The seventh matchday of the 2026 World Cup delivered four games and 10 goals. The biggest sensation was Portugal's draw with debutants DR Congo, while the most spectacular match was the six-goal thriller between England and Croatia in Dallas. Ghana waited for their moment in the 95th minute, and Colombia comfortably dispatched Uzbekistan.
Night Results
Portugal — DR Congo 1:1 (Group K)
The first match of the day in Houston ended in a stunning draw. João Neves put Portugal ahead as early as the 6th minute, but in first-half stoppage time Yoane Wissa equalised — a goal that went down in history as DR Congo's first ever at a World Cup. For the Leopards, it was also their first point in World Cup history. Cristiano Ronaldo, who started the match, set a record as the oldest outfield player ever to start a World Cup game. The result complicates Portugal's task in Group K: they now trail Colombia on points after the first round.
England — Croatia 4:2 (Group L)
The most spectacular match of the night took place in Dallas. Harry Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 12th minute (the kick had to be retaken due to an infringement), and added a second on 42. Croatia responded twice — Martin Baturina (36') and Petar Musa (45+5') restored parity each time. After the break, Jude Bellingham put England ahead in the 47th minute, and substitute Marcus Rashford sealed the win on 85. Kane's brace drew him level with Gary Lineker as England's all-time top scorer at World Cups (10 goals), and he became only the second Englishman to score at three different World Cups. The victory sends England to the top of Group L.
Ghana — Panama 1:0 (Group L)
In Toronto, Ghana snatched victory in stoppage time: in the 95th minute, Caleb Ekuban converted a cutback from Brandon Thomas-Asante to write his name into the history books. The first half was dominated by Panama, who had the better of possession, while Ghana failed to register a single shot on target. After the break, the Black Stars grew into the game, and substitute goalkeeper Benjamin Asare made three important saves. Ghana played without Thomas Partey, who was denied entry into Canada due to ongoing legal proceedings in the United Kingdom. Panama remain without a point across all four of their World Cup matches in history.
Uzbekistan — Colombia 1:3 (Group K)
At the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Colombia comfortably beat debutants Uzbekistan. Dávinson Sánchez opened the scoring in the 41st minute following an assist from Luis Díaz. Uzbekistan replied with the first goal in their World Cup history — Abbosbek Fayzullaev tapped in the rebound after a shot from Eldor Shomurodov. However, Díaz restored Colombia's lead, and in the ninth minute of stoppage time Jhon Córdoba made it 3:1. Colombia top Group K after the first round.
Standings
Group K
- Colombia — 3 points (1 match)
- DR Congo — 1 point (1 match)
- Portugal — 1 point (1 match)
- Uzbekistan — 0 points (1 match)
Following their unexpected draw with DR Congo, Portugal find themselves in a difficult position: their next match against Uzbekistan is effectively a must-win.
Group L
- England — 3 points (1 match)
- Ghana — 3 points (1 match)
- Croatia — 0 points (1 match)
- Panama — 0 points (1 match)
Croatia are under pressure after their 2:4 defeat: coach Zlatko Dalić admitted defensive errors and stressed that the team must win their next two matches.
Off the Pitch
Thomas Partey missed out due to being denied entry into Canada. Ghana faced Panama without their key midfielder: a Canadian court rejected his appeal, and Partey remained on US soil. The player is awaiting trial in the United Kingdom on charges of sexual assault. He will be eligible to play in Ghana's next two matches, both of which are held in the United States.
Ronaldo's record. Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest outfield player ever to start a World Cup match in the game against DR Congo. It was also his 23rd World Cup appearance — the fourth most in the tournament's history.
Kane's record. Harry Kane's brace against Croatia drew him level with Gary Lineker (10 goals) as England's all-time top scorer at World Cups. He also became only the second Englishman after David Beckham to score at three different World Cups.
DR Congo's first ever World Cup goal. Yoane Wissa's strike against Portugal wrote DR Congo into the World Cup record books: it was the Leopards' first ever goal and first ever point at a World Cup. The country's previous appearance in the tournament was in 1974, when they competed as Zaire.
Today, 18 June, four more matches are scheduled at the World Cup: Czech Republic — South Africa (19:00 Kyiv time), Switzerland — Bosnia and Herzegovina (22:00 Kyiv time), Canada — Qatar (01:00 Kyiv time, 19 June), and Mexico — South Korea (04:00 Kyiv time, 19 June).
