Saturday marks the beginning of another big day at the FIFA World Cup. There are still six group stage matches remaining before the finals begin.
England and Argentina will aim to finish the group stage with perfect records, while Colombia and Portugal will face off for first place in Group K. Croatia, Ghana, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uzbekistan are also among the teams vying for a spot in the round of 32.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Off the pitch, Cape Verde made history by reaching the final round of the World Cup for the first time, while Iran waits to see if they qualify to be one of the best teams in third place, while captain Mehdi Taremi criticized FIFA over the team’s travel arrangements. Pink boots are also one of the biggest trends at the tournament.
Here’s what you need to know:
What is your schedule?
Panama vs. England, 5:00pm EDT (21:00 GMT) at New Jersey Stadium, New York, USA; Croatia vs. Ghana, 5:00pm EDT (21:00 GMT) at Philadelphia Stadium, USA; Colombia vs. Portugal, 7:30pm (23:30 GMT) at Miami Stadium, USA; DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan, 7:30pm (23:30 GMT) at Atlanta Stadium, USA. Jordan vs Argentina, 9pm CDT at Dallas Stadium, USA (02:00 GMT on Sunday) Algeria vs Austria, 9pm CDT at Kansas City Stadium, USA (02:00 GMT on Sunday)
What are your predictions for Panama vs England?
England and Panama have only met once before at the World Cup, with England winning 6-1 in the group stage at the 2018 tournament in Russia. This victory remains the Three Lions’ biggest win in the history of the competition.
England are the overwhelming favorites to win all three points in New Jersey. According to 25,000 pre-match simulations on the Opta supercomputer, the team has a 78.5% chance of winning.
There is only an 8.9 percent chance that Panama will record their first World Cup win, but a 12.6 percent chance that they will score their first World Cup point.
What are your predictions for Croatia vs Ghana?
This will be the first meeting between Croatia and Ghana. Ghana, ranked 65th in the latest FIFA rankings, is the second-lowest country Croatia has played at a World Cup, after Russia (70th) in 2018.
According to supercomputer Opta, Croatia are clear favorites to win Group L, although they are one point behind Ghana.
After 25,000 pre-match simulations, Croatia had a 56.3% chance of winning. Ghana won in 17.6 percent of simulations, while the probability of a draw was 26.2 percent.
What are your predictions for Colombia vs Portugal?
This will be the first time Colombia and Portugal will play against each other in a World Cup.
Colombia will be the third South American team Portugal will face at the World Cup, following matches against Brazil and Uruguay.
According to the Opta supercomputer, Portugal were the narrow favorites to win, winning in 51.6% of 25,000 pre-match simulations.
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 secure top spot in Group K.
What are your predictions for DR Congo vs Uzbekistan?
This will be the first meeting between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uzbekistan.
Both teams are still chasing a place in the knockout stages, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo also aiming for its first World Cup victory after drawing with Portugal and narrowly losing to Colombia.
The Opta supercomputer gave the Democratic Republic of the Congo an edge, with the Leopards winning in 48.9% of 25,000 pre-match simulations.
Uzbekistan led the way with 26.8 percent of simulated results, but the draw rating was 24.3 percent, leaving the Central Asian team with a chance to advance to the round of 32.
What are your predictions for Algeria vs Austria?
This is the second time Algeria and Austria have played against each other, the last time being in the group stage of the 1982 World Cup.
Austria won that match 2-0, recording their latest clean sheet in a World Cup.
The Opta supercomputer predicts it will be a close game, with a draw being the best outcome with 42.1% of its 25,000 pre-match simulations.
Austria are favored to win by a slim margin of 31.2 percent, while Algeria are rated at 26.7 percent. If Algeria wins, it will be the first time they have won consecutive World Cup matches.
What are your predictions for Jordan vs Argentina?
This will be the first time Jordan and Argentina will face off in any tournament.
Argentina is the overwhelming favorite to win the World Cup, having continued their perfect World Cup campaign despite Lionel Messi being substituted.
