The twelve group winners and twelve runners-up qualify directly for the round of 32, along with the eight best third-placed teams.
To determine the best eight third-placed teams, a separate table of all third-placed teams will be created. The decisive criteria are first points, then goal difference and goals scored. If still tied, the Fair Play ranking and finally the FIFA World Ranking come into play. Which third-placed team meets which group winner is predetermined in the regulations for 495 possible combinations.
An important change concerns placement within a group: if two or more teams are level on points, head-to-head results now take precedence, followed by overall goal difference. If three teams are tied on points, a separate table of their direct encounters is created. If two teams remain level after that, a two-way comparison is applied again.
In the knockout stage from the round of 32, if the score is level after 90 minutes, extra time of two 15-minute halves is played, followed by a penalty shootout. The referee determines the goal by coin toss, and the winning captain chooses the order. Only players on the field at the final whistle may participate. If a goalkeeper is injured, he may be substituted provided the substitution quota has not been exhausted.
Source: www.sportschau.de
