World Cup – Group L and K have wrapped, leaving England, Croatia, Ghana, Colombia and Congo DR positioned for the Round of 32. Heading into tonight’s Group J action, the tournament turns fully to knockout stakes—while England’s recent form and Portugal’s struggles against
For the first time in what feels like a flash of weeks, the World Cup stops pretending there’s time. The group stage is finishing its last sentences, and by the time tonight’s kick-offs land, it’s life-or-death football again.
The bracket is nearly filled out after Group L and Group K completed their matches. England finished top in Group L, Croatia were close behind, and Ghana qualified as a third seed. In Group K, Colombia ended above Portugal, while Congo DR advanced as a third.
Later tonight, Group J begins with Argentina already set to lead the group. A match with Jordan is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET, but the outcome is essentially inconsequential unless something changes dramatically. Austria sits in second with a better goal differential than Algeria, and those two will face off at 10 p.m. ET to decide the order.
Saturday’s final day of group-stage action carried plenty of messages. The big ones came through in the results—and in the performances that looked strong enough to carry teams into the knockouts, or worrying enough to leave questions hanging.
England, even after their best moments, still can’t look fully convincing
England’s night had the kind of ruthless edge that fans want to see—especially after a 4-2 win over Croatia that felt like a turning point. With manager Thomas Tuchel pushing the “foot-on-your-neck” style he’d been searching for. England played with the confidence of a team willing to bury opponents rather than manage games.
After Jude Bellingham gave them the lead, England didn’t coast. Tuchel took another risk by putting Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka into the attack, and England scored again. It was a clear signal of how dangerous this team can be.
But the unease didn’t disappear. England’s two most recent results still raised doubts about whether the intensity is truly consistent. A 2-0 win over Panama is what they needed, but it came against a 42nd-ranked side and did not offer the kind of authority that makes a contender feel inevitable.
England dominated the game in the usual measurable ways—67 per cent possession and 39 touches in the opposing box compared to 14—but the goals themselves weren’t built on clean. repeatable attacking rhythm. Neither strike looked pretty. with England relying on muscle rather than skill: a set-piece marker from Bellingham and a headed finish from Kane.
If England’s next steps don’t sharpen quickly, the tournament won’t forgive them. They are set to face Congo DR in the Round of 32, and a potential Round of 16 matchup with Mexico or Ecuador is waiting. For now, their hopes still tilt on the shoulders of Bellingham and Kane.
Portugal’s offense stalled, and Cristiano’s night vanished into Colombia’s control
Portugal’s group-stage story has turned into a caution for anyone expecting Ronaldo to drag the whole tournament with him. Fresh off Cristiano Ronaldo reasserting himself with what had looked like a statement performance, he was left facing a different kind of problem against Colombia.
Ronaldo’s numbers told the truth of the evening. He touched the ball only 35 times. created just 0.17 expected goals. had only two touches in the opposing box. and was called offside twice. His passing accuracy was 81 per cent. and despite the hero narrative he’s earned across years and tournaments. he never looked like he could truly threaten Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
Portugal, of course, didn’t arrive at this World Cup short on reasons to believe. Their midfield had been talked about as one of the tournament’s strongest units, with Vitinha, Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes expected to provide chances and feed a clinical Ronaldo.
That didn’t happen. The blame doesn’t land only on the all-time great. Pedro Neto on the right wing struggled to deliver across the tournament and failed again against Colombia. with three unsuccessful crosses into the box. Joao Felix on the left produced an almost identical picture: three unsuccessful crosses and zero successful dribbles.
Portugal will have to respond quickly. A matchup with Croatia in Toronto is scheduled for Thursday, and Luka Modric looked more like himself as Croatia moved past Ghana 2-1 earlier on Saturday.
Croatia’s breakthrough was built on craft, not chaos
Croatia faced the defensive resilience of Ghana’s back line and, when the moment came, it arrived with precision. Croatia broke through in the 21st minute with a long-ball strike that carried the kind of timing that makes highlight reels feel inevitable.
Petar Sucic. a 22-year-old winger. received the ball in space in the middle of the pitch and unleashed a thunderous low-driven shot from 25 yards out. It went straight into the bottom-left corner. The finishing looked immediate, almost inevitable—only 0.04 expected goal was recorded on the strike. Still, the result was what mattered: snipe.
Even as the tournament moves into its colder, sharper phase, the old guard has still found ways to stay dangerous
The World Cup has been full of surprises, including veteran performances that don’t feel like they’re just surviving until the end. From Messi’s continuing presence to Cape Verde keeper Vozinha’s heroics, the tournament has given “greybeards” a stage to keep rewriting what’s possible.
The credibility of that message didn’t come from numbers alone. England head coach Thomas Tuchel. after his team’s latest group-stage lessons. made his point in a way that landed more like a promise than a speech. He said these players are used to these moments—playing Champions League and Europa League through to the end—and that they understand what’s required at higher stakes.
Tuchel added that “The bigger the games get. the bigger we will get. ” and insisted there’s “no problem growing into a tournament like this.” He also stressed the need to keep believing in what the team can influence and improve. concluding: “The most important thing is not to be afraid and be brave.”.
One standout stretch of performances also set the tone for Saturday’s narrative
Jude Bellingham for England: Lined up in a double-pivot role alongside Elliot Anderson as Tuchel adjusted his lineup. the Real Madrid midfielder looked comfortable. Though he was asked to provide more defensive contributions than in games past. he delivered them—four tackles and seven recoveries—while also finishing with a goal and an assist.
Yoane Wissa for Congo DR: With the team gunning for a win to secure its spot as a third-place team in the Round of 32, Wissa stepped up. He won his penalty in the 68th minute and converted it calmly, then completed the brace in added time with an off-balance half-turn shot that finished the game.
Luka Modric for Croatia: The centrepiece of Croatia’s national team for years, Modric showed he still dictates tempo. He had 102 touches, the most in the game, created four chances, and eventually grabbed an assist on Nikola Vlasic’s game-winning marker in the 83rd minute.
By the time the knockout bracket takes shape. the group stage’s stories won’t matter nearly as much as what happens next. But Saturday’s final day has already made one thing clear: in the Round of 32. there won’t be room for inconsistency. and every team will be measured by what it does when the margin disappears.
World Cup Round of 32 England Croatia Ghana Colombia Congo DR Argentina Jordan Austria Algeria Thomas Tuchel Jude Bellingham Cristiano Ronaldo Camilo Vargas Luka Modric Petar Sucic Petar Sucic 25 yards