DOHA, June 24 Betandsured. The 2026 World Cup enters its decisive phase on Wednesday as the third round of group fixtures gets underway, with all four teams in Groups K and L having taken to the pitch simultaneously in the tournament’s first coordinated kick offs.
Portugal delivered the day’s most emphatic performance, thrashing Uzbekistan 5-0 as Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to banish memories of their insipid opening draw against DR Congo . The Portuguese, who had lacked attacking invention after scoring early in their opener, produced a vastly different display to seize control of Group K .
Colombia required a deflected 76th minute effort to overcome DR Congo 1-0 in the group’s other fixture, ensuring progression with six points from two games . Yoane Wissa and his Congolese teammates, however, remain firmly in the hunt for a place in the knockout stages, knowing a victory against Uzbekistan would almost certainly secure their passage with four points .
The day’s other fixtures proved considerably less inspiring. England laboured to a goalless stalemate against a deeply negative Ghana side, with the Three Lions displaying a conspicuous lack of courage and imagination in the final third . Ghana, however, twice came perilously close to causing a significant upset, with defender Ezri Konsa fortunate to escape conceding a penalty and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford even luckier to avoid a red card after recklessly charging from his area to bring down an opposition attacker .
Croatia edged Panama 1-0 in a match that produced just three shots on target, only marginally more than the four registered in England’s encounter with Ghana . The result eliminated Panama from the tournament ahead of their final group meeting with England on Saturday, while Thomas Tuchel’s side are effectively through on four points alongside Ghana . Croatia, who have three points, would all but guarantee their progression with a draw against Ghana in their final match .
With 48 group matches now completed and 141 goals scored, the tournament’s average of 2.93 goals per game has dipped below the three goal threshold. Should the average fall below three goals per game for the first time since the 1958 World Cup, it would represent a notable statistical departure from recent tournaments, with the 1970 Mexico World Cup holding the record for the highest average at 2.97 .
The remaining eight group fixtures are scheduled across Wednesday and Thursday, with Bosnia Herzegovina facing Qatar and Switzerland meeting Canada in Group B’s evening kick offs, while Morocco take on Haiti and Scotland face Brazil in Group C’s late matches.
Reporting by Azuka; Editing by Betandsured team
