2026 World Cup Group Stage: Argentina and England Top Their Groups – Here’s Who Else Advanced to the Knockout Rounds.

Recap of Groups J, K, and L at the 2026 World Cup

According to Novyny.live: The group stage matches for Groups J, K, and L have wrapped up at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Argentina and England secured first place in their respective groups, while Portugal and Croatia advanced to the playoffs as runners-up.

England cruised past Panama with a clean 2-0 victory. The goals came from:

• Jude Bellingham in the 62nd minute
• Harry Kane in the 67th minute

Croatia, meanwhile, dashed Ghana’s hopes of claiming second place with a 2-1 win. Scorers in that match were:

• Petar Sučić in the 32nd minute
• Nikola Vlašić in the 83rd minute
• Derrick Lukassen (Ghana) in the 73rd minute

DR Congo staged a comeback against Uzbekistan, winning 3-1. Goals for DR Congo came from:

• Yoane Wissa in the 68th minute (penalty)
• Fiston Mayele in the 78th minute
• Yoane Wissa in the 90+1st minute

Uzbekistan’s only goal was scored by Eldor Shomurodov in the 10th minute.

The match between Colombia and Portugal ended in a goalless 0-0 draw, leaving neither team able to improve their chances of advancing. Algeria and Austria delivered a dramatic 3-3 tie. Goals in that game were scored by:

• Belghali in the 45th minute
• Riyad Mahrez in the 60th and 90+4th minutes (Algeria)
• Arnautović in the 28th minute
• Sabitzer in the 55th minute
• Saša Kalajdžić in the 90+6th minute (Austria)

Argentina also showed their strength, defeating Jordan 3-1. Goals came from:

• Giovani Lo Celso in the 19th minute
• Lautaro Martínez in the 31st minute (penalty)
• Lionel Messi in the 80th minute, scoring after coming off the bench

Jordan’s only goal was scored by Mousa Al-Tamari in the 55th minute.

Final Standings

With these results, the teams advancing from Groups J, K, and L to the 2026 World Cup knockout stage are now set. Argentina and England will continue their pursuit of the title, while Portugal and Croatia aim to make an impact after finishing second in their groups.

These outcomes highlight the strength of the teams moving forward and set the stage for potentially exciting matchups in the playoffs. As group winners, Argentina and England will enjoy an advantage in the next round, but Portugal and Croatia—despite being runners-up—still have the ability to surprise opponents in the elimination stage.