Today at the 2026 FIFA World Cup: June 23

Only four games remain in the second round of the group stage, and several teams have a chance of booking an early World Cup play-off ticket. England and Ghana square off as the leaders of Group L; Colombia will try to earn their second victory against DR Congo, while Cristiano Ronaldo is searching for his first goal. MightyTips comes back with a World Cup value bet of the day and a risky parlay of the day, shares a prediction on all games of the Matchday, and gives away some interesting facts about the tournament.

Match 47: Portugal - Uzbekistan, 19:00 CET, June 23
Match 45: England - Ghana, 22:00 CET, June 23
Match 46: Panama - Croatia, 01:00 CET, June 24
Match 48: Colombia - DR Congo, 04:00 CET, June 24

We were really impressed with Croatia, who showed resilience and character in the game against England. Despite a 4-2 loss, the Croatians never gave up and could’ve arguably earned a point. Now they are up against Panama, who made plenty of mistakes against Ghana, one of which, late on, led to a loss. They didn’t create much up front either, and Croatia winning to nil at 2.37 is our choice for this Matchday.

Portugal enter this match under pressure to improve after a frustrating 1-1 draw with DR Congo. Roberto Martínez’s side dominated possession in their opener but created surprisingly little, leaving questions about whether Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal’s attacking stars can find greater sharpness in the final third. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, showed flashes of quality despite losing 3-1 to Colombia and should be more adventurous after shedding the nerves of their World Cup debut. Watch for the battle between Portugal’s technical midfield and Uzbekistan’s compact defensive structure. Squad-wise, Portugal defender Tomás Araújo remains in individual recovery and is a doubt.

This match could decide top spot in Group L after both teams won their opening matches. England impressed in victory over Croatia, but Ghana’s pace and athleticism present a very different challenge. The Three Lions will likely dominate possession through Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, while Ghana look to exploit transitions and set pieces. Harry Kane’s duel with Ghana’s centre-backs will be crucial in the penalty area. On the team news front, England’s winger Marcus Rashford has reportedly been managing a tight hamstring ahead of the match.

Panama and Croatia both need a response after opening-day defeats, making this a potentially tense encounter. Panama remain a disciplined, well-organised side under Thomas Christiansen and have developed into one of CONCACAF’s most competitive teams. Croatia, however, possess greater experience and technical quality, particularly in midfield, where they will try to control the tempo and create chances through patient possession. The key question is whether Panama can frustrate Croatia long enough to turn the game into a physical battle. Panama’s midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla is questionable with a groin problem.

Colombia have the chance to take a major step toward the knockout rounds after opening with a convincing win over Uzbekistan. Luis Díaz and Colombia’s dynamic attack looked dangerous throughout that match, while DR Congo earned respect with a resilient draw against Portugal. Expect Colombia to control possession and attack aggressively, but DR Congo possess genuine counterattacking threats through Yoane Wissa, Cédric Bakambu and Simon Banza. Defensively, Chancel Mbemba remains the Leopards’ leader and will be heavily tested.

Kane remains the focal point of England’s attack and one of the most prolific international strikers of his generation. The captain is England’s all-time leading goalscorer, having surpassed Wayne Rooney’s long-standing record, and he continues to add to a remarkable tally for the Three Lions. Kane also won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup and has become one of England’s greatest tournament performers. In England’s opening 2026 World Cup match, he scored twice in a 4-2 victory over Croatia, taking his World Cup total to 10 goals and drawing level with Gary Lineker’s England record at the tournament.

هدف الأسطورة ليو ميسي التاريخي من المدرجات 😍🚨 pic.twitter.com/N6I2TTUCQL

— Messi World (@M10GOAT) June 22, 2026

One of the greatest players in football history, Zinedine Zidane was born on June 23, 1973. Zidane led France to their first World Cup title in 1998, scoring twice in the final against Brazil, and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.