2023 FIFA U20 World Cup table, standings, groups, tiebreakers, and how 3rd place teams qualified to Round of 16

Simon Borg

2023 FIFA U20 World Cup table, standings, groups, tiebreakers, and how 3rd place teams qualified to Round of 16 image

The 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup is currently underway in Argentina and it started with 24 nations vying for the trophy with traditional power Italy the favourite to win it all.

France were eliminated in the group stage, host nation Argentina and England fell in the Round of 16, and Brazil were ousted in the quarterfinals by Israel.

The road to the title started with the group stage, which saw 16 teams advance to the single-elimination knockout rounds. The top two finishers from each group went through, as well as the four best third-place teams.

The bracket for the knockouts will see matches played in the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final. Extra time and penalty kicks, if necessary, will be used in case the game is tied after 90 minutes. 

The final group tables are listed further below and there is also a final table featuring the third-place teams. Only the four best third-place finishers at the end of the group stage qualified to the Round of 16. Here are the knockout pairings and results as they stand: 

U20 World Cup Round of 16

Date Match  
Tue, May 30RD16 #1: USA 4-0 New ZealandHighlights
Tue, May 30RD16 #2: Uzbekistan 0-1 IsraelHighlights
Wed, May 31RD16 #3: Brazil 4-1 TunisiaHighlights
Wed, May 31RD16 #4: Colombia 5-1 SlovakiaHighlights
Wed, May 31RD16 #5: England 1-2 ItalyHighlights
Wed, May 31RD16 #6: Argentina 0-2 NigeriaHighlights
Thu, June 1RD16 #7: Gambia vs. UruguayHighlights
Thu, June 1RD16 #8: Ecuador vs. S. KoreaHighlights

U20 World Cup Quarterfinals

Date Match Time (ET / GMT)
Sat, June 3QF1: Israel 3-2 Brazil (a.e.t.)Highlights
Sat, June 3QF2: Colombia 1-3 ItalyHighlights
Sun, June 4QF3: S. Korea vs. Nigeria1:30 p.m. / 6:30 p.m.
Sun, June 4QF4: USA vs. Uruguay5 p.m. / 10 p.m.

U20 World Cup Semifinals

Date Match Time (ET / GMT)
Thu, June 8USA / Uruguay vs.
Israel
1:30 p.m. / 6:30 p.m.
Thu, June 8Italy vs.
S. Korea / Nigeria
5 p.m. / 10 p.m.

MORE: Teams in 2023 FIFA U20 World Cup

U20 World Cup 2023 table, standings

If teams were tied on points during the group stage, the following official tiebreakers were used in this specific order (as per page 20 of the rules): 

  1. Superior goal difference in all group matches;
  2. Most goals scored in all group matches;
  3. Points obtained in group matches between the specific teams;
  4. Superior goal difference in matches between the teams;
  5. Most goals scored in matches between the teams;
  6. Disciplinary points based on yellow/red cards received;
  7. Drawing of lots (random draw).

(PTS=points, W=Wins, L=Losses, D=Draws, GF=Goals For [Scored], GA=Goals Against [Allowed], GD=Goal Difference)

Group A table

TeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD
1. Argentina-Q93300101+9
2. Uzbekistan-Q4311154+1
3. New Zealand-Q4311137-4
4. Guatemala-E0303006-6
  • Q = Qualified to Round of 16
  • E = Eliminated

Group A fixtures

Date Match  
Sat, May 20Guatemala 0-1 New ZealandHighlights
Sat, May 20Argentina 2-1 UzbekistanHighlights
Tue, May 23Uzbekistan 2-2 New ZealandHighlights
Tue, May 23Argentina 3-0 GuatemalaHighlights
Fri, May 26New Zealand 0-5 ArgentinaHighlights
Fri, May 26Uzbekistan 2-0 GuatemalaHighlights

Group B table

TeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD
1. USA-Q9330060+6
2. Ecuador-Q63210112+9
3. Slovakia-Q3312054+1
4. Fiji-E03030016-16
  • Q = Qualified to Round of 16
  • E = Eliminated

Group B fixtures

Date Match  
Sat, May 20USA 1-0 EcuadorHighlights
Sat, May 20Fiji 0-4 SlovakiaHighlights
Tue, May 23USA 3-0 FijiHighlights
Tue, May 23Ecuador 2-1 SlovakiaHighlights
Fri, May 26Ecuador 9-0 FijiHighlights
Fri, May 26Slovakia 0-2 USAHighlights

Group C table

TeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD
1. Colombia-Q7320153+2
2. Israel-Q43111440
3. Japan-E3312034-1
4. Senegal-E2301223-1
  • Q = Qualified to Round of 16
  • E = Eliminated

Group C fixtures

Date Match  
Sun, May 21Israel 1-2 ColombiaHighlights
Sun, May 21Senegal 0-1 JapanHighlights
Wed, May 24Senegal 1-1 IsraelHighlights
Wed, May 24Japan 1-2 ColombiaHighlights
Sat, May 27Colombia 1-1 SenegalHighlights
Sat, May 27Japan 1-2 IsraelHighlights

Group D table

TeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD
1. Brazil-Q63210103+7
2. Italy-Q6321064+2
3. Nigeria-Q6321043+1
4. Dom. Rep.-E03030111-10
  • Q = Qualified to Round of 16
  • E = Eliminated

