In brief
- Lionel Messi scored on a free kick as a second-half substitute and Argentina delivered a 3-1 victory over Jordan.
- Congo DR reached the knockouts after fighting their way back from a halftime deficit against Uzbekistan.
Algeria and Austria played out an incredible 3-3 draw in Kansas City on Sunday, ensuring both teams qualified for the World Cup knockout rounds and eliminating Iran.
Veteran forward Marko Arnautovic put the European side in front but Rafik Belghali levelled shortly before half-time, benefiting from a huge slice of luck.
Marcel Sabitzer restored Austria's lead with a superb strike, but minutes later, Algeria were all-square again thanks to former Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez.
Both teams appeared to have settled for a mutually beneficial draw in the closing minutes but there was still time for some edge-of-the-seat drama.
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Mahrez netted again in the 93rd minute and then, in the final seconds Sasa Kalajdzic, just on as a substitute, headed home — sparking scenes of wild joy from the Austrian squad.
The result means the two teams both finish Group J on four points behind Lionel Messi's Argentina, who topped the section with nine points.
Austria are in the World Cup knockout round for the first time since 1982 while Algeria have matched their performance at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Algeria will play Switzerland in the next round, while Austria, which finished second in the group, will face European champions Spain.
The build-up to the game was dominated by speculation over whether both teams would try to avoid finishing second in order to swerve Spain, who are one of the favourites to win the World Cup.
The match, played in humid conditions in the American Midwest, burst into life after the first hydration break, which was booed by the largely Algeria-supporting crowd.
Veteran forward Arnautovic broke the deadlock in the 28th minute with the first effort on target.
The 37-year-old controlled a long ball from David Alaba and finished calmly past Oussama Benbot, brought into the team at the expense of Luca Zidane, son of France great Zinedine Zidane.
But Belghali levelled in the 45th minute, dancing past three Austrian defenders before lashing home.
The game fell quiet in the early stages of the second half but caught fire again in the 55th minute when Sabitzer finished off a superb team move, striking in home Konrad Laimer's cross from the edge of the box.
There was another twist five minutes later when Mahrez finished powerfully after fine work from Houssem Aouar, who produced a pinpoint cross.
As the clock ticked down, both teams played cagily, cutting out the risks, knowing a point was enough.
But the late, late drama means Iran, who had hoped to progress as one of the best third-placed teams, are out of the World Cup.
Seventh heaven for Messi as Argentina beat Jordan
Mercurial Lionel Messi became the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches as a largely second-string Argentina continued their winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Jordan in their Group J clash in Dallas.
Lionel Scaloni made nine changes to the line-up that beat Austria but goals from Giovani Lo Celso, Lautaro Martinez and Messi, who started on the bench, sealed a victory that sent a warning to Cape Verde, their opponents in the round of 32.
Lo Celso gave Argentina the lead against the already eliminated Jordanians in the 19th minute with a curling free kick before Martinez doubled the advantage from the penalty spot 12 minutes later.
And while Mousa Altamari pulled one back for Jordan 10 minutes into the second half, Messi's 80th-minute free kick saw him move past France's Just Fontaine and Brazilian Jairzinho by scoring in a seventh World Cup match in a row at the finals.
Lo Celso had been heavily involved throughout the opening quarter of the game and it was for a foul on the Real Betis playmaker by Mohannad Abutaha that Argentina received the free kick from which they took the lead.
Martinez almost doubled the lead with a close-range effort that hit the crossbar and when Leandro Paredes was kicked in the head by Nizar Alrashdan as he stooped to meet the rebound, referee Istvan Kovacs pointed to the spot after a VAR review.
The Inter Milan forward made no mistake with his penalty, rolling the ball into the corner with Abulaila having guessed the wrong way.
Ehsan Haddad was found in space on the right and the Jordanian captain slid an inviting low centre across the face of goal for substitute Altamari to steer home.
Messi was introduced to a huge roar from the crowd on the hour mark and etched his name on the scoresheet late in proceedings.
Congo DR make history
Congo advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time by rallying to a 3-1 win against Uzbekistan.
The African nation is playing in football's biggest tournament for only the second time in their history after a 52-year absence.
Two second-half goals on Sunday from Yoane Wissa and one from Fiston Mayele sealed the win and allowed Congo to join Cape Verde as another surprise qualifier for the round of 32.
But Sebastien Desabre's team, who had already pulled off one of the surprise results of the World Cup by holding Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal to a 1-1 draw in their opening game, fought back after the break.
Trailing to Shomurodov's lobbed goal in the 10th minute, Congo equalised in the 68th when Wissa was brought down by Abdukodir Khusanov in the box for a penalty.
Wissa picked himself up and sent Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov the wrong way by rolling the ball into the bottom corner to spark a dramatic finale.
Mayele fired Congo ahead 10 minutes later when flicking past Nematov at the near post after Meschack Elia's shot was deflected.
Wissa put the result beyond doubt in added time with a curling shot into the bottom corner.
Congo's only previous appearance at the World Cup was when they competed as Zaire in 1974, losing all three games, including a 9-0 rout at the hands of Yugoslavia.
The draw against Portugal was their first point on this stage, and they needed to follow that up with a first win to advance as one of the best third-placed teams.
