Today, June 27, the group stage of the 2026 World Cup comes to a close — the match schedule in Kyiv time covers six fixtures in Groups J, K, and L, and by evening the full lineup of round-of-32 participants will be known. Overnight (results are already in the morning digest), the winners of Groups H and I were decided.
What we know after the overnight matches of June 26
According to Yahoo Sports and FIFA.com, on Friday, June 26, Spain defeated Uruguay 1–0 in Group H, while Norway surprisingly thrashed France 4–1 in Group I. In addition, Belgium crushed New Zealand 5–1, and Egypt drew with Iran 1–1 in Group G. Uruguay, despite playing three group matches, is eliminated from the tournament — as confirmed by the official FIFA website. Senegal demolished Iraq 5–0 and also concluded their group stage campaign.
2026 World Cup match schedule in Kyiv time: June 27
According to the official 2026 World Cup schedule, six matches across three groups will take place today. All kick-off times are given in Kyiv time (UTC+3):
- Group L: Panama vs. England (00:00, already played) and Croatia vs. Ghana (00:00, already played) — results in the morning digest.
- Group K: Colombia vs. Portugal and DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan — kick-off at 02:30 Kyiv time (June 28).
- Group J: Jordan vs. Argentina and Algeria vs. Austria — kick-off at 05:00 Kyiv time (June 28).
A detailed schedule of all today's matches with kick-off times is available in the article "Norway vs. France and Uruguay vs. Spain: 2026 World Cup match schedule in Kyiv time".
What's at stake today
In Group L, England have already secured qualification and are fighting for first place. According to olympics.com, Croatia and Ghana are meeting for the first time in history — both sides have a chance to advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams. In Group K, Colombia have already confirmed their place in the round of 32 after two wins, and the match against Portugal decides who tops the group. In Group J, reigning champions Argentina have already guaranteed their progression; Austria and Algeria both have three points and are playing for second place.
The group stage wraps up: format and figures
The 2026 World Cup is the first tournament in history to feature 48 national teams, with a total of 104 matches. The group stage consists of 12 groups of four teams, and today it officially concludes. The top two from each group advance to the round of 32, along with the eight best third-placed teams. The round of 32 begins on June 28. The full group-stage schedule and results are available on the page "2026 World Cup match schedule in Kyiv time".
This evening features Colombia vs. Portugal, DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan, Jordan vs. Argentina, and Algeria vs. Austria; a detailed preview will follow.
Photo: Sean Leahy · Editorial (source)