Group D fixtures

Date Match  
Sun, May 21Nigeria 2-1 Dominican Rep.Highlights
Sun, May 21Italy 3-2 BrazilHighlights
Wed, May 24Italy 0-2 NigeriaHighlights
Wed, May 24Brazil 6-0 Dominican Rep.Highlights
Sat, May 27Brazil 2-0 NigeriaHighlights
Sat, May 27Dominican Rep. 0-3 ItalyHighlights

Group E table

TeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD
1. England-Q7320142+2
2. Uruguay-Q6321073+4
3. Tunisia-Q3312032+1
4. Iraq-E1302107-7
  • Q = Qualified to Round of 16
  • E = Eliminated

Group E fixtures

Date Match  
Mon, May 22England 1-0 TunisiaHighlights
Mon, May 22Uruguay 4-0 Iraq Highlights 
Thu, May 25Uruguay 2-3 EnglandHighlights
Thu, May 25Iraq 0-3 TunisiaHighlights
Sun, May 28Iraq 0-0 EnglandHighlights
Sun, May 28Tunisia 0-1 UruguayHighlights

Group F table

TeamPTSGPWLDGFGAGD
1. Gambia-Q7320142+2
2. South Korea-Q5310243+1
3. France-E33120550
4. Honduras-E1302147-3
  • Q = Qualified to Round of 16
  • E = Eliminated

Group F fixtures

Date Match  
Mon, May 22France 1-2 South KoreaHighlights
Mon, May 22Gambia 2-1 HondurasHighlights
Thu, May 25France 1-2 GambiaHighlights
Thu, May 25South Korea 2-2 HondurasHighlights
Sun, May 28Honduras 1-3 FranceHighlights
Sun, May 28South Korea 0-0 GambiaHighlights

MORE: Why FIFA moved U20 World Cup from Indonesia to Argentina


Third-Place Teams (top 4 teams advance)

TeamGroupPTSGPWLDGFGAGD
1. Nigeria-QD6321043+1
2. New Zealand-QA4311137-4
3. Slovakia-QB3312054+1
4. Tunisia-QE3312032+1
5. France-EF33120550
6. Japan-EC3312034-1

Q = advances to Round of 16 / E = eliminated

FIFA predetermined the Round of 16 matchups based on the groups from which the third-place teams emerged (the first tiebreaker is goal difference).

With the best third-place teams hailing from Group A, B, D, and E, only one of the 15 scenarios outlined by FIFA applied for the Round of 16 (in bold below).

Round of 16 Pairings

3rd-Place Teamsvs. A1vs. B1vs. C1vs. D1
A, B, C, DC3D3A3B3
A, B, C, EC3A3B3E3
A, B, C, FC3A3B3F3
A, B, D, ED3A3B3E3
A, B, D, FD3A3B3F3
A, B, E, FE3A3B3F3
A, C, D, EC3D3A3E3
A, C, D, FC3D3A3F3
A, C, E, FC3A3F3E3
A, D, E, FD3A3F3E3
B, C, D, EC3D3B3E3
B, C, D, FC3D3B3F3
B, C, E, FE3C3B3F3
B, D, E, FE3D3B3F3
C, D, E, FC3D3F3E3

Knockout Stages

The single-elimination knockout rounds consist of the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, final, and third-place match.

Any knockout matches tied after 90 minutes will head to 30 minutes of extra time and a penalty shootout, if necessary, to determine a winner on the day.

U20 World Cup Round of 16

Date Match  
Tue, May 30RD16 #1: USA 4-0 New ZealandHighlights
Tue, May 30RD16 #2: Uzbekistan 0-1 IsraelHighlights
Wed, May 31RD16 #3: Brazil 4-1 TunisiaHighlights
Wed, May 31RD16 #4: Colombia 5-1 SlovakiaHighlights
Wed, May 31RD16 #5: England 1-2 ItalyHighlights
Wed, May 31RD16 #6: Argentina 0-2 NigeriaHighlights
Thu, June 1RD16 #7: Gambia 0-1 UruguayHighlights
Thu, June 1RD16 #8: Ecuador 2-3 S. KoreaHighlights

U20 World Cup Quarterfinals

Date Match Time (ET / GMT)
Sat, June 3QF1: Israel 3-2 Brazil (a.e.t.)Highlights
Sat, June 3QF2: Colombia 1-3 ItalyHighlights
Sun, June 4QF3: S. Korea vs. Nigeria1:30 p.m. / 6:30 p.m.
Sun, June 4QF4: USA vs. Uruguay5 p.m. / 10 p.m.

U20 World Cup Semifinals

Date Match Time (ET / GMT)
Thu, June 8QF4 vs. Israel1:30 p.m. / 6:30 p.m.
Thu, June 8Italy vs. QF35 p.m. / 10 p.m.

U20 World Cup 3rd Place

Date Match Time (ET / GMT)
Sun, June 11Semifinal losers1:30 p.m. / 6:30 p.m.

U20 World Cup Final

Date Match Time (ET / GMT)
Sun, June 11Semifinal winners5 p.m. / 10 p.m.

Simon Borg

Simon Borg is a senior editor at The Sporting News who has covered football/soccer for over a decade. A supporter of Italian club Parma Calcio from his years growing up in Europe, he was previously a long-time member of Major League Soccer's digital media team, as a multimedia content producer, on-air personality, and Editor-in-Chief. Based in New York City, Borg is multilingual and has covered the domestic and global scene for TSN since 2021.