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Wednesday marks the final day of the opening games at the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup and while it will be a tough act to follow Tuesday’s extravaganza, there will be plenty of star players who’ll do their best.
Led by Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal hopes its game against the DR Congo will be the first step of a long run.England vs.Croatia is one of the most anticipated group stage games after deep runs in major tournaments over the past decade.
Ghana and Panama will meet in the third game as the Black Stars could once again surprise in this tournament.The final opening game will see a Colombian team looking to get back on track when it takes on an Uzbekistan team that will likely be full of energy, coached by an Italian legend.
Portugal vs.DR Congo: How to Watch
When: Wednesday, June 17, 1 p.m.ET
Where: Houston
Stream:Group K gets underway on Wednesday with Portugal opening its much-anticipated World Cup campaign against DR Congo in Houston.
Ranked fifth in the latest FIFA World Rankings, much of the team’s spotlight is on Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be playing in his sixth World Cup.At 41, Ronaldo is set to become the second-oldest outfield player in World Cup history behind only Cameroon legend Roger Milla, who played in the 1994 tournament in the United States at the age of 42.
For Ronaldo, this is likely his last opportunity to win the tournament.His international career has been defined by leading Portugal to the 2016 European Championship.At the World Cup, the furthest he reached was the semifinals in 2006.In the four tournaments since, Portugal has had two group stage exits, one elimination from the Round of 16, and one quarterfinal exit.
But Portugal is showing signs of returning to the world’s elite under head coach Roberto Martinez, who was hired in 2023.At Euro 2024, Portugal won its group and then advanced to the quarterfinals before being stopped by France on penalties.Portugal won the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League with a win over Germany in the semifinal, followed by a win over Spain on penalties in the final.Finally, the Portuguese won their World Cup qualifying group with ease, outscoring opponents 20-7 over six games.
Ronaldo has shown few signs of aging in recent years.Under Martinez, Ronaldo has made 26 appearances and scored 22 goals for Portugal, with many goals coming in important games.
Of course, Ronaldo has a strong supporting case that includes top playmaker Bruno Fernandes, 31, of Manchester United and Real Madrid-bound midfielder Bernardo Silva, 31, who will be playing in his third World Cup.
Like Ronaldo, Silva and Fernandes might also be playing in their final World Cup.After this tournament, Portugal might see a massive change of the guard.
Cristiano Ronaldo will play his sixth World Cup (Getty).
Ranked No.46 in the FIFA World Rankings, the DR Congo returns to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when the country was called Zaire.While it was a significant accomplishment to become the first Sub-Saharan African team to qualify for the World Cup, Zaire was outscored by its opponents 14-0.
DR Congo qualified for the World Cup after finishing second in CAF Group B behind Senegal.That put the Leopards into the intercontinental playoff, where they prevailed 1-0 over Jamaica.
Most of the DR Congo consists of players who currently play for European clubs.Nine players played in Europe’s traditional top five leagues in the 2025-26 season.
The team’s attack is led by Yoane Wissa, who joined Newcastle United in 2025 for a £50 million transfer fee.Real Betis striker Cédric Bakambu, 35, has a lot of experience but has scored just six league goals in his last three seasons.
But another area of strength for DR Congo is its two wingbacks, West Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Lens’ Arthur Masuaku, who are both effective in getting into the attack.DR Congo has several effective players, but Portugal is the heavy favorite.
Portugal vs.DR Congo: Player To Watch
Cristiano Ronaldo: One of the greatest players of all time will likely get his final World Cup underway in this game.At 41 years old and with 228 caps under his belt, Ronaldo is not simply a nostalgic act in this tournament.He is still a remarkably effective striker who has been playing terrific soccer for Portugal since Martinez came on board in 2023.But at this tournament and in this game, expect Ronaldo to play with intensity and desperation, knowing that time is running out.
England vs.Croatia: How to watch
When: Wednesday, June 17, 4 p.m.ET
Where: Dallas
Stream:In one of the marquee group stage games of this World Cup, England takes on Croatia on Wednesday afternoon at Dallas Stadium in a matchup of teams who are expected to advance out of Group L.
Ranked 4th in the latest FIFA Rankings, England holds realistic ambitions of winning the tournament.The Three Lions were stellar in World Cup qualifying, winning all eight games and outscoring opponents 22-0.At Euro 2024, England advanced to the final, where it narrowly lost to Spain 2-1 in a hard-fought matchup against one of the world’s elite teams.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel has done an impressive job with England since taking over at the start of January 2025, overseeing the perfect World Cup qualifying effort.He is just the third foreign manager of England, and his contract has already been extended through Euro 2028.
