World Cup: Messi sends Argentina to top, England to face DR Congo, Iran out

Lionel Messi scored his sixth extremity of the 2026 World Cup, Harry Kane sent England apical of their group, and Iran exited the tournament.

Lionel Messi became the archetypal subordinate to people successful 7 consecutive World Cup ⁠matches arsenic Argentina continued their winning streak, portion England defeated Panama 2-0 connected Saturday to clinch the apical spot successful their group.

England person acceptable up a last-32 clash with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the African underdogs who are done to the knockout rounds for the archetypal time.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Ronaldo blanks arsenic Colombia apical radical aft frenetic 0-0 gully with Portugal
• list 2 of 3DR Congo superfan denied US visa to enactment squad astatine World Cup
• list 3 of 3South Africa’s Broos smiles and snarls earlier Canada World Cup showdown

Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane scored the goals successful a laboured triumph for England astatine the New York New Jersey Stadium successful New Jersey, clinching archetypal spot successful Group L and a day with the DR Congo successful Atlanta connected Wednesday.

DR Congo precocious aft a 3-1 triumph implicit Uzbekistan successful Atlanta – their first-ever triumph successful a World Cup lucifer – that saw them decorativeness 3rd successful Group K arsenic 1 of the champion third-placed teams.

Colombia topped Group K aft holding Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal to a 0-0 gully successful Miami. The effect means the Portuguese volition present look Croatia successful the past 32 and a imaginable gathering with European champions Spain successful the past 16.

Yoane Wissa of DR Congo celebrates with teammates aft they qualified for the knockouts. Wissa scored twice, including a stoppage-time punishment [Molly Darlington/Getty Images via AFP]

‘We volition measurement up’: England manager Tuchel

England were made to enactment hard by a well-organised Panama team, and looked to beryllium heading for a repetition of their lacklustre 0-0 gully with Ghana, until Bellingham opened the scoring connected 62 minutes earlier providing an assistance for Kane 5 minutes later.

“It was what we expected: a pugnacious lucifer against a carnal opponent,” England manager Thomas Tuchel said.

“They are a hard squad to people against, and we were the lone squad to make this magnitude of chances and people twice,” Tuchel added, earlier confidently predicting that England would amended during the knockout phase.

“We volition measurement up,” the German said. “The bigger the games get, the bigger we volition get.”

Harry Kane scored arsenic England reached the knockouts, finishing apical of Group L [Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images via Reuters]

Croatia conflict past Ghana

Croatia, meanwhile, claimed 2nd spot successful the radical down England with a 2-1 triumph implicit Ghana successful Philadelphia. Petar Sucic and Nikola Vlasic scored the goals for Croatia, arsenic Ghana were forced to settee for third.

Croatia’s triumph extinguished Scotland’s hopes of squeezing into the past 32 arsenic 1 of the champion third-placed teams, sealing their elimination from the tournament. Scotland manager Steve Clarke promptly resigned.

Friday’s results had already guaranteed England, Croatia and Ghana a spot successful the knockout rounds, with the lone contented to beryllium settled being the bid of qualification.

Croatia look Portugal successful Toronto connected Thursday.

Croatia sailed into the circular of 32 arsenic the runners-up of Group L [Peter Cziborra/Reuters]

Messi scores disconnected the seat arsenic Argentina apical group

Messi scored his sixth extremity of the 2026 World Cup arsenic a mostly ⁠second-string Argentina ended their radical run with a 3-1 triumph implicit Jordan. Argentinian maestro Messi scored his record-extending 19th vocation World Cup extremity aft appearing arsenic a second-half substitute successful Arlington, Texas.

Reigning champions Argentina, who topped Group J with 3 wins successful 3 games, look Cape Verde successful the adjacent circular aft the land federation became the smallest country to suffice for the knockout stages of the competition.

Austria and Algeria drew 3-3 to reason the group-stage action, arsenic some moved into the circular of 32. The gully besides confirmed Iran’s elimination, a time aft they held Egypt to a draw successful their last radical game.

The Austrians equalised six minutes into added clip done Sasa Kalajdzic to prevention their World Cup skins, but the Iranians could nary longer beryllium 1 of the champion third-placed teams and bowed out.

Austria finished 2nd successful Group J and volition look Spain successful the knockout stage, portion Algeria precocious arsenic 1 of the champion third-placed sides and volition conscionable Switzerland.

Lionel Messi became the archetypal subordinate to people successful 7 consecutive World Cup ⁠matches [Tim Heitman/Reuters]