Overview
- England beat Panama 2-0 to finish top of Group L while Croatia’s 2-1 win over Ghana put Croatia second, Colombia and Portugal drew 0-0 in Group K with Colombia first, DR Congo beat Uzbekistan 3-1 to advance and Uzbekistan were eliminated, and Argentina had already won Group J with Lionel Messi started on the bench.
- Those results have locked Round‑of‑32 pairings and dates, with England scheduled to meet DR Congo in Atlanta and Colombia, Portugal and Croatia placed into specific knockout slots that will be played in the opening days of July.
- DR Congo’s victory sent them through as one of the tournament’s advancing third‑place teams, a consequence of the expanded 48‑team format that allows the eight best third‑placed sides to progress and makes goal difference and late results decisive.
- Coaches used the final group games to protect key players and manage minutes because the knockouts begin quickly, which is why Lionel Scaloni confirmed Messi would start on the bench and other teams rotated starters to preserve fitness.
- U.S. broadcast schedules remain centralized on FOX/FS1 with streaming on FOX One, compressing viewing windows and travel plans for squads and fans as the tournament moves from group play into consecutive knockout matches.