Group + Knockout Format (FINAL DEV)

<p><strong style="background-color: rgb(248, 250, 255); color: rgb(30, 58, 138);">Group + Knockout</strong><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 250, 255); color: rgb(30, 41, 59);"> is a two-stage tournament format used widely in football (FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro, Champions League group stages).</span></p><p><br></p><p><strong style="background-color: rgb(248, 250, 255); color: rgb(30, 58, 138);">Stage 1 — Group Stage:</strong><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 250, 255); color: rgb(30, 41, 59);"> All teams are divided into equal-sized groups. Inside each group, every team plays every other team once (round-robin). Teams earn points: Win = 3pts, Draw = 1pt, Loss = 0pts. At the end, teams are ranked by points within their group.</span></p><p><br></p><p><strong style="background-color: rgb(248, 250, 255); color: rgb(30, 58, 138);">Stage 2 — Knockout:</strong><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 250, 255); color: rgb(30, 41, 59);"> The top </span><em style="background-color: rgb(248, 250, 255); color: rgb(30, 41, 59);">N</em><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 250, 255); color: rgb(30, 41, 59);"> teams from each group advance. They</span><strong style="background-color: rgb(248, 250, 255); color: rgb(30, 41, 59);"> then compete in a si</strong><span style="background-color: rgb(248, 250, 255); color: rgb(30, 41, 59);">ngle-elimination bracket — one loss and you're out — until a champion is crowned.</span></p>