Overview
- Cristiano Ronaldo was named in Portugal’s starting XI for their Group K opener, which kicked off Wednesday, June 17, and the 41-year-old is appearing in a record-tying sixth World Cup.
- England begin their Group L campaign under Thomas Tuchel in his first competitive tournament match, a high-profile rematch with Croatia that carries heavy public and tactical scrutiny.
- Uzbekistan made their first World Cup appearance coached by Fabio Cannavaro while Colombia, led by Luis Díaz and James Rodríguez, were firm favourites for the late Group K fixture.
- Matches are staged across four host venues — NRG Stadium in Houston, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, BMO Field in Toronto and Estadio Azteca in Mexico City — with U.S. broadcasts on FOX and Telemundo and home-market coverage including the BBC.
- The day’s schedule highlights pressure from the expanded 48-team, 104-match format and betting markets that list Portugal and England as favorites, while DR Congo return to the finals for the first time since 1974.