Portugal thump – Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice as Portugal crushed Uzbekistan 5-0, while England were held 0-0 by Ghana in Group L. Croatia beat Panama 1-0 as Luka Modric won his 200th cap, Colombia edged DR Congo 1-0, and the day’s results set up big knock-out scenarios for
Portugal’s message to the tournament came fast and loud: Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t just return—he arrived.
In Group K, Portugal blitzed Uzbekistan 5-0, with Ronaldo scoring a brace. His first goal was a razor-sharp piece of movement finished first-time in the box. He was central again for Portugal’s second when he stepped over a free-kick only for Nuno Mendes to smash it home. Ronaldo’s second—Portugal’s third—came after a Bruno Fernandes through ball. with the captain cutting in to finish from an angle.
Rafael Leao made it five after the Uzbekistan goalkeeper. Abduvohid Nematov. had a hopeless afternoon and was involved in Portugal’s later goals as the game slipped away. Roberto Martinez’s side have now “gotten themselves moving. ” and the key question shifts to whether Ronaldo. aged 41. can repeat that level of threat against the tournament’s top sides.
England’s night, though, didn’t carry the same fireworks. In Group L, England and Ghana played out a 0-0 draw. England dominated possession but couldn’t break through. Thomas Tuchel’s side huffed and puffed without ever wobbling Ghana’s low block—excellent organisation and tenacity in defence kept the score locked.
Harry Kane came closest. Late on, he headed against the bar and, after uncharacteristically hammering the rebound, fired over the bar. Ghana rarely threatened, but when they did break, they kept England honest.
Tuchel’s frustration was visible. He was extremely animated on the touchline and clearly unhappy with how England’s attacking play was shaping up. Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers made an impact off the bench. but the overall feel was ponderous. and the lack of creative passing options in the squad was there for all to see.
England’s route through the knock-outs is now taking shape. They advance to their final group game against Panama as heavy favourites to top the group. If England finish top, the current OPTA bracket prediction has them facing Algeria in the last 32. From there. the last-16 clash would come against either Mexico or Scotland. and a quarter-final could be against either Brazil. Japan. Ivory Coast or Norway.
Should all the favourites win, England would meet Argentina in the semi-final, and then face either France or Spain at the MetLife Stadium on July 19.
In another Group L twist, Croatia kept their World Cup hopes alive in Toronto by beating Panama 1-0. The winning goal came early in the second half when substitute Ante Budimir found space at the back post to tap in after Josip Stanisic flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal from the right flank.
Luka Modric then added a historic milestone to the night. He recorded his 200th appearance for Croatia, playing 81 minutes before being substituted to a rapturous reception at BMO Field. Teammates lifted him during post-match celebrations as Croatia made sure the moment was felt.
After the match. Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said: “He is still influencing matches and to play for your country 200 times. that is a lot. We need to be very happy to have him in the team.” Dalic added: “Luka is very humble and this is why he is not for major celebrations. But I am very glad we marked this today in front of our fans.”.
The result means Croatia will confirm a top-two finish in Group L if they beat Ghana on Saturday, while England will face a Panama side that know there’s nothing they can do to remain in the tournament.
Elsewhere, Colombia edged closer to top spot in Group K. They beat DR Congo 1-0 in Guadalajara, and the breakthrough came in the 76th minute through Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz.
Munoz scored after latching onto a tight pass from Juan Fernando Quintero. Darting off the wing. he struck with his left foot past Congolese goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi. who was wrong-footed after the shot took a deflection off Munoz’s body. Two minutes later. Munoz nearly made it two—he bundled the ball into the net following up his initial header—but the goal was disallowed for a marginal offside.
DR Congo’s tournament depends on their final group match. They need victory against Uzbekistan to have any chance of progressing to the knockout stage, while a draw is enough for Colombia to top Group K when they face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on Sunday.
For England, the draw with Ghana also left a trail of uneasy numbers. England had 78.8% possession—the most on record since 1966 in a World Cup game—and yet they still didn’t manage to score. It was also the first game of this World Cup with no shot on target in the first half.
By midnight, the day had turned into a waiting room for decisions.
Tomorrow’s and today’s games carry their own pressure. and Scotland’s match in Miami could become the defining moment. Steve Clarke’s side know that a point against Brazil is enough to reach the knockout stages. while even a narrow loss could still see them advance as one of eight best third-place teams. But the risk is obvious: playing for a draw demands precision, and one mistake can flip everything.
Former Scotland manager Craig Levein described the psychology: “I don’t believe Steve will be playing for a draw because there’s a dangerous element to that.” Levein added that if you lose a goal while trying to manage the outcome. “getting shifted out of that mind space is difficult. ” recalling the Czech Republic game in 2010 where “a draw would have been a really good result. ” only for Scotland to lose the goal to a set-piece.
Scotland themselves were cagey and unimaginative during their narrow 1-0 defeat by Morocco in their second group game, and Clarke will be hoping that the stage against Brazil—plus the directness on offer from Ben Doak—can free them up.
There’s another subplot in Miami: Neymar’s possible return. Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti revealed Neymar. who has been nursing a calf injury since touching down in the United States. is ready for action and could see his first minutes of the tournament against Scotland. Fellow Brazil player Gabriel Martinelli said on Monday that Neymar is “performing at a very high level” and that “you could see the intensity in today’s training session. ” adding that “you could see how keen he is to be with us. and his quality is unquestionable.” Martinelli said whether Neymar plays is a question for the manager. “but I think he’s in great shape.”.
Whether Neymar is on the pitch or not, the bracket picture is forming. Brazil will reach the last 32 as group winners if they win or draw against Scotland and Morocco fail to beat Haiti.
Group B is also set for its own edge. Switzerland and Canada face off at 8pm BST after both reached four points from their opening two matches. Switzerland drew 1-1 with Qatar and Canada were held to the same score by Bosnia and Herzegovina. before both teams switched gears: Switzerland beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 and Canada thrashed Qatar 6-0. The head-to-head to decide top spot promises open attacking play.
There’s no shortage of big stakes across the other fixtures either. Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar (8pm. Seattle. ITV) is winner-takes-all with both sides still alive. while Switzerland vs Canada (8pm. Vancouver. ITV) decides Group B. Morocco vs Haiti (11pm. Atlanta. BBC) comes with Haiti playing for pride after being knocked out. while Morocco—effectively through on four points—could rotate.
England’s next step is still grounded in the basics: they will need to get it done against Panama, because every route through the knock-outs now depends on how cleanly they can turn dominance into goals.
And in a tournament where details have already decided nights, Portugal’s ruthless finishing against Uzbekistan feels like a warning sign—especially with Ronaldo still at the heart of it.
World Cup Breakfast Portugal Uzbekistan Cristiano Ronaldo brace England Ghana 0-0 Harry Kane chance Croatia Panama 1-0 Luka Modric 200th cap Colombia DR Congo 1-0 Daniel Munoz goal England knock-out route Scotland Brazil today
Ronaldo at 41 is wild, like how is that even legal?
England 0-0 Ghana… so basically nobody wanted to score? I feel like Ghana always plays dirty or am I mixing games up.
Wait Portugal 5-0 and England couldn’t score?? Makes no sense. Also the article says Ronaldo scored twice but then it’s like Mendes and Fernandes were involved too, so was Ronaldo the whole reason or what lol. Either way that first-time finish sounds like FIFA gameplay.
Portugal “message to the tournament”?? I mean sure they won big, but Uzbekistan was probably already checked out. And Modric getting his 200th cap like that should guarantee something in the bracket but it never does, Croatia always gets hyped and then falters in the end. Not sure who actually goes through now, I’m confused.