The night of June 23–24 at the 2026 World Cup brought two eventful matches in Groups K and L. Croatia edged past Panama in Toronto with a narrow but confident win, while Colombia finally broke through in the 76th minute to defeat DR Congo in Guadalajara. Both sides guaranteed their place in the round of 32, while Panama officially ended their tournament run.
Night results
Panama — Croatia 0:1 (Group L, Toronto, ~03:00 Kyiv time)
The match at BMO Field in Toronto was tense and low-scoring. The first half ended goalless — neither side managed to find the net. At half-time, Croatia's coaching staff made a double substitution, bringing on Ante Budimir and Andrej Kramarić. It was Budimir who became the hero of the match: after a perfect cross from Josip Stanišić on the right flank, he met the delivery inside the penalty area and sent the ball into the net. Panama, who could no longer afford a draw, never found an answer. The defeat means the Panamanians are eliminated from the tournament after two losses in two matches.
Colombia — DR Congo 1:0 (Group K, Guadalajara, ~06:00 Kyiv time)
At the Estadio Guadalajara, Colombia struggled for a long time to break down their opponents. DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau had an outstanding match, saving eight shots. Colombia controlled 64% of possession and had 20 shots compared to their opponents' 8. The breakthrough came in the 76th minute: Daniel Muñoz met a pass from Juan Fernando Quintero and struck the ball so that it deflected off a defender and into the goal. Luis Díaz twice came close to extending the lead, but both times the goal was disallowed — first for a foul in the build-up, then for offside. The 1:0 win sent Colombia through to the round of 32 as group leaders.
Note: Earlier that same evening (before the night window began), two more group-stage matches took place. Portugal thrashed Uzbekistan 5:0 in Houston — Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice and became the first player in history to score at six different World Cups. England and Ghana drew 0:0 in Foxboro.
Group standings
Group K
- Colombia — 6 points (advanced to the round of 32)
- Portugal — 4 points (effectively secured advancement)
- DR Congo — 1 point (still have a chance if they beat Uzbekistan)
- Uzbekistan — 0 points (eliminated regardless of result)
In the final round, Colombia will face Portugal in Miami, while DR Congo take on Uzbekistan in Atlanta (both matches on June 27).
Group L
- England — 4 points
- Ghana — 4 points
- Croatia — 3 points (still have a realistic chance of advancing)
- Panama — 0 points (eliminated)
Croatia sit third and have a clear path to advancement: a win over Ghana on June 27 guarantees them a place in the round of 32. Panama have officially ended their participation in the tournament.
Off the pitch
Cristiano Ronaldo commented on his record-breaking achievement after the match against Uzbekistan: "Records are always pleasing on a personal level, but my goal is always to help the national team achieve its objectives", said the Portuguese captain. Ronaldo also became the second-oldest player in history to score at a World Cup, at the age of 41.
US security services reported that more than 300 drones had been seized near 2026 World Cup stadiums since the start of the tournament. The announcement was made by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The Colombia — DR Congo match was marked by disciplinary incidents late in the game: yellow cards were shown to Jefferson Lerma (Colombia) and Charles Pickel (DR Congo) in the closing minutes.
Today, June 24, four group-stage matches are scheduled at the 2026 World Cup: Switzerland — Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina — Qatar (at 22:00 Kyiv time), Scotland — Brazil and Morocco — Haiti (at 01:00 Kyiv time on June 25).
Photo: NBC News · Editorial (source)
