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The 2026 World Cup group stage reaches its dramatic conclusion on Saturday as six nations discover their fate in Groups J, K and L. Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina face Jordan in Dallas. Messi tops the tournament’s scoring list with five goals. England take on Panama in New York/New Jersey, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal travel to Miami to face a Colombia side that has been one of the tournament’s most impressive sides. All six games are simulcast in pairs within each bracket, with each game televised on FOX or FS1 and streamed live on FOX One.
WC program for Saturday 27 June
Panama v England
England will look to officially punch their ticket to the knockout stages when they face Panama at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on Saturday in Group L. Coming in with four points from their first two matches, the Three Lions can clinch the group with a win here, coupled with Ghana’s failure to defeat Croatia. If Ghana also win, the group will be decided on goal difference (England is currently +2 while Ghana is +1).
For Panama, Thomas Christiansen’s team has already been eliminated from the knockout stage and will leave the tournament after this match. Panama have played very hard in their first two matches, starting with a 1-0 loss to Ghana, where they conceded a very late goal. In their second game against Croatia, Panama were surprisingly on the front foot for long stretches but were undone by an Ante Budimir goal in the 54th minute.
Croatia vs Ghana
Automatic qualification for the round of 16 is at stake when Croatia take on Ghana at the Philadelphia Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The winner of this game will be assured of at least second place, while Ghana will finish second in the event of a draw.
Ghana arrive at this match on the heels of a hard-fought 0-0 draw with England on Tuesday. The Black Stars frustrated the Three Lions for the full 90 minutes with a compact defense and a dangerous counter-attack that prevented England from sending more players into attack.
Colombia vs Portugal
In one of the most anticipated group stage finals, Portugal and Colombia clash on Saturday night at the Miami Stadium in a match that will decide Group K. Colombia has already qualified for the round of 16, but can win the group with just a draw. Portugal, meanwhile, are all but through to the knockout stages thanks to their strong goal difference following their 5-0 win over Uzbekistan. But a point mathematically secures a knockout appearance, while a win gives Roberto Martinez’s side the group title.
DR Congo against Uzbekistan
Both DR Congo and Uzbekistan will be looking for their first ever World Cup victories when the two teams meet at the Atlanta Stadium on Saturday. Neither team is mathematically eliminated from qualifying for the Round of 16, and the only way forward for both is to win this game and possibly get help.
DR Congo has the best chance. Sitting at one point from a draw with Portugal and a -1 goal difference, DR Congo would move to four points with a win. The chances of finishing second are very slim as the Leopards would also need Portugal to lose in a manner that nullifies their six-goal advantage in the goal difference tiebreak. DR Congo probably still controls its own destiny. A win would take it to four points, likely enough to finish as one of the top eight third-place teams.
Jordan vs Argentina
Lionel Messi celebrated his 39th birthday on Wednesday while playing some of the best football of his career. If anyone was hoping that this World Cup would be where the Argentine legend finally shows signs of slowing down, they’re sure to be extremely disappointed.
Argentina have six points from their first two matches and are outscoring their opponents 5-0. Messi has scored all five of Argentina’s goals at this World Cup and could have had more when he missed a penalty in the 2-0 win over Austria earlier this week. In that match he scored his 18th World Cup goal and is now the tournament’s leading scorer.
On Saturday, Argentina take on Jordan in what is a dead rubber match in Group J. Argentina have already won the group title, while Jordan has already been eliminated and will return home after this match.
Because of that, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni could choose to rest Messi ahead of the knockouts. That would give Jordan a more realistic chance of securing his first ever World Cup point.
Algeria vs Austria
Second place in Group J and an automatic place in the World Cup round of 16 will go to the winner of Saturday night’s match between Austria and Algeria at the Kansas City Stadium.
Both teams have lost to Argentina and defeated Jordan, but Austria have an advantage on goal difference and will claim second place with a draw. But that might not be a good thing. In an interesting conundrum, some analysts have noted that finishing second in Group J is no prize as it is likely to set up a matchup with tournament favorite Spain in the round of 16. If the third-placed team in Group J qualify for the knockouts, it would likely offer a much more manageable path.
Who is playing today in the WC?
- Panama
- England
- Croatia
- Ghana
- Colombia
- Portugal
- DR Congo
- Uzbekistan
- Jordan
- Argentina
- Algeria
- Austria
WC results yesterday
How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup
All World Cup games are broadcast on FOX and FS1, with every game streamed live and on demand on FOX One.
