England, Croatia, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford
18 June 2026

England opened their World Cup campaign with a 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas, as Harry Kane scored twice before Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford struck after half-time. Croatia twice equalised through Martin Baturina and Petar Musa.

Thomas Tuchel’s side looked dangerous in attack but fragile defensively, especially before the break. His half-time message pushed England to press higher and play faster, turning a nervous first half into a statement attacking win.

DR Congo, Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo, Yoane Wissa, Joao Neves
18 June 2026

DR Congo earned their first World Cup point with a 1-1 draw against Portugal in Houston, after Yoane Wissa cancelled out Joao Neves’ early header. Cristiano Ronaldo played the full match but failed to score again.

Portugal dominated possession but lacked incision, while DR Congo defended bravely and threatened on counters. Ronaldo’s 10-game major tournament scoring drought drew scrutiny, with Roberto Martinez defending his decision to keep the 41-year-old on.

Lionel Messi, Argentina, Algeria, Miroslav Klose, Ronaldo Nazario
17 June 2026

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 in their World Cup opener. The goals moved him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, matching the competition’s all-time scoring record.

Messi’s performance drew praise from Brazilian legend Ronaldo, who said the debate over football’s greatest player should end. Argentina avoided a repeat of their 2022 opening shock and began their title defence with a dominant win.

DR Congo, Portugal, Yoane Wissa, Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Neves
17 June 2026

DR Congo earned their first World Cup point with a 1-1 draw against Portugal in Houston. Joao Neves gave Portugal an early lead, but Yoane Wissa equalised before half-time as Cristiano Ronaldo failed to score again.

Portugal dominated possession but created little, managing only one shot on target despite their attacking talent. DR Congo defended with discipline, threatened on counters and turned Wissa’s header into a historic result after more than five decades away from the tournament.

England, Croatia, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford
17 June 2026

England opened their World Cup campaign with a 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas. Harry Kane scored twice to match Gary Lineker’s England World Cup record, before Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford sealed the victory.

Croatia twice fought back through Martin Baturina and Petar Musa, exposing England’s defensive issues before half-time. Thomas Tuchel’s side responded quickly after the break, with Bellingham driving through to score and Rashford finishing late after Bukayo Saka’s assist.

Lionel Messi, Argentina, Algeria, Lionel Scaloni
17 June 2026

Lionel Messi scored his first World Cup hat-trick as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 in their title defence opener. The 38-year-old also became the first man to play at six World Cups on his 200th Argentina appearance.

Messi curled in the opener, punished a goalkeeping error for his second and completed the hat-trick from Nico Gonzalez’s pass. The treble moved him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, matching the tournament record.

Austria, Jordan, Marko Arnautovic, Ralf Rangnick
17 June 2026

Austria beat World Cup debutants Jordan 3-1 to claim their first victory at the tournament in 28 years. Romano Schmid opened the scoring, Marko Arnautovic struck late and Ralf Rangnick’s side survived a second-half equaliser.

Jordan levelled through Ali Olwan after halftime, but Austria regained control through stronger finishing and tournament experience. The result gives Rangnick’s team an ideal start after returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

Erling Haaland, Norway, Iraq
17 June 2026

Erling Haaland scored twice on his World Cup debut as Norway beat Iraq 4-1 in Foxborough. The Manchester City striker needed only 29 minutes to open his tournament account after Norway returned to the World Cup stage.

Haaland delivered on pre-tournament expectation and gave Norway early control in Group I, showing why their attack is viewed as dangerous. His brace followed big performances from Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe on a superstar-heavy matchday.

Kylian Mbappe, France, Senegal, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola
16 June 2026

Kylian Mbappe became France’s all-time leading scorer with two goals in a 3-1 World Cup win over Senegal. Michael Olise assisted the opener, Bradley Barcola added the second, and Mbappe struck again from distance in stoppage time.

France struggled through the first half and survived Senegal chances before Mbappe changed the match after the break. His brace moved him to 58 France goals and 14 World Cup goals, closing in on Miroslav Klose’s record.

Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Maxi Araujo, Marcelo Bielsa, Darwin Nunez
16 June 2026

Uruguay needed a late Maxi Araujo goal to rescue a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia in their World Cup opener. Marcelo Bielsa’s side trailed after Abdulelah Al-Amri scored before halftime, while Darwin Nunez was withdrawn at the break.

Bielsa’s substitutions improved Uruguay after a flat first half, and Araujo converted a rebound from a tight angle in the 80th minute. Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais then made key saves to protect a valuable point.