2nd IgorTV's World Cup

The Official Logo

The 2nd IgorTV's World Cup was the second edition of the world championship for men's national association football teams. The tournament traveled from Europe to South America, being hosted by Argentina, selected as hosts in 1 May 2015. A total of 64 matches were played in six venues located in as many host cities across Argentinean territory, specially Buenos Aires zone. In the final, the hosts Argentina suffered a dramatic loss to Colombia, in a exciting 3-4 match score.

## Host Selection

In May 2015, IgorTV's FA announced that the tournament would be held in South America, as part of the host-rotation policy, who's currently being studied if it's worthy or not. Argentina disputed the right to host the World Cup with Brazil and again, Colombia. Argentina, in a very disputed election, defeated their two rivals to being selected as hosts of the competition.

## Participating Teams and Qualification Format

Following qualification matches were played between 4 December 2013 and 2 July 2014, and the following 32 teams, including the host nation, qualified for the final tournament. In Europe, the teams were drawn into eight groups of six teams and one group of five, with the nine group winners qualifying directly for the final tournament. The eight best runners-up were drawn in two-legged play-offs that determined the remaining four qualifying nations. In Africa, ten groups with four teams the top team from each group qualify to the playoffs to the World Cup.The top teams will decided in your country the place on the competition. For South America and CONMEBOL, nine teams in a round-robin system,the four top teams qualify directly and the fifth will make a playoff against a AFC (Asia) team. For CONCACAF, the following system was used: the first round of the CONCACAF qualifiers saw the bottom 10 teams being paired up into five home-and-away series, with the highest ranked team facing the lowest ranked team and so on. The winners of these series proceeded to the second round.In the second round,26 teams were drawn into six groups of four teams,the winner of each group qualify to the third round.The third round joins the best CONCACAF teams placed in the international ranking with the other teams that were drawn into three groups of four teams,the top two teams from each group advanced to the fourth round.In the fourth round (hexagonal), the three group winners and three runners-up from the third round competed in a double round robin, including a home and away match against the other five teams and the top three teams qualified directly for the World Cup while the fourth-placed team will play a home-away series against the Oceanian winner. For AFC (Asia), the first round consisted of eight home-and-away series, featuring the 16 lowest ranked teams in Asia. The winners of these series proceeded to the second round.The second round consisted of fifteen home-and-away series, featuring the 8 winners from the first round and other 22 teams better ranked.The winners of these series then proceeded to the third round.The third round saw the 5 automatic qualifiers joined by the 15 winners from the second round. These teams were drawn into five groups of four teams.The top two teams from each group advanced to the fourth round.The fourth round saw the group winners and runners-up from the third round play in two groups of five. The top two teams from each group advanced to the World Cup,while the two third-placed teams advance to the fifth round.The fifth round winner consists in a two-legged-tie playoff to decide who will face the 5th place of CONMEBOL (South America). And lastly, in Oceania, four teams were played as a single round-robin tournament and the winner of the group advanced to the second round.In the second round,eight teams divided into two groups of four teams,the top two teams of each group advances to the third and last round.The third round consists in a holy one group of four teams and the winner will face the 4th place of CONCACAF Qualifiers at the playoffs.

## Venues and Official Ball

Six venues, new and renovated, in five cities around Argentina were selected to be part of this tournament. Two in central Buenos Aires zone, and the rest around it, specificalliy in Avallaneda, Rosario, Liniers and Córdoba, with the final being played on Estádio Monumental de Núñez.

## The Official Match Ball

The official matchball of the first World Cup was called 'Adidas Argentum'. A white ball with different tons of blue and Argentinean symbols inside stylized details, made of six polyurethane panels which have been thermally bonded, as the reduction in the number of panels is claimed to increase the consistency in the ball.

## The Finals Draw and Group Stage

The 32 participating teams were drawn into eight groups, and in preparation for this, the teams were organised into four pots with the seven highest-ranked teams joining host nation, Argentina. IgorTV's FA aimed to create groups which maximised geographic separation and therefore the unseeded teams were arranged into pots based on geographic considerations. The first round, or group stage, was a competition between the 32 teams divided among eight groups of four, where each group engaged in a round-robin tournament within itself. The two highest ranked teams in each group advanced to the knockout stage. Teams were awarded three points for a win and one for a draw, and when comparing teams in the case of a points draw inside a group, the first tiebraker was goal difference, which's no used in the current editions. In the knockout stage there were four rounds (round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final), with each eliminating the losers. The two semi-final losers competed in a third place play-off. For any match in the knockout stage, a draw after 90 minutes of regulation time was followed by two 15 minute periods of extra time to determine a winner. If the teams were still tied, a penalty shoot-out was held to determine a winner.

## Knockout Stage

### Round of 16

1-1 ET
3-1 pen.
1-1 ET
3-4 pen.

### Quarter-Finals

0-0 ET
3-4 pen.
2-1 ET

### 3rd Place Decision

0-0 ET
1-3 pen.