The FIFA World Cup 2026 delivered another thrilling day of matches as Portugal’s captain Cristiano Ronaldo led his team to a resounding 5-0 victory against Uzbekistan. This match marked Portugal’s first win in the tournament, showcasing their dominance on the field. Ronaldo’s remarkable performance included two goals, making him the first player in history to score in six different FIFA World Cups, spanning from 2006 to 2026. At 41 years and 138 days, he became the oldest player to score multiple goals in a single World Cup game, breaking the previous record set by Lionel Messi during this tournament. Ronaldo is now the second oldest goalscorer in World Cup history, behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who scored at the age of 42. Additionally, Ronaldo outstripped Eusebio to become Portugal’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup tournaments, accumulating a total of 10 goals. He has also scored against 49 distinct international teams, increasing his overall career tally to 145 goals across 230 appearances. Ronaldo’s 24th World Cup match ties him with only Lionel Messi and Lothar Matthaus for the most matches played in the tournament’s history. The match also saw Nuno Mendes score via a direct free-kick, a feat previously achieved only by Ronaldo in 2018. Notably, the game included the largest age difference between two starting players in World Cup history, with a gap of 22 years and 183 days between Uzbekistan’s Bekhruz Karimov and Ronaldo.

England Held to Draw by Ghana

In a contrasting match, England faced Ghana and ended up in a goalless draw, resulting in the end of England’s impressive 12-match winning streak in competitive football, which dates back to their last defeat against Greece in October 2024. For Ghana, this marks only the second time they have avoided defeat in their opening two World Cup matches since 2010. Despite dominating ball possession with 79%, the highest percentage for a team that failed to score in the last six decades of World Cup history, England was unable to convert their control into goals. Ghana managed a mere two shots, equaling the joint-lowest recorded by any team in the ongoing tournament. This match also highlighted England’s lack of offensive success, as it marked their thirteenth scoreless draw in World Cup history, the highest for any team. England’s unbeaten run against African teams in the World Cup has now reached nine matches. Jude Bellingham made headlines by achieving his 50th appearance for England, becoming the youngest player to reach this milestone at 22 years and 359 days. The team’s passing accuracy was noteworthy at 93%, marking their joint-highest in a World Cup match since 1966, along with a record of 430 passes completed in the opposition half. Defender Marc Guehi notably completed 125 passes, the highest of any England player since record-keeping began.

Milestone for Modric as Croatia Defeats Panama

Croatia secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Panama, with midfielder Luka Modric achieving a significant personal milestone by making his 200th appearance for his national team. He joins an exclusive group of only four male players in history to reach this landmark, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Bader Ahmed Al-Mutawa, and Lionel Messi. Panama’s struggles in World Cup play continue as they have now lost all five of their matches in the tournament and have scored only two goals. Only El Salvador has a worse World Cup record. Modric demonstrated his skill with an 88% passing accuracy against Panama and has maintained over 80% accuracy in every one of his 19 World Cup starts. Ante Budimir also made history as he became the oldest player to score for Croatia in a World Cup match at 34 years and 336 days.

Colombia Secures Victory Over DR Congo

In the last match of the day, Colombia edged out the DR Congo with a 1-0 win. Daniel Munoz became the third Colombian male player to score in the team’s first two World Cup matches, a feat previously achieved by Adolfo Valencia and James Rodriguez. Munoz’s achievement also places him among the few Colombian defenders who have scored more than once at the World Cup. Luis Diaz found himself in an unusual position, being penalized offside five times, the first player to do so since Robin van Persie in 2014. James Rodriguez contributed significantly to the team’s performance, creating five chances, a feat not accomplished by a Colombian player in a World Cup match since Carlos Valderrama in 1998.

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