* Messi to start final Argentina group match on bench against Croatia tonight
Maravi Express
England’s place in the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup™ 2026 has been confirmed before they face Panama in their final group game this evening.
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The Three Lions sit on four points after two games — meaning they are at least guaranteed one of the eight third-placed qualification spots.
Four other teams sit on four points —Sweden, Ecuador, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Paraguay — with four groups, including England’s still to wrap up.
Uruguay’s defeat by Spain was the result that confirmed the Three Lions’ place in the last 32, who made a winning start to the tournament by beating Croatia 4-2, before being held to a goalless draw by Ghana on Tuesday.
Thomas Tuchel has already confirmed Reece James will miss the final group fixture through injury, while Declan Rice sat out of Thursday’s training session.
James, 26, suffered a hamstring issue in the goalless draw with Ghana on Tuesday. Rice, meanwhile, who left Boston Stadium on Tuesday with strapping on his left calf, was also absent from Thursday’s session at England’s training base in Kansas City.
Meanwhile, FIFA World Cup™ 2026 top scorer Lionel Messi will start Argentina’s final group match against Jordan on the bench, manager Lionel Scaloni has confirmed.
Messi, 39, leads the Golden Boot standings with five goals from his first two matches, including a double against Austria that made him the FIFA World Cup™ all-time record goalscorer.
Scaloni said the decision to rest the superstar was not injury related as he spoke before the match in Dallas: which: “Leo will most likely come on in the second half. We talked and agreed that it was better that way, but obviously it’s also good for him to stay in competitive form.
“The decision of who plays tomorrow is not related to who plays in the next match. Jordan is a good opponent, and our intention will be to have the ball and dominate through possession.
“The opponent’s forwards are fast and we will have to take that into account,” said the coach.
Kylian Mbappe failed to add to his four goals in France’s 4-1 win over Norway, a game that saw Erling Haaland, also on four goals, stay on the bench.
Ousmane Dembele put himself into the Golden Boot contention with a first-half hat-trick to move to four goals for the tournament.—Reporting by BBC Sport & AFP; edited by Maravi Express
Group stage results
Group A
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
South Korea 2-1 Czechia
Czech Republic 1-2 South Africa
Mexico 1-0 South Korea
South Africa 1-0 South Korea
Czech Republic 0-3 Mexico
Group B
Canada 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Qatar 1-1 Switzerland
Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Canada 6-0 Qatar
Switzerland 2-1 Canada
Bosnia & Herzegovina 3-1 Qatar
Group C
Brazil 1-1 Morocco
Haiti 0-1 Scotland
Scotland 0-1 Morocco
Brazil 3-0 Haiti
Morocco 4-2 Haiti
Scotland 3-0 Brazil
Group D
USA 4-1 Paraguay
Australia 2-0 Turkiye
USA 2-1 Australia
Turkiye 0-1 Paraguay
Turkiye 3-2 USA
Paraguay 0-0 Australia
Group E
Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 Ecuador
Germany 7-1 Curaçao
Germany 2-1 Côte d’Ivoire
Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao
Curaçao 0-2 Côte d’Ivoire
Ecuador 2-1 Germany
Group F
Netherlands 2-2 Japan
Sweden 5-1 Tunisia
Tunisia 0-4 Japan
Netherlands 5-1 Sweden
Tunisia 1-3 Netherlands
Sweden 1-1 Japan
Group G
Belgium 1-1 Egypt
Iran 2-2 New Zealand
Belgium 0-0
New Zealand 1-3
Egypt 1-1 Iran
New Zealand 1-5 Belgium
Group H
Spain 0-0 Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay
Uruguay 2-2 Cape Verde
Spain 4-0 Saudi Arabia
Cape Verde 0-0 Saudi Arabia
Uruguay 0-1 Spain
Group I
France 3-1 Senegal
Iraq 1-4 Norway
Norway 3-2 Senegal
France 3-0 Iraq
Norway 1-4 France
Senegal 5-0 Iraq
Group J
Argentina 3-0 Algeria
Austria 3-1 Jordan
Argentina 2-0 Austria
Jordan 1-2 Tunisia
Group K
Portugal 1-1 DR Congo
Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia
Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan
Colombia 1-0 DR Congo
Group L
England 4-2 Croatia
Ghana 1-0 Panama
England 0-0 Ghana
Panama 0-1 Croatia
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