How many potential different endings are there for a football match?

Question

To narrow down the scope of the question, I mean a scenario of a World Cup final where by end of the day one of the teams is declared a winner. E.g. there's a team scoring more goals during normal time, team scoring more goals during penalty shootouts, etc. What further options does the rulebook provide?

Answer 1

The laws provide for only three different endings to a football match, regardless of how they arise.

1. One team wins

2. The match is drawn

3. The match is abandoned

The first two cases are determined from Law 10.2, Winning team, as either one team has scored more goals (that team wins) or neither team has (match is drawn).

The competition may require a winning team, where case 2 must become case 1, through away goals or extra time or through kicks from the penalty mark (or any combination of these). The result is still case 1.

The last case is determined from Law 5.3, Powers and Duties [of the Referee], where the match may be abandoned "for any offences or because of outside interference". If replayed, the result must then again be one of the 3 cases.

Practically speaking, there are seven final "endings" to a competition match as differentiated by the details, not all of which may be actually possible for a particular match or competition.

1. One team scores more goals in normal time, and wins

2. The match is drawn after normal time, and one team scores more goals after extra time, and wins

3. The match is drawn after extra time, and one team scores more goals in the kicks from the penalty mark

4. The match is drawn

5. The match is forfeited by one team for whatever reason, and the opposing team wins

6. The match is forfeited by both teams for whatever reason, and neither team wins

7. The match is abandoned and is not replayed