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Saturday brings another big day on FIFA World Cupwith six group matches still to be played before the playoffs begin.
England and Argentina are looking to finish the group on a positive note, while Colombia and Portugal face off for first place in Group K. Croatia, Ghana, DR Congo and Uzbekistan are also among the teams still fighting to reach the round of 32.
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Off the pitch, Cape Verde has made history by reaching the final in its first World Cup, while Iran is waiting to find out if it deserves to be one of the third-placed teams, captain Mehdi Taremi has criticized FIFA for his team’s preparations. Pink shoes have also become one of the biggest trends in the game.
Here’s what you need to know:
What is the process?
- Panama vs England at New York Stadium in New Jersey in the United States at 5pm EDT (21:00 GMT)
- Croatia vs Ghana at Philadelphia Stadium in the US at 5pm EDT (21:00 GMT)
- Colombia vs Portugal at Miami Stadium in the US at 7:30pm EDT (23:30 GMT)
- DR Congo v Uzbekistan at Atlanta Stadium in the US at 7:30pm EDT (23:30 GMT)
- Jordan vs Argentina at Dallas Stadium in the US at 9pm CDT (02:00 GMT Sunday)
- Algeria vs Austria at Kansas City Stadium in the US at 9pm CDT (02:00 GMT Sunday)
What are the Panama vs England predictions?
England and Panama have only met once at the World Cup, with England cruising to a 6-1 victory in Russia 2018. That win remains the Three Lions’ biggest win in the tournament’s history.
England are favorites to take all three points in New Jersey. According to the Opta supercomputer’s 25,000 predictions before the game, the team has a 78.5% chance of winning.
Panama are only given an 8.9 percent chance of recording their first World Cup victory, while the chance of them winning the first round of the World Cup is 12.6 percent.
What are the Croatia vs Ghana predictions?
This will be the first meeting between Croatia and Ghana. Ranked 65th in the latest FIFA rankings, Ghana is the second-lowest country Croatia has faced at the World Cup, after Russia (70th) in 2018.
Despite finishing behind Ghana in Group L, Croatia are favorites to claim victory, according to the Opta supercomputer.
Among 25,000 pre-match predictions, Croatia won 56.3 percent of the time. Ghana won in 17.6 percent of attempts, while the draw scored 26.2 percent.
What are the Colombia vs Portugal predictions?
This will be the first World Cup meeting between Colombia and Portugal.
Colombia will be the third South American team that Portugal have faced at the World Cup, following previous meetings with Brazil and Uruguay.
Portugal is the slight favorite according to Opta’s supercomputer, winning 51.6 percent of its 25,000 attempts before the game.
Colombia won in 23.9 percent of the predictions, while the draw was given a 25.2 percent chance. A point would 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.
The two teams are still chasing the final place, with DR Congo looking for their first World Cup victory after a draw with Portugal and narrow defeat to Colombia.
Opta’s supercomputers give DR Congo the edge, Leopards have won 48.9 percent of their 25,000 attempts before the break.
Uzbekistan came out on top with 26.8 percent of the attempts, while the draw scored 24.3 percent, leaving the Central Asian side with an outside chance of reaching the Round of 32.
What are Algeria vs Austria predictions?
This will be the second meeting between Algeria and Austria, as they met in the World Cup group stage in 1982.
Austria won the match 2-0, recording the most recent record at the World Cup.
The Opta supercomputer expects a fair match, with a possible capture rate of 42.1 percent on 25,000 simulated images before it.
Austria has a slight chance of winning, with a 31.2 percent chance of taking all three points, while Algeria is at 26.7 percent. A win would see Algeria win back-to-back 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.
Argentina are favorites to continue their impressive World Cup campaign, although Lionel Messi has confirmed that he will start the game from the substitute’s bench.
Opta’s state-of-the-art system gave the world’s dominant player a 77.9% chance of winning over 25,000 pre-tests. The draw was rated 13.3 percent, leaving Jordan – already eliminated from the 2026 tournament – with 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 place)
- Brazil (Group C)
- Morocco (Group C)
- USA (Group D)
- Australia (Group D)
- Paraguay (3rd best place)
- Germany (Group E)
- Ivory Coast (Group E)
- Ecuador (3rd best 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 place)
- Argentina (Group J)
- Colombia (Group K)
- Portugal (Group K)
- England (Group L)
- Ghana (Group L)
Or, broken down by role:
- Group winners (confirmed): Mexico, Switzerland, Brazil, USA, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, France, Argentina.
- Group finalists (confirmed): South Africa, Canada, Morocco, Australia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Egypt, Cape Verde, Norway.
- Eligibility and position in the organization to be considered: Colombia, Portugal, England, Ghana.
- Third place teams: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ecuador, Sweden, Paraguay and Senegal.
What else is going on?
The first dream of Cape Verde is not over yet
The the island nation reached the World Cup first-time knockouts after holding Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw in Houston on Friday, becoming the youngest host nation to reach the finals of the men’s World Cup.
The newcomers to the tournament had already stunned Spain with a 0-0 draw in their opening match before conceding their first World Cup goals in a 2-2 draw with Uruguay.
They finished unbeaten on three points, second in Group H behind Spain.
Then comes their biggest test yet: Defending champions Argentina in the Round of 32 in Miami Gardens, Florida, on July 3.
Iran were left waiting after VAR’s heartbreak
The prospect of Iran reach the Round of 32 to remain alive, but no longer in their hands.
Team Melli drew 1-1 with Egypt after a stoppage-time winner was ruled offside following a VAR review, leaving them third in Group G on three points.
Iran will now have to wait and see if it is enough to become one of the third best teams in the tournament. To advance to the last 32, they need one of the following to happen on Saturday:
- Croatia to lose to Ghana in Group L.
- DR Congo have failed to beat Uzbekistan in Group K – although Uzbekistan must win by seven goals or more.
- Austria or Algeria to win their last match in Group J
Taremi criticizes the situation at the World Cup in Iran
Iran captain Mehdi Taremi criticized FIFA for failing to deal with his side’s World Cup woes after Friday’s 1-1 draw with Egypt.
Speaking after the match, Taremi described the team’s trip as a “disaster”, saying the repeated trips from Tijuana to the US had put Iran at risk. He also questioned whether his team was really welcome in the tournament, and asked: “If they want us to leave, fine, let’s leave. But it’s not fair.”
The comments came against the backdrop of escalating tensions between Iran and the US following recent military threats and a prolonged ceasefire. Taremi urged FIFA to solve the problems, saying the governing body has failed to provide the support promised before the tournament.
Why do some players wear pink during the World Cup?
Pink has become the most popular boot color for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after leading manufacturers, including Nike, Adidas, Puma, Skechers and New Balance, all released bright pink designs ahead of the event.
This model is designed to help players look good in the game while also showing confidence. “Athletes associate this brand with confidence and prestige, and that makes sense,” Nike’s footwear director, Odinga Nimako, said.
Among the players wearing pink boots are Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland in Nike colors, while Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Jonathan David, Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele are among the Adidas colors of the game.
The trend continues away from the black and white football boots, following the colorful designs that first became popular at the 1998 World Cup.
