Soccer today: Messi benched as final World Cup groups are set
Soccer today closes the 2026 World Cup group stage on June 27, with six simultaneous finales deciding Groups J, K and L before the Round of 32 begins. Lionel Messi will start on the bench as Argentina face Jordan, while England, Colombia and Portugal chase perfect records on the final matchday. ESPN's World Cup Daily live blog is also tracking Cristiano Ronaldo's new golden boots.
Key Takeaways
- Argentina will begin Lionel Messi on the substitutes bench against eliminated Jordan while defending a perfect group record.
- England face Panama and Croatia meet Ghana at 5 p.m. ET as Group L places are settled on the last group-stage day.
- Colombia and Portugal clash for Group K's top spot; DR Congo and Uzbekistan fight for knockout survival.
- Cape Verde have already made history as the smallest nation by population to reach the men's World Cup Round of 32.
- Knockout football begins June 28 after Saturday's six group finales wrap up across the United States.
Why is Lionel Messi on the bench against Jordan?
Argentina are overwhelming favourites to continue their perfect World Cup campaign even without Lionel Messi in the starting lineup. Al Jazeera reports that Messi is confirmed to begin Jordan vs Argentina from the substitutes bench at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with kickoff at 9 p.m. CDT.
The Opta supercomputer gave the reigning champions a 77.9 percent chance of victory across 25,000 pre-match simulations. Jordan have already been eliminated, leaving them with just an 8.8 percent chance of a first-ever World Cup win.
England and Argentina are both aiming to finish the group stage with perfect records on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera — even with Messi set to begin from the bench, a storyline our Future Tech & AI Wonders desk is tracking alongside broader tournament tech trends.
Which World Cup games matter most in soccer today?
Saturday brings the final six group-stage matches before the knockout rounds begin. Per Al Jazeera, Panama vs England and Croatia vs Ghana kick off at 5 p.m. EDT, Colombia vs Portugal and DR Congo vs Uzbekistan follow at 7:30 p.m. EDT, and Algeria vs Austria plus Jordan vs Argentina close the night at 9 p.m. CDT.
Yahoo Sports' Day 17 briefing notes that England are back in action as the final three groups wrap up with simultaneous games before the tournament transitions to the knockout rounds on Sunday. Thomas Tuchel's side need more initiative in front of goal, and Jordan Pickford — who kept a clean sheet last time out — must start in goal.
In Group K, Colombia and Portugal face off for first place. Opta rates Portugal as slight favourites at 51.6 percent, though a point would be enough for Colombia to secure the top spot. DR Congo and Uzbekistan, meeting for the first time, are both still chasing a place in the Round of 32.
What is happening with Cristiano Ronaldo's boots?
ESPN's World Cup Daily live coverage highlights Cristiano Ronaldo's new golden boots among the day's top storylines. On the pitch, Ronaldo and Portugal meet Colombia in Miami in a Group K decider that could shape the knockout bracket.
Off the pitch, Al Jazeera notes that pink boots have become one of the biggest footwear trends at the tournament, with Ronaldo among the Nike stars wearing bright pink designs alongside Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Erling Haaland.
Who has already qualified for the Round of 32?
As of June 27 at 06:00 GMT, Al Jazeera listed confirmed Round of 32 teams including Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Argentina, Colombia and Portugal. Group positions for England, Ghana, Colombia and Portugal were still to be decided on the final matchday.
Cape Verde made history by reaching the knockout stage in their first World Cup, becoming the smallest country by population to advance in the men's tournament. They held Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw in Houston on Friday to finish second in Group H behind Spain.
When the final whistle blows on Saturday's six games, the Round of 32 bracket will be complete and knockout football begins June 28 — the day after soccer today's group-stage curtain call.