27.06.2026 15:02
It was alleged that after the early elimination of the National Team from the World Cup, TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to react to the head-to-head tiebreaker system. The report stated that Infantino found the criticisms justified and that the application could be reconsidered in the future.
After the defeats of the Turkish National Football Team against Australia and Paraguay, a striking claim emerged following their farewell to the World Cup.
According to the claim, TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to express his criticisms of the head-to-head average system implemented in the tournament.
"A DECISION CONTRARY TO THE NATURE OF FOOTBALL"
It was reported that during the meeting, Hacıosmanoğlu argued that the head-to-head average system applied in the 48-team World Cup format leads to unfair results.
The TFF President was said to have used the following statements: "You are organizing a tournament with 48 teams where more matches are played, but the rule you apply causes a great injustice. Is this the kind of application? A decision contrary to the nature of football and the existence of the tournament."
"WE WERE ELIMINATED BEFORE THE LAST MATCH WAS PLAYED"
It was stated that Hacıosmanoğlu argued that being eliminated before the third match in the group stage eliminates the excitement of the tournament. The TFF President is alleged to have expressed that the result against the USA being meaningless stems from the current system.
FIFA MAY EVALUATE THE ISSUE, IT WAS CLAIMED
The news stated that Infantino agreed with Hacıosmanoğlu's criticisms and that the reconsideration of the head-to-head average practice in future tournaments might be on the agenda.
WHAT IS THE HEAD-TO-HEAD AVERAGE SYSTEM?
With the regulation made before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the head-to-head average criterion was prioritized over the general average in the ranking of teams with the same points.
For this reason, even if the National Team won its last match, it lost the chance to advance to the top ranks in the group due to the head-to-head average disadvantage against Australia and Paraguay.