Ronaldo Frustrated as Portugal Draw, England & Colombia Claim Opening Wins

Day 7 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 delivered drama, goals, and a major upset as England and Colombia opened their campaigns with convincing victories, while Portugal were held to a surprising draw by DR Congo.

The biggest shock of the day came in Houston, where Portugal were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against World Cup debutants DR Congo. 

The match marked a historic occasion for Cristiano Ronaldo, who equaled the record of six World Cup appearances. Portugal took an early lead through João Neves and appeared to be in control, but DR Congo responded brilliantly just before halftime when Yoane Wissa scored his country's first-ever World Cup goal. 

The strike secured a historic first World Cup point for the African nation and left Portugal frustrated after failing to capitalize on their dominance.

England, meanwhile, made an emphatic start to their quest for a first World Cup title since 1966, defeating Croatia 4-2 in a thrilling encounter. 

Harry Kane led the way with a brace, converting a retaken penalty before adding another goal later in the first half. Croatia fought back twice through Martin Baturina and Petar Musa to level the score at 2-2, but England's quality eventually proved decisive. 

Jude Bellingham restored the lead shortly after the break before Marcus Rashford sealed the victory late in the match, giving Thomas Tuchel's side a perfect start to the tournament.

Ghana secured one of the most dramatic victories of the tournament so far, edging Panama 1-0 thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Caleb Yirenkyi. 

With the match seemingly heading for a goalless draw, Ghana launched a rapid counterattack in the fifth minute of added time. 

Brandon Thomas-Asante delivered the decisive pass and the 20-year-old midfielder calmly finished to hand the Black Stars a crucial three points and spark wild celebrations among the Ghanaian supporters.

The final match of the day saw Colombia begin their World Cup campaign with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan in Mexico City. 

Daniel Muñoz opened the scoring just before halftime, but Uzbekistan made history in the second half when Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored the nation's first-ever World Cup goal to level the contest. 

Colombia quickly regained control as Luis Díaz restored the lead with a clinical finish before Jaminton Campaz added a stoppage-time goal to seal the victory. 

The result puts Colombia in a strong position early in the group stage and underlines their ambitions of making a deep run in the tournament.

After seven days of action, the World Cup continues to deliver unforgettable moments, with established stars shining on the biggest stage and emerging nations creating history of their own.