The final day of the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage delivered a marathon of decisive matches across Groups J, K, and L, setting the stage for the round of 32 beginning Monday.
England topped Group L with a 2-0 victory over Panama at the New York-New Jersey Stadium, thanks to goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane. Multiple outlets described the performance as “grey” and uninspired, with El País noting that Bellingham and Kane “pulled England out of its slumber.” But as The Telegraph put it, it was “Bellingham to the rescue yet again.” The result was enough to secure first place in the group.
Croatia edged Ghana 2-1 in the other Group L match, with Nikola Vlašić scoring a late winner to clinch second place and a spot in the knockout rounds. Ghana, however, had already secured qualification — their first trip to the round of 32 since 2010.
In Group K, Colombia faced Portugal in a match that would determine the group winner, while DR Congo took on Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan’s Eldor Shomurodov — who once shared a pitch with Brazilian legend Rivaldo — gave his side an early lead against DR Congo. Before both Group K matches kicked off, a moment of silence was observed for the victims of the earthquakes in Venezuela, though The Guardian reported that fans in the Colombia-Portugal match did not fully respect the silence.
Meanwhile, in a sign of the tournament’s emotional toll, Scotland manager Steve Clarke resigned following his team’s elimination, as reported by Dagbladet.
