2010 FIFA World Cup qualification the finals, with CONCACAF's fourth-place team facing CONMEBOL's fifth-placed team, and AFC's fifth-placed team facing the winner of the OFC. As the host nation, South Africa qualified automatically. As in 2006, the current cup holders – Italy – did not qualify automatically. For FIFA World Cup qualifying stages the method used for separating teams level on points is the same for all Confederations, as decided by FIFA itself. If teams were even on points at the end of group play, the tied teams would be ranked by: This is a change from 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification, where results between
2014 FIFA World Cup Group G the milestone. Müller's hat-trick was the seventh by a German player in the World Cup, the most of any nation. This was Portugal's worst loss in their World Cup history. <section begin=g1 /><section end=g1 /> The two teams had met in three previous matches, including twice in World Cup in 2006 and 2010, where both times Ghana beat United States 2–1. The 2006 FIFA World Cup encounter was in their last group stage match, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup encounter was in the round of 16 final where Ghana won again, which in both occasions, eliminated United States from