The Opta supercomputer gave the reigning world champion a 77.9% chance of winning through 25,000 pre-match simulations. The probability of a draw was 13.3 percent, leaving Jordan, already eliminated from the 2026 tournament, with just an 8.8 percent chance of pulling off a famous upset and winning their first World Cup.
Mexico (Group A) South Africa (Group A) Switzerland (Group B) Canada (Group B) Bosnia and Herzegovina (Best 3rd place) Brazil (Group C) Morocco (Group C) America (Group D) Australia (Group D) Paraguay (Best 3rd place) Germany (Group E) Ivory Coast (Group E) Ecuador (Best 3rd place) Netherlands (Group F) Japan (Group F) Sweden (Best 3rd place) Belgium (Group G) Egypt (Group G) Spain (Group H) Cape Verde (Group H) France (Group I) Norway (Group I) Senegal (best 3rd place) Argentina (Group J) Colombia (Group K) Portugal (Group K) England (Group L) Ghana (Group L)
Or group by status.
Group winners (confirmed): Mexico, Switzerland, Brazil, USA, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, France, Argentina. Group runners-up (confirmed): South Africa, Canada, Morocco, Australia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Egypt, Cape Verde, Norway. Eligibility is yet to be determined, but group standings are yet to be determined: Colombia, Portugal, England, Ghana. Best 3rd place teams: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ecuador, Sweden, Paraguay, Senegal.
What else is going on?
Cape Verde’s dream debut is not over yet
The island nation held off Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw in Houston on Friday to reach the World Cup finals for the first time, becoming the smallest country by population to reach the finals of a men’s World Cup.
The new team to this tournament overwhelmed Spain in their first match with a 0-0 draw, and scored their first World Cup goal in a 2-2 draw with Uruguay.
They are undefeated and have three points, placing them in second place in Group H behind Spain.
The next step will be the biggest test yet. They will face defending champion Argentina in the round of 32 on July 3 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Iran left the standby after VAR lapses in the final stages
Iran’s hopes of reaching the Round of 32 still remain, but they are no longer in their own hands.
Team Melli’s dramatic stoppage-time goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review, resulting in a 1-1 draw with Egypt, leaving them third in Group G with three points.
Iran now needs to see if it is good enough to qualify as one of the tournament’s best third place teams. To advance to the final 32nd place, one of the following scenarios must occur on Saturday.
Croatia loses to Ghana in Group L. Democratic Republic of the Congo cannot beat Uzbekistan in Group K, but Uzbekistan must win by a difference of at least seven goals. Austria or Algeria will win the final round of Group J.
Taremi criticizes Iran’s World Cup conditions
Iranian national team captain Mehdi Taremi accused FIFA of failing to address the logistical problems faced by his team at the World Cup after Friday’s 1-1 draw with Egypt.
In his post-match press conference, Taremi described the team’s travel arrangements as a “disaster” and said repeated moves from their home base in Tijuana to the United States had put Iran at a disadvantage. He also questioned whether his team was really welcome in the tournament, asking, “If they want us out, okay, let’s go. But it’s not fair.”
The comments came against the backdrop of rising tensions between Iran and the United States following recent military attacks and an uneasy ceasefire. Taremi called on FIFA to resolve the issue, saying it had failed to provide the support promised before the tournament.
Why do some players wear pink cleats at the World Cup?
Pink has become a prominent boot color at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with major manufacturers such as Nike, Adidas, Puma, Skechers and New Balance releasing bright pink designs ahead of the tournament.
This color is intended to help players stand out on the pitch as well as project confidence. “Athletes associate this color with confidence and standing out, and that resonates,” said Odinga Nimako, director of global footwear at Nike.
Among the players wearing pink boots are Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland who wear the Nike model, while Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Jonathan David, Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele wear the Adidas version.
The trend follows the colorful designs that first became popular at the 1998 World Cup and continues the shift away from traditional black and white soccer cleats.
