England are on the verge of reaching the knockout stage of the World Cup but Wales face an uphill battle in their quest to make the last 16.

England’s drab goalless draw with the United States saw them miss the chance to wrap up qualification, but Gareth Southgate’s side will go through regardless if they avoid a four-goal defeat by Wales.

Meanwhile, hosts Qatar have already been knocked out after back-to-back defeats.

As we approach the business end of the group stage, we take a look at how it stands.

Group A

There was heartache for Qatar on Friday as the hosts became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament.

After losing 3-1 to Senegal, a 1-1 draw between the Netherlands and Ecuador condemned Qatar to an early exit. It is the earliest a host nation has been knocked out of the World Cup.

The draw between the Dutch and Ecuador leaves just a point between the top three heading into the final Group A games on Tuesday.

Three-time finalists the Netherlands and Ecuador know a draw against Qatar and Senegal respectively will see them through to the last 16.

Group B

England missed the chance to seal a last-16 spot with a game to spare as they were held to a scoreless draw by the USA.

It means that all four teams still have a chance of reaching the next round going into the final group games.

England are in the strongest position with four points from two games and Southgate’s side will advance if they avoid a four-goal defeat by Wales on Tuesday.

A win would guarantee England top spot, but they can still draw and finish top unless Iran beat the USA or the USA beat Iran by at least four goals. England will also finish top if Iran and the USA draw and they don’t lose to Wales by four or more goals.

Wales still have a chance of reaching the last 16 despite losing to Iran on Friday. To qualify, Wales must beat England and hope for a draw between the United States and Iran.

If the USA-Iran match does not end in a draw, Wales must beat England by four goals to advance.

The United States must win to progress, while Iran will go through with a draw unless Wales beat England.

How is qualification decided?

If teams are level on points after the three group games, progress is decided by goal difference. The full tiebreaker criteria is:

1. Points accrued
2. Goal difference
3. Goals scored
4. Head-to-head results
5. Fair play: the team that has accumulated the fewest indiscipline points wins (a yellow card equals one point, a red card shown for two yellows equals three points, a direct red card equals four points and a direct red card shown to a player who was already on a yellow equals five points)
6. Lots drawn

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Sourced From BBC