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The group stage of the 2026 World Cup reaches its dramatic conclusion on Saturday as six nations discover their fate in Groups J, K and L. Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina take on Jordan in Dallas. Messi leads the tournament scoring charts with five goals. England take on Panama in New York/New Jersey while Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal travel to Miami to meet a Colombian side who have been one of the most impressive teams of the tournament. All six matches are simulcast in pairs within each group, and each match is broadcast on FOX or FS1 and streamed live on FOX One.
World Cup program for Saturday June 27
Panama vs England
England will look to officially punch their ticket to the knockout stage when they face Panama on Saturday at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford in Group L. Entering with four points from their opening two games, the Three Lions can clinch the group with a victory here, combined with Ghana’s failure to overcome Croatia. If Ghana also wins, the group will be decided by goal differential (England are currently at +2 while Ghana are at +1).
For Panama, Thomas Christiansen’s team has already been eliminated in the round of 16 and will leave the tournament after this match. Panama played very hard in their first two matches, starting with a 1-0 loss to Ghana where they conceded a goal very late. In their second match against Croatia, Panama were surprisingly in the lead for long periods, but were undone by a goal from Ante Budimir in the 54th minute.
Croatia vs Ghana
Automatic qualification for the round of 16 is on the line when Croatia faces Ghana at Philadelphia Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The winner of this match will be assured of at least second place, while Ghana will finish second in the event of a tie.
Ghana comes into this match after a 0-0 draw against England on Tuesday. The Black Stars frustrated the Three Lions for 90 minutes with a compact defense and dangerous counterattack that prevented England from sending more players into attack.
Colombia vs. Portugal
In one of the most anticipated group stage finals, Portugal and Colombia face off on Saturday night at Miami Stadium in a match that will decide Group K. Colombia is already through to the round of 16 but can win the group with a simple draw. Portugal, meanwhile, are essentially through to the round of 16 given their solid goal differential following the 5-0 win over Uzbekistan. But a point mathematically allows them to qualify for the round of 16 while a victory gives Roberto Martinez’s team the group title.
DR Congo vs Uzbekistan
DR Congo and Uzbekistan will look to claim their first ever World Cup victory when the two teams meet at Atlanta Stadium on Saturday. Neither team is mathematically eliminated from qualifying for the Round of 16, and the only path forward for both is to win this game and possibly get some help.
DR Congo has the best chances. One point from its draw against Portugal and with a differential of -1 goal, DR Congo would move to four points in the event of victory. The chances of finishing second are very slim, as Leopards would also need Portugal to lose in a way that would negate their six-goal advantage in the goal differential tie-break. It is likely that DR Congo still controls its own destiny. A win would take it to four points, which is likely enough to finish among the top eight teams in third place.
Jordan vs. Argentina
Lionel Messi celebrated his 39th birthday on Wednesday by playing some of the best football of his career. If anyone was hoping that this World Cup would be the moment where the Argentine legend finally shows signs of slowing down, it is surely extremely disappointing.
Argentina has six points in its first two matches and dominates its opponents 5-0. Messi has scored all five of Argentina’s goals at this World Cup and could have scored even more as he missed a penalty in the 2-0 win over Austria earlier in the week. In this match, he scored his 18th World Cup goal and is now the tournament’s all-time top scorer.
On Saturday, Argentina will face Jordan in what is a rubber-free match in Group J. Argentina has already clinched the group title while Jordan has already been eliminated and will return home after this match.
For this reason, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni could choose to rest Messi before the round of 16. This would give Jordan a more realistic chance of securing their first ever World Cup point.
Algeria vs Austria
Second place in Group J and an automatic spot in the World Cup round of 16 will go to the winner of Saturday night’s match between Austria and Algeria at Kansas City Stadium.
Both teams lost to Argentina and beat Jordan, but Austria has a goal differential advantage and would claim second place in the event of 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 not a reward, as it would likely result in a clash with tournament favorites Spain in the round of 16. If the third-placed team in Group J advances to the knockout stages, it would likely provide 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
World Cup results yesterday
How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup
All World Cup matches are broadcast on FOX and FS1, and every match is streamed live and on demand on FOX One.
