Overview
- The group phase concluded on the final weekend of June with every Round‑of‑32 spot confirmed and the full knockout bracket fixed.
- Argentina finished the groups unbeaten after a 3-1 win over Jordan and Lionel Messi leads the tournament with six goals.
- England sealed top spot in Group L with a 2-0 victory over Panama while Colombia and Portugal drew 0-0, leaving Colombia first and Portugal second in Group K. DR Congo recorded its first World Cup win by beating Uzbekistan 3-1 to reach the last 32 and Cape Verde joined other surprise qualifiers, contributing to an unusually large African presence in the knockouts.
- The expanded format and third‑place qualification rule increased unpredictability, producing headline ties such as Brazil v Japan, Portugal v Croatia and Argentina v Cape Verde and forcing coaches to manage travel, rotation and short recovery times before the next round.