World Cup 2026 round-up: England shine, Portugal stumble and Ghana leave it late

The opening round of matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup continued to deliver drama, with Group K and Group L starting their tournament.

England made a strong start, Portugal were frustrated by DR Congo, Ghana snatched a late victory, and Colombia opened their campaign with a win.

Here is a round-up of the latest action from the tournament.

Ronaldo and Portugal frustrated by resilient DR Congo

Portugal were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by DR Congo in Houston as Cristiano Ronaldo’s quest for World Cup glory got off to an underwhelming start.

The result also earned DR Congo their first-ever World Cup point.

Roberto Martinez’s side made the perfect start when Joao Neves headed home Pedro Neto’s cross after just six minutes, and dominated possession early on, looking set to take control of the contest.

However, DR Congo gradually settled into the game and stunned their opponents before half-time.

Yoane Wissa rose highest to head home the equaliser, scoring his country’s first-ever World Cup goal.

Portugal struggled to create clear-cut chances after the break, with Ronaldo largely kept quiet throughout the match.

The 41-year-old became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match and the first man to appear at six different tournaments, but he was unable to inspire his side to victory.

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England make statement against Croatia

England began their Group L campaign with an entertaining 4-2 victory over Croatia in Arlington, Texas.

Harry Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Croatia responded through Martin Baturina.

Kane restored England’s lead with a powerful header just before the interval, only for Petar Musa to make it 2-2 in first-half stoppage time.

Thomas Tuchel’s side regained control almost immediately after the restart.

Jude Bellingham produced a trademark driving run before finishing calmly to put England back in front.

Croatia pushed for another equaliser, but England sealed the points late on when Marcus Rashford finished off a swift counter-attack following excellent work from Bukayo Saka.

The victory puts England in a strong position ahead of their second group match and leaves them top of Group L after the opening round of fixtures.

Should Tuchel be able to stabilise England’s defence, the Three Lions could quickly become tournament favourites.

Ghana leave it late to sink Panama

Ghana secured a dramatic 1-0 win over Panama thanks to Caleb Yirenkyi’s stoppage-time winner.

The match appeared to be heading for a goalless draw after both sides struggled to convert their chances.

Panama arguably looked the more dangerous team for long periods and will feel unfortunate not to have taken at least a point.

However, with the clock showing 95 minutes, Yirenkyi struck to spark wild celebrations among the Ghana players and supporters.

The result gives Carlos Queiroz’s side three valuable points and moves them level with England at the top of Group L.

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Diaz inspires Colombia victory

Colombia opened their World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over tournament debutants Uzbekistan.

Daniel Munoz broke the deadlock late in the first half before Uzbekistan responded through Abbosbek Fayzullaev, who scored his country’s first-ever World Cup goal.

Any hopes of a famous upset were short-lived as Luis Diaz restored Colombia’s lead just five minutes later.

The Bayern Munich winger was the standout performer, contributing a goal and an assist in an impressive display.

Substitute Jaminton Campaz added a third goal deep into stoppage time to secure the win and send Colombia to the top of Group K.

Today’s World Cup fixtures

The second round of matches in Groups A and B gets underway on Thursday, June 18:

Group A

Czechia vs South Africa – 5pm BST – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, USA

Mexico vs South Korea – 2am BST (Friday) – Estadio Akron, Guadalajara, Mexico

Group B

Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina – 8pm BST – SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, USA

Canada vs Qatar – 11pm BST – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada

With the opening round now complete for each group, teams will be looking to take a major step towards the knockout stages as the World Cup continues across North America.

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