The World Cup 2026 group stage ends today. Six matches across three time slots wrap up Groups J, K and L, and three of the tournament's biggest names — Argentina, Portugal, England — all need a result to land on the side of the bracket they want. Kickoff times below are Eastern.
The state of the three groups
All nine groups before this have already crowned a winner. Today fills in the last three lines of the Round of 32 bracket. Two of these groups are settled at the top and only the runner-up is open; one is genuinely up for grabs.
Group L: England vs Panama, Croatia vs Ghana · 5 p.m. ET
England arrive on six points and a +4 goal difference. A draw with Panama is enough for top spot. A loss combined with Croatia beating Ghana by two clear goals throws the group into a head-to-head tiebreaker that England would still likely survive — but Thomas Tuchel will not want to test the model. Expect heavy rotation up front and a more functional midfield trio.
Croatia need a win to guarantee a Round of 32 ticket. The Modrić farewell tour has stayed on the road longer than the projections said, and the Croatian press has been bracing all week for the possibility that this is his last competitive 90 minutes. Ghana beat Panama on matchday two and can sneak through on goal difference if results align — the third-place math is still alive for them.
Group K: Colombia vs Portugal, DR Congo vs Uzbekistan · 7:30 p.m. ET
Portugal and Colombia are both on six points and meet for first place. Whoever wins the group avoids — at least on the projected bracket — a likely Round of 16 collision with one of France or Norway. Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to start. He has not scored in this tournament; the betting markets have priced him at almost even money to break that streak today. Colombia counter with Luis Díaz fresh after sitting most of matchday two with a knock.
DR Congo and Uzbekistan are both eliminated from automatic advancement but still mathematically alive for one of the eight best-third-place spots. A two-goal win for either would push them into uncomfortable territory for several already-finished groups. This is the kind of match that ruins a federation president's Saturday in some other country halfway around the world.
Group J: Jordan vs Argentina, Algeria vs Austria · 10 p.m. ET
Argentina, even without Messi, are through. With six points and a +5 goal difference they only need to avoid a four-goal loss to Jordan to seal top spot, and they will not lose to Jordan. The more interesting question is the second qualifier — Austria sit on four points, Algeria on three, and the winner of their match in Kansas City advances. A draw sends Algeria home on head-to-head.
Lionel Scaloni has been candid that Argentina will rotate. Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez probably do not start. The interesting watch is Nicolás Paz, who has played his way into Scaloni's plans and could pick up his first World Cup start in the No. 10 role. For Jordan, this is the biggest match in the federation's history — and a chance to finish the tournament with at least one point on the board.
Who advances and who they meet
The Round of 32 begins on June 28 with the top two from Groups A and B in action. The full third-place picture won't settle until tonight's final whistle in Texas, but the projected outcomes after today are:
- 1J Argentina likely meets a runner-up from Group E or F (Curaçao, Ecuador, Sweden or Japan)
- 1K winner (Portugal or Colombia) projected against a third-place qualifier
- 1L England on the same side of the bracket as Spain and Brazil
What to actually watch tonight
If you only have time for one match, take Colombia vs Portugal at Hard Rock Stadium. It is the only group-defining game of the night between two top-15 sides, and it has a Ronaldo subplot guaranteed to dominate the post-match cycle either way.
For neutrals, the Algeria–Austria match has the rare quality of a true 50/50 result with a knockout-stage spot in the balance. Those games are scarcer than they used to be in the new 48-team format and worth flagging when they appear.
FAQ
How do the eight best-third-place teams qualify? FIFA ranks all 12 third-placed finishers by points, then goal difference, then goals scored, then fair play. The top eight advance to the Round of 32. The full table will not be official until after the late games tonight.
When does the Round of 32 start? Sunday, June 28. Three matches across the day with the first kickoff at noon ET.
Where can I follow tonight's scores live? The full slate is on today's soccer page on Scorelisto with live updates from all six fixtures.
What else is on Scorelisto's World Cup coverage? Group-by-group previews, player spotlights and matchday recaps — start at the blog index and work backwards through the tournament.