The 2026 World Cup group stage came to a close on the night of June 27–28. The biggest talking point was the Algeria–Austria match, which ended in a spectacular 3:3 draw and sent Iran home. Meanwhile, Argentina reaffirmed their status as favourites, and England and Croatia sealed their progression from Group L. All results are available in the schedule for the final day of the WC 2026 group stage in Kyiv time.
Night Results
Group J: Argentina – Jordan 3:1
Argentina wrapped up the group stage with a perfect record — three wins from three games. Goals from Giovanni Lo Celso (19th minute, free kick) and Lautaro Martínez (31st, penalty) put the Albiceleste ahead before the break. Early in the second half, Mousa Al-Tamari pulled one back to make it 2:1, but Lionel Messi had the final say with a precise free kick in the 80th minute. Argentina won Group J and will face Cape Verde in the Round of 32 on July 3 in Miami.
Group J: Algeria – Austria 3:3
The most dramatic match of the night. Austria took the lead through Marko Arnautović (28th minute), Algeria responded with a goal from Riyad Mahrez (45th). In the second half, Marcel Sabitzer put Austria back in front (55th), but Riyad Mahrez restored parity (60th). Both teams needed only a draw to advance to the knockout stage, yet the game never settled: Algeria went ahead in stoppage time, only for Austria to equalise in the dying seconds — 3:3. Both sides progress to the Round of 32, while Iran, watching from the sidelines, is eliminated.
Group L: England – Panama 2:0
England claimed top spot in Group L, though the first half was uninspiring. Jude Bellingham (62nd minute) and Harry Kane (67th) scored in the second half to settle the contest. Manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged after the game that there is work to be done ahead of the knockout rounds. Panama, already eliminated, finish the tournament without a win.
Group L: Croatia – Ghana 2:1
Croatia booked their place in the Round of 32 by beating Ghana in the first-ever meeting between the two sides. Petar Sučić opened the scoring in the 31st minute, Derrick Luckassen equalised (73rd), but Nikola Vlašić struck in the 83rd minute to give Croatia a 2:1 victory.
Group K: Colombia – Portugal 0:0
Colombia finished the group stage unbeaten and won Group K. Portugal, despite the draw, also advance to the knockout stage as runners-up. The match ended goalless — both sides were conserving energy ahead of the decisive games.
Group K: DR Congo – Uzbekistan 3:1
DR Congo reach the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history. Yannick Wissa scored twice (68th minute from the penalty spot and 90+1st), with Florent Malouda adding a third (78th). Uzbekistan got on the scoresheet through Eldor Shomurodov (10th minute), but it was not enough.
Final Standings
Group J (final)
- Argentina — 1st place, 9 points (advance to Round of 32)
- Austria — 2nd place, 4 points (advance to Round of 32)
- Algeria — 3rd place, 4 points (advance to Round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams)
- Jordan — 4th place, eliminated
Iran, who were watching the results from the sidelines, also exit the tournament — both third-place spots they were competing for went to Algeria and DR Congo.
Group K (final)
- Colombia — 1st place (advance to Round of 32)
- Portugal — 2nd place (advance to Round of 32)
- DR Congo — 3rd place (advance to Round of 32)
- Uzbekistan — 4th place, eliminated
Group L (final)
- England — 1st place (advance to Round of 32)
- Croatia — 2nd place (advance to Round of 32)
- Ghana — 3rd place (fate decided by the best third-placed teams table)
- Panama — 4th place, eliminated
Off the Pitch
Steve Clarke resigns. Scotland manager Steve Clarke announced his resignation after the team was knocked out in the WC 2026 group stage. Scotland failed to advance, and Clarke stepped down immediately after their elimination was confirmed.
Messi leads the scoring charts. With his goal against Jordan, Lionel Messi brought his tournament tally to 6 goals, topping the World Cup 2026 scoring charts. For a full review of the group stage, see the article "Colombia–Portugal and Argentina–Jordan: The Final Night of the Group Stage".
Iran eliminated by VAR. Iran exit the tournament with a bitter taste: in their previous match, a decisive goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review. In the end, Iran could not take advantage of any of the scenarios that would have seen them advance and are heading home.
Today at the Mundial
June 28 marks the start of the Round of 32. The first knockout match is Brazil vs Japan at 22:00 Kyiv time. The full WC 2026 match schedule in Kyiv time is available in the dedicated section of the site.
See also: 48 teams at WC 2026: all tournament participants
Photo: Sean Leahy · Editorial (source)
