England in fine form (4–2 against Croatia). CR7’s Portugal slip up (1–1 with Congo)

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal have faltered, failing to match the outstanding performances of the other stars at this World Cup.

At the NRG Stadium in Houston (with over 60,000 spectators), the Portuguese national team got off to a flying start, taking the lead in the 6th minute through João Neves, who made it 1–0, capitalising on their early dominance against a Congo side defending with 10 men lined up near their own penalty area.

After falling behind, however, the African side shook off the nerves of their opening match and grew in confidence with every passing minute, snatching an equaliser in stoppage time (45’+5’), when Wissa scored following a well-worked move, levelling the score just before half-time.

In the second half, Portugal maintained possession but were sluggish, creating few real chances and no decisive moments, with Ronaldo a shadow of his usual self, whilst Congo defended solidly and even came close to launching a few dangerous counter-attacks.

A closely contested match with few chances, at BMO Field in Toronto (around 30,000 spectators), with Panama looking more organised in the first half, controlling possession without, however, creating any real chances, and Ghana improving in the second half, partly thanks to substitutions that injected more energy into the African side. The match, in fact, was decided in stoppage time: in the 95th minute, Ghana scored the winning goal through Yirenkyi, who finished from close range following a swift move down the wing.

At the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City (70,000 spectators), the Uzbekistan side coached by Cannavaro put in a well-organised defensive performance, but could do little against a Colombia side that, as the match progressed, proved superior in terms of quality and game management. The South Americans, in fact, took the lead in the 40th minute through Muñoz, who was set up well by Luis Díaz.

In the second half, however, Uzbekistan managed to catch their opponents off guard and, in the 60th minute, equalised through Fayzullaev, who scored his country’s first-ever World Cup goal with a header. It was a moment of joy that was short-lived. Colombia’s response was immediate: in the 65th minute, Luis Díaz put his side back in front, confirming his pivotal role in the team’s attacking play. In the closing stages, deep into stoppage time, Jaminton Campaz sealed the victory with a 3–1 scoreline.