Saturday brings another big day at the FIFA World Cup, with six group-stage matches left to be played before the knockout rounds begin.
England and Argentina are aiming to finish the group stage with the best records, while Colombia and Portugal are locked in a battle for first place in the group stage. Croatia, Ghana, DR Congo and Uzbekistan are also among the teams still struggling to reach the Round of 32.
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Off the field, Cape Verde have made history by reaching the knockout stage in their first World Cup, Iran are waiting to find out if they qualify as one of the best third-placed teams, and captain Mehdi Taremi has criticized FIFA over his team’s travel arrangements. Pink shoes have also become one of the biggest trends in the tournament.
Here’s what to know:
What is the schedule?
- Panama vs England 5 pm EDT (21:00 GMT) at New York New Jersey Stadium, United States
- croatia vs ghana 5 PM EDT (21:00 GMT) at Philadelphia Stadium, USA
- colombia vs portugal 7:30 pm EDT (23:30 GMT) at Miami Stadium, USA
- DR Congo vs Uzbekistan 7:30 pm EDT (23:30 GMT) at Atlanta Stadium, USA
- jordan vs argentina 9pm CDT (02:00 GMT on Sunday) at Dallas Stadium, USA
- algeria vs austria 9pm CDT (02:00 GMT on Sunday) at Kansas City Stadium, USA
What are the predictions for Panama vs England?
England and Panama have met only once before at the World Cup, with England winning 6–1 in the group stage at Russia 2018. This win remains the Three Lions’ biggest win in the history of the tournament.
England are favorites to take all three points in New Jersey. According to 25,000 pre-match simulations by the Opta supercomputer, the team has a 78.5 percent chance of winning.
Panama are given just an 8.9 percent chance of recording their first World Cup win, while the chances of them earning World Cup points for the first time are 12.6 percent.
What are the predictions for Croatia vs Ghana?
This will be the first meeting between Croatia and Ghana. Ranked 65th in the latest FIFA standings, Ghana is the second-lowest ranked nation to face Croatia at the World Cup after Russia (70th) in 2018.
Despite finishing one point behind Ghana in Group L, Croatia are clear favorites to claim victory, according to the Opta supercomputer.
In 25,000 pre-match simulations, Croatia won 56.3 percent of the time. Ghana emerged victorious in 17.6 per cent of simulations, while a draw was rated 26.2 per cent of the time.
What are the predictions for Colombia vs Portugal?
This will be the first World Cup meeting between Colombia and Portugal.
Colombia will become the third South American team to face Portugal at the World Cup, following previous encounters with Brazil and Uruguay.
Portugal are slight favorites according to the Opta supercomputer, having won 51.6 percent of their 25,000 pre-match simulations.
Colombia emerged victorious in 23.9 percent of simulations, while a draw was given a 25.2 percent chance. One point will be enough for Colombia to top Group K.
What are the predictions for DR Congo vs Uzbekistan?
This will be the first meeting between DR Congo and Uzbekistan.
Both teams are still trying to make the knockout stages, with DR Congo also looking for their first World Cup win after drawing with Portugal and narrowly losing to Colombia.
The Opta supercomputer gives the edge to DR Congo, with the Leopards winning 48.9 percent of its 25,000 pre-match simulations.
Uzbekistan came out on top in 26.8 per cent of simulations, while draws were rated 24.3 per cent of the time, leaving the Central Asian side with an outside chance of reaching the round of 32.
What are the predictions for Algeria vs Austria?
This will be only the second meeting between Algeria and Austria, their previous meeting also took place in the World Cup group stage in 1982.
Austria won that match 2–0 and recorded their most recent clean sheet in a World Cup.
The Opta supercomputer expects a tough contest, with the highest probability of a draw at 42.1 percent in 25,000 pre-match simulations.
Austria has a very slim chance of victory, with a 31.2 percent chance of taking all three points, while Algeria is rated at 26.7 percent. With this victory, Algeria will win consecutive World Cup matches for the first time.
What are the predictions for Jordan vs Argentina?
This will be the first meeting between Jordan and Argentina in any competition.
Despite Lionel Messi being confirmed to start the match from the substitutes’ bench, Argentina are favorites to continue their perfect World Cup campaign.
The Opta supercomputer gave the defending world champions a 77.9 percent chance of victory in 25,000 pre-match simulations. The draw was given a 13.3 per cent rating, giving Jordan – already ruled out of the 2026 tournament – only an 8.8 per cent chance of pulling off a famous upset and claiming their 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 position:
- 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.
- Qualification with group status still to be decided: Colombia, Portugal, England, Ghana.
- Best third placed teams: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ecuador, Sweden, Paraguay and Senegal.
what else is happening?
Cape Verde’s dream debut is far from over
The island nation reached the World Cup knockouts for the first time after holding Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw in Houston on Friday, becoming the smallest nation by population to reach the men’s World Cup knockout stage.
The tournament newcomers had already stunned Spain with a 0–0 draw in their opening match before scoring their first World Cup goal in a 2–2 draw with Uruguay.
They remained unbeaten with three points and finished second behind Spain in Group H.
Next up is their biggest test yet: defending champions Argentina in the Round of 32 on July 3 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Iran give up waiting after VAR heartbreak late on
Iran’s hopes of reaching the Round of 32 remain alive, but it is no longer in their hands.
Team Melli played out a 1-1 draw with Egypt after a dramatic stoppage-time winner was ruled out as offside following a VAR review, leaving them third in Group G with three points.
Iran will now have to wait to see if it is good enough to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams of the tournament. To progress to the last-32, they need one of the following scenarios to occur on Saturday:
- Croatia will lose to Ghana in Group L.
- DR Congo failed to beat Uzbekistan in Group K – although Uzbekistan must not win by a margin of seven goals or more.
- Either Austria or Algeria will win their final match in Group J
Taremi criticizes World Cup conditions for Iran
Iran captain Mehdi Taremi accused FIFA of failing to address the logistical problems facing his team at the World Cup after Friday’s 1-1 draw with Egypt.
Speaking after the game, Taremi described the team’s travel arrangements as a “disaster”, saying that repeated trips from their base in Tijuana to the US had hurt Iran. He also questioned whether his team was really welcome in the tournament, asking: “If they want us to be out, then fine, let’s be out. But that’s not fair.”
The comments came against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Iran and the US following recent military attacks and a fragile ceasefire. Taremi urged FIFA to resolve the issues and said the governing body had failed to provide the support promised ahead of the tournament.
Why are some players wearing pink cleats at the World Cup?
Pink has become the most popular boot color at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after major manufacturers including Nike, Adidas, Puma, Skechers and New Balance released bright pink designs ahead of the tournament.
The color is intended to help players stand out on the field while showing confidence. “Athletes associate this color with confidence and standing out, and it is reflected,” said Odinga Nmako, Nike’s global footwear director.
Players who have worn the pink boots include Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland in the Nike model, while those wearing the Adidas version include Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Jonathan David, Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele.
The trend continues to move away from the traditional black and white football boots, following colorful designs that first gained popularity at the 1998 World Cup.
