Ronaldo fails to score in Portugal opener as matchday one of World Cup group stages come to a close

Ronaldo, who matches Messi in a record sixth World Cup appearance, failed to become the first player to score in six different tournaments in his nation’s opening fixture against DR Congo. The first matchday of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has come to a close after all competing 48 teams played their opening fixtures in a group stage that has so far produced a mix of expected results and upsets. Teams are now gearing up to take to the pitch once more in crucial group stage matchday two clashes, as the fight for vital points needed to make the knockout rounds intensifies. Here is a summary of Wednesday evening and early morning Thursday matches you may have missed: Portugal v DR Congo Reigning UEFA Nations League winners and one of the World Cup favourites Portugal opened their Group K campaign in Houston, Texas on Thursday where they took on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The crimson shirts, led by one of football’s all-time greats Cristiano Ronaldo, took to the pitch in what was on paper an easy fixture for Portugal to get their World Cup run to a heated start, but in actuality was anything but, as the European powerhouse failed to convert key chances and appeared fatigued in typical Texan humid and warm conditions. Cristiano Ronaldo delivered a pretty forgettable performance in the first match of his sixth World Cup. After Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland all scored in their opening matches, the 41-year-old Ronaldo couldn’t find the net Wednesday in Portugal's 1-1 draw with Congo. With players like Vinícius Júnior, Viktor Gyökeres and Harry Kane also all scoring early in this year's tournament, Ronaldo being held scoreless stands out even more. However, the Portugal great did join Messi as the only players to appear in six World Cups. But a day after the Argentina captain had a hat trick, Ronaldo missed a few chances to become the first player to score in a sixth tournament. His shots in the 68th and 73rd minutes went wide right, and he didn't look happy after either of them. Ronaldo didn’t speak to reporters after the game but he posted about the match on X. “It wasn’t the start we wanted, but this is far from over,” he wrote. “Head up and focus on the next game.” Portugal coach Roberto Martínez was asked if he considered taking out Ronaldo on Wednesday. “It makes no sense to get the best world scorer to be out when you need goals,” Martínez said. “The experience of Cristiano in the box is important. The way that he attracts defenders is important.” PSG’s young star midfielder Joao Neves opened the scoring early for Portugal, bagging a sweetly placed top right corner header in the 6th minute of the match. Portugal continued to look threatening every time they moved the ball forward but ultimately failed to convert their chances and extend their lead. Throughout the game, they maintained 75% possession of the ball and produced nine shots. In an almost exact replica of Neves’ goal, Congo was able to level the score through a header of their own off a cross into the box, late into the first half’s stoppage time. Both teams failed to score in the second half despite coming close on several chances, maintaining a 1-1 draw. Austria v Jordan Austria cruised comfortably past Jordan in its Group J World Cup opening match, beating out their competition three goals to one. Austria’s Romano Schmidt opened the scoring in the 21st minute of the game with a top right corner curling finish from just outside the box. Das Team held its slim lead for the remainder of the half, but it was quickly ended shortly after play resumed. Jordan’s Ali Olwan was able to pull one back for his side, after cutting through defenders and firing a shot towards the far right post, beating keeper Alexander Schlager in the 50th minute. An unfortunate deflection in Jordan’s box off defender Yazan al-Arab in the 76th minute gifted the lead back to Austria, giving the European nation the breakthrough needed after the game shifted tactically for Jordan to prioritise defensive rigidity. A late penalty awarded to Austria in 102nd minute of the game due to a handball sealed the deal, as Marko Arnautovic placed the ball in the bottom left corner to secure a 3-1 win for his team. England v Croatia Arguably the most exciting game of the evening was the heavyweight clash between England, two back-to-back UEFA Euro runners up in 2020 and 2024, and Croatia, a regular top 4 team in the past three World Cups. A star-studded England side was able to comfortably glide its way through Croatian defences, producing a stunning 4-2 performance with Bayern Munich point man Harry Kane bagging a brace in his opening match. Despite missing a penalty in the 10th minute to give his country the lead, Kane, who leads the European golden boot race with an impressive 36 goals in the Bundesliga this season, quickly recomposed himself after the referee declared a retake due to the goalkeeper stepping off his line before contact. Kane once again went for the same strike placed in the bottom right corner, but this time was able to guide it past Dominik Livaković to give his team the 1-0 advantage. Croatia’s Martin Baturina pulled one back two dozen minutes later with a powerful strike into the top left corner from just outside the box in the 36th minute. Kane responded just five minutes later with a bottom left header off a corner kick, as the three lions defiantly snatched the lead back. A quickly constructed play in the first half stoppage time levelled the game once more after Croatia’s Petar Musa was able to find the back of the net. The white shirts made quick work in the second half as Real Madrid superstar midfielder Jude Bellingham scored in the 47th, setting an early dominant posture for the former champions who are looking to return the trophy home since they last won it in 1966. A late Marcus Rashford goal in the 85th minute was the cherry on the cake to cap a strong opening display, ending the game 4-2 in England’s favour. Ghana v Panama Group L saw Ghana and Panama take centre stage early on Thursday. Panama recorded higher possession, shot attempts, shots on target, possession, passes and passing accuracy percentage but failed to find the back of the net in the match. Ghana, a top African side, also struggled to break Panamanian defences, but a dramatically late goal in the 95th minute saw Ghana edge past their rivals to match England on points going into the second round of the group stages. Colombia v Uzbekistan Colombia managed to bag an easy win in their opening fixture against their central Asian competition where the team, led by Bayern Munich star Luis Diaz, delivered a 3-1 performance. Daniel Munoz opened the scoring in the 40th minute of the game. Uzbekistan managed to equalize 15 minutes into the second half with a strike from Abbosbek Fayzullaev in the 60th. Luis Diaz quickly responded just five minutes later to gift his side the lead once more. A late attempt in the 99th minute proved fruitful for the South American side, who now top Group K with three points.