Saturday brings another big day at the World Cup, with six group stage matches still to be played before the knockout stages begin.
England and Argentina are aiming to finish the group stage with strong results, while Colombia and Portugal will battle it out for top spot in Group K. Croatia, Ghana, DR Congo and Uzbekistan are also among the teams still in contention to reach the last 16.
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Off the field, Cape Verde made history by reaching the knockout stages at their first World Cup, Iran are waiting to find out if they qualify as one of the top third-placed teams and captain Mehdi Taremi criticized FIFA for his teamโs travel arrangements. Pink boots also became one of the main trends of the tournament.
Hereโs what you need to know:
What schedule?
- Panama vs England at New York New Jersey Stadium in the US at 17:00 ET (21:00 GMT)
- Croatia vs Ghana at Philadelphia Stadium in the US at 17:00 ET (21:00 GMT)
- Colombia vs Portugal at Miami Stadium in the US at 19:30 ET (23:30 GMT)
- DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan at Atlanta Stadium in the US at 19:30 ET (23:30 GMT)
- Jordan vs Argentina at Dallas Stadium in the US at 21:00 CST (02:00 GMT on Sunday)
- Algeria vs Austria at Kansas City Stadium in the US at 21:00 CST (02:00 GMT on Sunday)
What are the predictions for the match Panama โ England?
England and Panama have met only once before at a World Cup, with England winning 6-1 in the group stage of Russia 2018. The triumph remains the Three Lionsโ biggest win in tournament history.
England are clear favorites for all three points in New Jersey. Based on 25,000 pre-match simulations from the Opta supercomputer, the team has a 78.5% chance of winning.
Panama has only an 8.9 percent chance of recording its first World Cup win, while the chance of earning its first World Cup point is 12.6 percent.
What are the predictions for the Croatia โ Ghana match?
This will be the first meeting between Croatia and Ghana. Ghana is ranked 65th in the latest FIFA rankings and is the second lowest-ranked country Croatia has faced at the World Cup, after Russia (70th) in 2018.
Despite being one point behind Ghana in Group L, Croatia are clear favorites to win the title, according to supercomputer Opta.
In 25,000 pre-match simulations, Croatia won 56.3 percent of the time. Ghana achieved a win in 17.6 percent of simulations, while a draw was scored at 26.2 percent.
What are the predictions for the match Colombia โ Portugal?
This will be the first World Cup meeting between Colombia and Portugal.
Colombia will be the third South American team Portugal have faced at the World Cup, following previous encounters with Brazil and Uruguay.
Portugal are slight favorites, winning 51.6 percent of 25,000 pre-match simulations, according to supercomputer Opta.
Colombia won in 23.9 percent of simulations, while the probability of a draw was 25.2 percent. One point would be enough for Colombia to finish top of Group K.
What are the predictions for the match between DR Congo and Uzbekistan?
This will be the first meeting between DR Congo and Uzbekistan.
Both teams are still fighting for a place in the knockout stages, with DR Congo also aiming for their first ever World Cup win after a draw with Portugal and a narrow defeat to Colombia.
The Opta supercomputer gives DR Congo the edge, with the Leopards winning 48.9 per cent of 25,000 pre-match simulations.
Uzbekistan came out on top in 26.8 percent of simulations, while a tie was scored at 24.3 percent, leaving the Central Asian team with an outside chance of reaching the round of 16.
What are the predictions for the Algeria โ Austria match?
This will be only the second meeting between Algeria and Austria, the previous meeting also taking place in the group stage of the World Cup in 1982.
Austria won the match 2-0, recording their last clean sheet at the World Cup.
The Opta supercomputer is expecting a tight contest, with the most likely result being a draw (42.1 per cent) in 25,000 pre-match simulations.
Austria has a 31.2% chance of winning, while Algeria has a 26.7% chance of winning. Victory would allow Algeria to win back-to-back World Cup matches for the first time.
What are the predictions for the match Jordan โ Argentina?
This will be the first time Jordan and Argentina have met in any competition.
Argentina are clear favorites to continue their perfect World Cup campaign, even though Lionel Messi has confirmed he will start the match from the bench.