Harry Kane will lead the attack for England.(Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images)
The Three Lions are led by captain and top scorer Harry Kane, who is widely expected to contend for his second World Cup Golden Boot after winning the award in 2018.Kane’s scoring accomplishments, mostly with Tottenham and his current club Bayern Munich, place him among the best players of his generation.Kane has won the Premier League Golden Boot three times.He has been the Bundesliga top scorer three times, including this recent season with Bayern Munich.He won the European Golden Shoe twice as the continent’s most prolific scorer, including 2025-26.
Beyond Kane, England has a very talented team that should go far.Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers are the team’s playmakers.Arsenal’s Declan Rice is one of the top holding midfielders at this World Cup.John Stones and Ezri Konsa are a very capable central defensive pairing.
On top of it all, England will be extremely well-supported in each of its games at this World Cup.
Croatia legend Luka Modrić will aim for one final deep run at the World Cup.(Rich Storry/Getty Images)
Managed by Zlatko Dalić, Croatia will be a much tougher test for England than anyone the Three Lions faced in World Cup qualifying.Croatia qualified for this World Cup also through a strong, unbeaten campaign with seven wins and a draw over eight games.
The strength of this Croatian team is its experience and its tactical organization under Dalić.Luka Modrić, 40, is one of the many aging superstars of this tournament along with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.Like those players, he is not simply along for the ride and he is expected to be a focal point of Croatia’s game plan.
Croatia’s roster is a blend of youth and experience.On the older side, along with Modrić, there are Ivan Perišić, 37, Mateo Kovačić, 32, Andrej Kramarić, 34, and Mario Pasalić, 31, who have all been part of this highly accomplished generation of Croatian players.
This tournament will also see Croatia turn to promising younger players such as Inter Milan midfielder Petar Sučić and Como attacking midfielder Martin Baturina.MLS fans might also be familiar with two Croatian players who currently play in the league – Petar Musa of FC Dallas and Marco Pašalić of Orlando City.
Croatia is the underdog in this game, but this game will be a tactical battle.If England plays an up-tempo game, it will likely prevail through individual talent.If Croatia’s midfield can slow the game down, it might frustrate England and be a recipe for an upset.
England vs.Croatia: Player To Watch
Harry Kane: There are a lot of stars to watch in this game, but Kane is an elite forward who, at age 32, is in the best shape and form of his career.England will desperately want to make a deep run and contend for this World Cup.Those ambitions are completely tied to Kane, as there is a big drop-off in scoring options after him.Momentum is critical for all strikers and scoring against Croatia will be important not just for winning this game, but in setting the table as a contender this summer.
Ghana vs.Panama: How to Watch
When: Wednesday, June 17, 7 p.m.ET
Where: Toronto
TV: FS1
Stream:With Group L heavyweights Croatia and England playing earlier in the day, the group’s other two teams, in Ghana and Panama, get underway on Wednesday night at Toronto Stadium in an important game that offers a path of advancement to the winner.With eight of 12 third-place teams qualifying for the knockouts, a win for either team might be enough.For both Panama and Ghana, this game is the best opportunity to secure three points.
Since 2020, Panama has been coached by Thomas Christiansen from Denmark.Over those six years, Christiansen has built Panama into one of the stronger teams in CONCACAF.At the 2024 Copa América, he led his team out of the group stage after a win over the United States.At the 2025 Nations League, Panama again defeated the United States in an important game.This time in the semifinal, to advance to the final, where it was beaten by Mexico.
With Mexico, Canada, and the United States qualifying automatically, CONCACAF World Cup qualifying was severely diluted.But Panama took full advantage in going unbeaten over 10 games with a 7-3-0 record.
Ranked No.34 in the FIFA World Rankings, Panama does not have any players currently with a club in Europe’s traditional top leagues.The biggest concern for Panama is simply age.With an average age of 30.4 years, Panama is the oldest team in the tournament.
Alberto Quintero, 38, has 140 caps for the national team and captain Aníbal Godoy, 36, has been the team’s midfield anchor.José Fajardo, 32, and Cecillo Waterman, 35, have been the team’s best attackers over the past decade.
Antoine Semenyo of Ghana in action.(Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images)
Ranked 73rd in the FIFA Rankings, Ghana arrives at this tournament on the heels of making a coaching change on April 13.Now leading the team is Carlos Queiroz, who will be coaching in his sixth World Cup.He previously coached Portugal in 2010 and Iran in 2014, 2018, and 2022.This is also the ninth national team he has coached.
Ghana brings to this tournament very dangerous wingers and attacking midfielders.Antoine Semenyo, who joined Manchester City from AFC Bournemouth in January for a reported transfer fee of £64 million is the team’s most talented player.Attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus, 25, scored two goals at the 2022 World Cup and has played the last three seasons in the Premier League with West Ham and now Tottenham.Atlético Bilbao forward Iñaki Williams is an established goal-scoring threat.
While Ghana has one of the lowest rankings in the FIFA World Rankings at No.73, the team could be much better than that if the players respond quickly to Queiroz.A win over Panama would hardly be a surprise.
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