FIFA announces a change to how World Cup group tables are separated when teams finish level on points. Under the updated order, FIFA uses head-to-head records between the tied teams as the first tiebreaker, rather than using group goal difference first. The change affects how tied teams are ranked within their groups when they have the same number of points after all group matches are played. The reports say FIFA is shifting the sequence of criteria applied to level-on-points teams, with head-to-head performance now taking priority. Goal difference in the group remains part of the overall tiebreak framework, but it is no longer the first criterion applied in the scenario described by the outlets. The adjustment is intended to determine rankings based more directly on results between the teams concerned, before moving on to other calculations if the tie cannot be resolved. The change is reported as a modification to FIFA’s tournament rules governing group-stage tie-breaking.