6 matches tomorrow will decide the last places to qualify for the round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup.
Dubai, June 27 / WAM / The first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, currently being held in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico, will conclude tomorrow, with 6 matches being held within the third and final round of the tenth, eleventh and twelfth group competitions, to decide the last qualifying cards for the round of 32.
In the twelfth group, the England national team, which leads the group with 4 points, will face off against the Panama national team after securing the top spot in the group with 4 points, as it opened its campaign by beating Croatia 4-2 before drawing 0-0 with Ghana.
On the other hand, the Panama national team enters the match without pressure after losing its chances of qualifying after two consecutive losses, but it seeks to end its participation in an honorable manner.
In the second match, attention turns to the decisive confrontation between Ghana and Croatia to decide the second qualification ticket, as the Ghanaian team occupies second place with 4 points and a draw is sufficient, while the Croatian team has 3 points and has no alternative but to avoid loss.
The Croatian national team is relying on the experience of its captain, Luka Modric, who is competing in the World Cup finals for the fifth time, despite the team’s decline in level compared to previous editions, while the Ghana national team enters the match with great confidence after its draw with England and victory over Panama, confirming its ability to deal with decisive matches.
In Group Eleven, Colombia and Portugal meet in a direct confrontation for the top spot in the group, after Colombia secured qualification with the full mark with 6 points, while the Portuguese team occupies second place with 4 points, and needs a win to seize the lead, while a draw is sufficient for the Colombian team.
The match gains additional importance as Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo continues to chase records, after becoming the first player to score in six different editions of the World Cup, in a confrontation that is expected to witness a technical struggle between two of the most prominent teams in the first round.
In the second match in the group, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uzbekistan are clinging to their chances to compete for one of the best third-place cards.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has one point, and needs a win to maintain its hopes, after it performed well against Portugal and Colombia, while the Uzbekistan team, participating for the first time in its history, will enter the match without points.
As for the tenth group, the Algerian and Austrian teams will meet in a direct confrontation to decide the second ticket, after the Argentine national team secured qualification and took the lead.
The two teams enter the match with 3 points each, with Austria having the advantage in goal difference, which gives the match exceptional importance, especially since the Algerian team is seeking to reach the knockout rounds for the second time in its history, while the Austrian team aspires to return to the knockout stage for the first time since the 1954 World Cup.
The Algerian national team will play the match in high spirits after its victory over its Jordanian counterpart in the last match, but it will miss its top scorer, Mohamed El Amin Amoura, due to injury, which increases the responsibility of captain Riyad Mahrez in leading the offensive line, while coach Ralf Rangnick seeks to restore the offensive effectiveness of the Austrian national team after its loss to Argentina.
In the second match of the group, the defending champions, Argentina, will face their Jordanian counterpart after securing qualification and first place. It is expected that coach Lionel Scaloni will give the opportunity to a number of players returning from injury, led by Julián Alvarez, Leandro Paredes and Nicholas Tagliafico, while resting some of the key players.
As for the Jordanian national team, which exited the tournament in its first participation after losing to Austria and Algeria, it hopes to end its campaign on a positive note against the defending champion.
His coach, Jamal Salami, stressed that the match was an opportunity to present an honorable image and leave a good impression, noting that the lack of experience deprived his team of achieving better results, expressing his pride in the historic participation in the World Cup finals.
- For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter
