June 18, 2026 | Burma Independent Voice
The group stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup generated high drama on Wednesday as England clinched a thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia, while 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo—making a record-equaling sixth World Cup appearance—endured a frustrating opening match as Portugal were held to a draw by Congo.
In a high-octane Group L fixture staged at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, USA, England initiated their quest to end a 60-year World Cup drought with a vital win, spearheaded by a brace from veteran striker Harry Kane and additional strikes from Jude Bellingham and substitute forward Marcus Rashford.
England secured an early breakthrough when Kane converted a penalty on his second attempt. The referee had ordered the spot-kick to be retaken after Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković prematurely advanced off his line during the initial attempt. Croatia fought back resiliently, equalizing in the 36th minute through Martin Baturina. Kane then restored England’s lead with a trademark header, a milestone that saw him equal legendary English forward Gary Lineker’s record of 10 World Cup goals. However, deep into first-half stoppage time, Croatian striker Petar Musa capitalized on an English defensive blunder to level the score at 2-2 going into the break.
England asserted total dominance in the second half. A brilliant solo run and finish from Bellingham, followed by a clinical 85th-minute strike from Rashford, sealed the maximum three points. Post-match, Kane revealed that their new German manager, Thomas Tuchel, delivered an intense halftime team talk that motivated the squad to dictate the tempo and completely overwhelm Croatia in the second period.
Ronaldo and Portugal Stumble
On Wednesday, Ronaldo matched Lionel Messi’s record—set just a day prior—of appearing in six consecutive World Cup tournaments. However, his milestone evening in Houston turned sour as Portugal struggled to dismantle a resilient Congolese defense in a disappointing 1-1 Group K draw.
Young prodigy João Neves initially opened the scoring for Portugal in the first half. Yet, during first-half injury time, Yoane Wissa—striker for English Premier League club Newcastle United—powered home a header to equalize for Congo. The historic goal secured Congo’s first-ever goal and point in World Cup history.
The unexpected result sparked immediate domestic criticism against Portugal manager Roberto Martínez for his persistent reliance on an aging Ronaldo in the starting lineup. Martínez strongly defended his talisman, stating, “In a match where you desperately need goals, it makes absolutely no sense to substitute the greatest goalscorer in the world.”
Ronaldo bypassed the media mixed zone after the match but later took to Instagram to rally the fans, posting: “Not the start we wanted, but the road is long and it’s far from over.”
In a poignant tribute, several Portuguese players wore specialized armbands during the match to honor their former teammate Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away in a vehicular accident last year.
In another Group L encounter, Ghana secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over Panama, courtesy of a 95th-minute match-winner from Carlos Yirenkyi. The result leaves Ghana level with England on three points at the top of the group. Ghana will face England in their second group fixture in Boston on June 23.
