The World Cup group stage is underway, and the mathematics of advancement is already playing out. According to ESPN News, teams that record early victories can clinch a spot in the knockout rounds before their group stage play concludes. But the math cuts both ways: rivals can also be mathematically eliminated from contention with games still to play. That's the drama of the group stage—a single result can seal a team's advancement or end their World Cup dreams, sometimes days before the final whistle.

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