 | +3 | 6 |
| Poland (second in group) | 3 | 1-1-1 | 0 | 4 |
| Mexico (eliminated) | 3 | 1-1-1 | -1 | 4 |
| Saudi Arabia (eliminated) | 3 | 1-0-2 | -2 | 3 |
Group D standings
| Group D | Congressman | World Digital Library | Guangdong Province | PR Department |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France (first in group) | 3 | 2-0-1 | +3 | 6 |
| Australia (team runner-up) | 3 | 2-0-1 | -1 | 6 |
| Tunisia (eliminated) | 3 | 1-1-1 | 0 | 4 |
| Denmark (eliminated) | 3 | 0-1-2 | -2 | 1 |
World Cup scores, results
Wednesday 30 November
Tunisia 1, France 0
Australia 1, Denmark 0
Poland 0 vs Argentina 2
Saudi Arabia 1, Mexico 2
