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The group stage of the 2026 World Cup comes to its dramatic conclusion on Saturday as six nations discover their fate in Groups J, K and L. Lionel Messi and defending champion Argentina take on Jordan in Dallas. Messi leads the tournament’s scoring charts with five goals. England take on Panama in New York/New Jersey, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal head to Miami to take on a Colombian team that has been one of the most impressive teams in the tournament. All six matches are simulcast in pairs within each group, with each game broadcast on FOX or FS1 and broadcast live on FOX One.
World Cup schedule for Saturday, June 27
Panama vs England
England will look to officially punch their ticket to the knockout stage when they take on Panama on Saturday at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford in Group L. Entering with four points from their first two games, the Three Lions can win the group with a win here, combined with Ghana failing to defeat Croatia. If Ghana also wins, the group will be decided by goal difference (England is currently at +2 while Ghana is at +1).
In the case of Panama, Thomas Christiansen’s team has already been eliminated from the knockout phase and will exit the tournament after this match. Panama has played very hard in its first two games, starting with a 1-0 loss to Ghana, where they conceded a goal very late. In their second match against Croatia, Panama was surprisingly ahead for long periods, but were defeated by a goal from Ante Budimir in the 54th minute.
Croatia against Ghana
Automatic qualification to the round of 32 is on the line when Croatia takes on Ghana at Philadelphia Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The winner of this match will be guaranteed at least second place, while Ghana will finish second in the event of a tie.
Ghana comes into this match off a hard-fought 0-0 draw against England on Tuesday. The Black Stars frustrated the Three Lions throughout the 90 minutes with a compact defense and a dangerous counterattack that prevented England from sending more players on the attack.
Colombia vs Portugal
In one of the most anticipated finals of the group stage, Portugal and Colombia meet on Saturday night at Miami Stadium in a match that will decide Group K. Colombia has already qualified for the round of 32, but can win the group with only a draw. Portugal, meanwhile, are essentially through to the round of 16 given their strong goal difference following the 5-0 win over Uzbekistan. But a point mathematically ensures classification, while a victory gives Roberto Martínez’s team the group title.
Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Uzbekistan
Both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uzbekistan will be looking for their first World Cup victories when the two teams meet at Atlanta Stadium on Saturday. Neither team is mathematically eliminated from qualifying for the round of 32, and the only way forward for both is to win this match and possibly get help.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has the best opportunity. Located one point away from a tie with Portugal and with a -1 goal differential, the Democratic Republic of the Congo would move to four points with a victory. The chances of finishing second are very slim, as the Leopards would also need Portugal to lose in a way that nullifies their six-goal advantage in the goal difference tiebreaker. The Democratic Republic of the Congo likely still controls its own destiny. A win would give them four points, which would likely be enough to finish as one of the top eight teams in third place.
Jordan vs Argentina
Lionel Messi celebrated his 39th birthday on Wednesday while playing the best football of his career. If anyone expected that in this World Cup the Argentine legend would finally show signs of slowing down, they will surely feel extremely disappointing.
Argentina has six points from its first two games and is outscoring its opponents, 5-0. Messi has scored all five of Argentina’s goals in this World Cup and could have scored even more, having missed a penalty in the 2-0 win over Austria earlier in the week. In that match, he scored his 18th World Cup goal and is now the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.
On Saturday, Argentina faces Jordan in what is a dead rubber match in Group J. Argentina has already clinched the group title, while Jordan has already been eliminated and will return home after this match.
That is why the Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni could choose to give Messi a rest before the knockouts. That would give Jordan a more realistic chance of getting their first World Cup point.
Algeria against Austria
Second place in Group J and an automatic place in the World Cup round of 32 will go to the winner of Saturday night’s match between Austria and Algeria at Kansas City Stadium.
Both teams lost to Argentina and defeated Jordan, but Austria has an advantage on goal difference and would claim second place with a draw. But that may not be a good thing. In an interesting conundrum, some analysts have pointed out that finishing second in Group J is no prize, as it likely sets up a showdown with tournament favorites Spain in the round of 32. If the third-place team in Group J qualifies for the round of 16, it would likely offer a much more manageable path.
Who is playing in the World Cup today?
- Panama
- England
- Croatia
- Ghana
- Colombia
- Portugal
- DR Congo
- Uzbekistan
- Jordan
- Argentina
- Algeria
- Austria
Yesterday’s World Cup results
How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup
All World Cup matches are broadcast on FOX and FS1, and all matches are broadcast live and on demand on FOX One.
