What is goal difference?

Goal difference (GD) is the number of goals a team has scored minus the number it has conceded. A team that has scored 20 and conceded 8 has a goal difference of +12.

Goal difference is the most common first tiebreaker when teams finish level on points, in both league tables and World Cup groups. A better (higher) goal difference ranks a team above one with the same points. You can see goal difference in the "GD" column of every table on LiveGoal.