The Opta supercomputer gave the reigning world champions a 77.9 per cent chance of winning after 25,000 pre-match simulations. The draw was priced at 13.3 percent, leaving Jordan, already eliminated from the 2026 tournament, with just an 8.8 percent chance of pulling off the famous upset and claiming his first World Cup victory.
- Mexico (Group A)
- South Africa (Group A)
- Switzerland (Group B)
- Canada (Group B)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (best third place)
- Brazil (Group C)
- Morocco (Group C)
- USA (Group D)
- Australia (Group D)
- Paraguay (best third place)
- Germany (Group E)
- Ivory Coast (Group E)
- Ecuador (best third place)
- Netherlands (Group F)
- Japan (Group F)
- Sweden (best third place)
- Belgium (Group G)
- Egypt (Group G)
- Spain (Group H)
- Cape Verde (Group H)
- France (Group I)
- Norway (Group I)
- Senegal (best third place)
- Argentina (Group J)
- Colombia (Group K)
- Portugal (Group K)
- England (Group L)
- Ghana (Group L)
Or grouped by status:
- Group winners (confirmed): Mexico, Switzerland, Brazil, USA, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, France, Argentina.
- Second place in the group (confirmed): South Africa, Canada, Morocco, Australia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Egypt, Cape Verde, Norway.
- Qualified, place in the group has not yet been determined: Colombia, Portugal, England, Ghana.
- Top third place teams: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ecuador, Sweden, Paraguay and Senegal.
What else is going on?
Cape Verdeโs dream debut isnโt over yet
The island nation reached the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time after holding Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw on Friday in Houston, becoming the smallest country by population to reach the knockout stages of the menโs World Cup.
The tournamentโs newcomers had already stunned Spain with a 0-0 draw in the first leg before scoring their first World Cup goals in a 2-2 draw with Uruguay.
They finished unbeaten with three points, finishing second in Group H behind Spain.
Next up is their biggest test: defending champions Argentina in the round of 16 in Miami Gardens, Florida, on July 3.
Iran had to wait after breaking ties with VAR
Iranโs hopes of reaching the round of 16 remain alive, but no longer in their own hands.
Melliโs side drew 1-1 with Egypt after a dramatic stoppage-time winner was ruled out for offside following a VAR review, leaving them third in Group G with three points.
Iran will now have to wait to see if this is enough to qualify as one of the tournamentโs top third-place teams. To advance to the round of 16, they need one of the following scenarios to happen on Saturday:
- Croatia will lose to Ghana in Group L.
- DR Congo failed to beat Uzbekistan in Group K, although Uzbekistan should not win by seven goals or more.
- Either Austria or Algeria will win their last round of Group J matches.
Taremi criticized the conditions of the World Cup for Iran
Iran captain Mehdi Taremi has accused FIFA of failing to resolve the logistical problems facing his World Cup side following Fridayโs 1-1 draw with Egypt.
Speaking after the game, Taremi called the teamโs travel arrangements a โdisasterโ, saying repeated trips from their Tijuana base to the US had put Iran at a disadvantage. He also questioned whether his team was truly welcome in the tournament, asking: โIf they want us to get eliminated, fine, letโs get eliminated. But itโs not fair.โ
The comments come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US following recent military attacks and a fragile ceasefire. Taremi called on FIFA to address the issues, saying the governing body had failed to provide the support it promised ahead of the tournament.
Mehdi Taremi #9 of Iran applauds fans after a 1-1 draw during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G match between Egypt and Iran at Seattle Stadium (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Why do some players wear pink boots at the World Cup?
Pink has become the standout boot color for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after leading manufacturers including Nike, Adidas, Puma, Skechers and New Balance released hot pink models ahead of the tournament.
The color is intended to help players stand out on the field as well as demonstrate confidence. โAthletes associate the color with confidence and standing out, and that resonates,โ said Nike global footwear director Odinga Nimako.
Players wearing the pink boots include Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland in Nike models, while Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Jonathan David, Lamin Yamal and Ousmane Dembele are among those sporting Adidas versions.
The trend continues to move away from the traditional black and white football boots in favor of the colorful designs that first gained popularity at the 1998 World Cup.
New Zealandโs Sarpreet Singh (No. 10) runs during the World Cup Group G soccer match between New Zealand and Belgium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Friday, June 26, 2026. (Bobby Parr/AP)