They became the eighth African nation to advance from the group stage at this tournament.
No-bore draw for Colombia and Portugal
Colombia finished top of World Cup Group K after playing out a highly-entertaining end-to-end 0-0 draw with Portugal on Sunday.
Colombia will feel hard done by nevertheless as a marginal offside ruled out a late goal by Davinson Sanchez.
The Colombians will play Ghana in the last 32 next Saturday, while runners-up Portugal will see Cristiano Ronaldo face his old Real Madrid teammate Croatian icon Luka Modric on Friday.
However, Ronaldo was a peripheral presence in the fast-paced match, outshone by another former Real teammate, 34-year-old James Rodriguez.
Colombia should have opened the scoring early on but Jhon Cordoba headed over from close range after being brilliantly teed up by Bayern Munich star Luis Diaz.
Cordoba went close again in the 17th minute, showing some sparkling skills to shrug off a Portuguese defender and unleash a piledriver of a strike, which was beat away by Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
In his 11th World Cup appearance — a record for his country — the 34-year-old Rodriguez produced a typical piece of magic, a reverse pass found Jhon Arias, whose goalbound effort was cleared off the line by Ruben Neves.
Ronaldo's sole contribution was a free-kick which went straight into the arms of Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
The Colombian goalkeeper produced a save of the highest order shortly afterwards to deny Bruno Fernandes.
The second half began at the same frenetic pace, Joao Felix should have done better than send his header way over the bar from Diogo Dalot's cross.
Colombia replied with two fine attempts at goal, Costa fisting away Jefferson Lerma's shot and then Jhon Arias let fly from long range.
Costa was having a cracking game, fortunately for his weary defenders who were being run ragged by the vibrant Colombian attack, as he brilliantly denied Jhon Arias.
Colombia looked to have finally got the goal they deserved when Sanchez headed home at the back post — but it was ruled out for offside, seemingly by a toe, even after a VAR referral.
Vlasic header sends Croatia into knockouts
Croatia beat Ghana 2-1 to claim second spot in Group L on Sunday to secure their passage to the last 32 of the World Cup.
Petar Sucic opened the scoring in the first half before a resurgent Ghana dominated the second period, eventually levelling courtesy of Derrick Luckassen.
But the 2018 runners-up showed their grit to dig out a late winner from the head of Nikola Vlasic as they set up a knockout clash with the second-placed side from Group K in Toronto on Friday.
For a while, Croatia had been going through as group winners until Jude Bellingham gave England the lead in the second half against Panama in the pool's other match on Sunday — Thomas Tuchel's side then emerged 2-0 victors to ensure top spot.
Ghana were already assured of progressing to the last 32 before the match in Philadelphia kicked off, thanks to their defeat of Panama and stalemate against England in their opening two encounters. It will be their third appearance in the knockout stages of a World Cup.
Sucic got the breakthrough for Croatia just after the half-hour when he took on a speculative effort from 30 yards, which zipped low through the legs of centre-half Luckassen and past a partly-unsighted Benjamin Asare in the Ghana goal.
Ghana boss Carlos Queiroz made a couple of changes at half-time and winger Abdul Fatawu, on in place of the more defensive-minded Elisha Owusu, showed immediate attacking intent as he whipped a shot over the crossbar.
Ghanaian pressure finally told on 73 minutes as Luckassen's cute left-footed finish from a set-piece was eventually validated after a lengthy four-minute wait.
The momentum swung again instantly, however, as Croatia raced up the field with only a superb Asare save denying Mario Pasalic in the 82nd minute.
From the resulting corner Croatia surged back ahead as Vlasic was left in too much space and Luka Modric planted the ball on his head for him to send his side through in second place.
Bellingham, Kane score as England beat Panama
Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane scored second-half goals as England got the job done against Panama on Sunday.
The 2-0 victory at the MetLife Stadium took Thomas Tuchel's team into the last 32 as Group L winners.
Real Madrid star Bellingham got on the end of a Bukayo Saka corner to break the deadlock just after the hour mark on a soggy day in New Jersey.
It was largely uninspiring stuff up to that point, but the opening goal had been coming.
Bukayo Saka's corner from the left dropped into a crowded box, where Bellingham, despite being held by a defender, wrestled enough space to stab a left-footed finish past goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera.
That was Kane's third goal of the tournament after he netted a brace in the opening 4-2 win over Croatia, and the England captain has now moved clear of Gary Lineker as his country's all-time leading World Cup scorer with 11.
Three of those goals came when England thrashed Panama 6-1 at the 2018 tournament in Russia, but the Three Lions did not have things quite so easy this time against hard-working but limited opponents.
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Five minutes later, Bellingham took charge again on the left and clipped in a cross for Kane, who rose above his marker to head home.
The goal transformed the mood at the New Jersey Stadium, where anxious England supporters who had spent much of the afternoon biting their nails were soon singing along to Bon Jovi during the hydration break.
Topping the section is important, as it means they avoid a possible clash with Spain in the last 16.
Instead they will head to Atlanta for a tie next on 1 July against a third-placed team. Win that, and they will be off to Mexico City in the last 16, possibly to play Mexico, in the Azteca Stadium where they lost to Diego Maradona's Argentina in 1986.
— With reporting by the Reuters news agency, Associated Press and Agence-France Presse.
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