HIGHLIGHTS | FIFA World Cup 2026, Day 13: Daniel Munoz's strike breaks stubborn DR Congo resistance to book knockout berth for Colombia

Earlier, Portugal thrashed Uzbekistan 5–0, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a double to secure Group K dominance.

Summary

Day 13 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup saw Cristiano Ronaldo silence his critics as he became the first man to score in six different World Cups. Ronaldo marked his arrival on the big stage with a double strike as Portugal kickstarted their campaign with a 5-0 drubbing of Group K rivals Uzbekistan in Houston.

England's bid to top Group L suffered a setback on Tuesday as Thomas Tuchel's side were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Ghana, leaving their qualification hopes still hanging in the balance.

Panama were eliminated from World Cup contention after Croatia kept their hopes of progressing to the last 32 alive with a hard-fought 1-0 win on Tuesday.

In the last game of the day, Colombia had to grind out a hard-fought 1-0 win over DR Congo to guarantee their place in the World Cup knockout rounds.

Ronaldo 'a role model' says Portugal coach after slow World Cup start

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez praised  Cristiano Ronaldo as "a good example for all of us" but refused to confirm if the veteran captain would start his team's World Cup clash with Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

Portugal, considered outside favourites to win the tournament in North America, were held 1-1 by the Democratic Republic of Congo in their opening game last week.

Asked about his veteran captain on the eve of their second group match, on Tuesday against Uzbekistan in Houston, Martinez said: "I think he's a player that he focuses so much, (he is) probably the biggest example of how to focus on the aspects that you can influence -- the way he recovers, the way he prepares, the way he trains.

"He's a good example for us, for all of us.

He added: "It is the sixth time he plays a World Cup, and he is a player who's been defending and playing for his country for a long time.

"So he really wants to keep on improving, to contribute to the team, and he's really a role model for our team."

But asked by reporters if Ronaldo will start against the Uzbeks, Martinez refused to say "because I haven't informed my players yet".

Cristiano Ronaldo aiming to get on track after disappointing start

Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland have taken their expected starring roles so far in the World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo is getting some unexpected criticism.

Portugal's 41-year-old star arrived in North America hoping to to make history by scoring in his sixth straight World Cup. He ended up frustrated after a forgettable opening performance in Portugal's surprising 1-1 draw against Congo, missing on a couple of good scoring chances in the second half.

Ronaldo and Portugal get a chance to get back on track against Uzbekistan Tuesday in Houston.

One of the pre-tournament favorites to win the World Cup, Portugal could use a win to keep pace in Group K following Colombia's opening win and Congo's tie in its first World Cup in 52 years.

Colombia's last training session before World Cup match against Congo suspended because of storm

Colombia's final training session before its World Cup game against Congo was suspended because of a storm on Monday.

Colombia players were practicing at a training center in Guadalajara when they were told to take shelter.

They had practiced for less than 30 minutes when the session had to be suspended. The players finished the session in a gym, the Colombian soccer federation said.

Congo practiced in the morning in the United States before traveling to Guadalajara later Monday.

It will be the second Group K game for both teams. Colombia opened with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, while Congo played to a 1-1 draw with Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.

What to know about World Cup tiebreakers and how teams can advance to the knockout phase

The World Cup has reached that stage when mental gymnastics come into play to determine who’s in, who’s out and what’s needed to advance to the next round.

This year’s supersized tournament, up from 32 teams to 48, has changed the format of the competition and how teams are separated by tiebreakers in the group phase.

For instance, there’s an extra knockout round of 32 teams, where as previously the group phase was immediately followed by a round of 16.

There are also lifelines for teams to advance if they miss out on the top two places in their respective groups.

READ FULL STORY HERE

‘One of the best strikers in the world ': Norway coach hails Haaland

Norway head coach Stale Solbakken praised Erling Haaland after the striker scored twice in a 3-2 victory over Senegal, but said he would make changes for his side's final World Cup group match against France.

Haaland has scored four goals in Norway's opening two matches, having also netted a brace in its 4-1 win over Iraq.

"He missed an open goal today, so he could have scored even more. He is one of the best strikers in the world. He is not playing for France or Argentina. He is scoring goals for Norway," Solbakken said after the match as quoted by Xinhua.

Haaland's double helped Norway establish a 3-1 lead, but Senegal pulled a goal back and subjected the European side to sustained pressure in the closing stages. Despite the nervy finish, Solbakken was satisfied with Norway's overall display against a Senegal side he described as one of Africa's strongest teams.

"If we had played only slightly worse, we would have been in trouble," he said. "We beat a very good team with a lot of tournament experience."

Norway will face France in the final Group I match on Friday. Both teams have won their opening two games and have already secured places in the knockout stage.

Diaspora World Cup champions diversity over division

When Sweden's Yasin Ayari scored seven minutes into his World Cup debut he raised his arms in apology rather than celebration out of respect for Tunisia, where his father is from.

The case of the Brighton midfielder is far from unique at a World Cup awash with players who could play for multiple nations via birth or ancestral roots. "It was a special game for me, that's why I didn't celebrate in the first goal because I feel a lot for the country (of Tunisia), I love this country," said Swedish-born Ayari, who could also have represented his mother's nation Morocco.

Scouting and recruiting dual-national players has become vital to achieving success on the global stage.

Nearly a quarter of the 1,248 players selected for the 2026 World Cup represent a country other than their birthplace.

Morocco became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final four years ago and harbour hopes of at least matching that feat in the coming weeks.

During an impressive performance to hold Brazil 1-1 in their tournament opener, they became the first side in World Cup history to at one point field a full foreign-born 11.

Portugal vs Uzbekistan predicted line-ups:

Portugal: Diogo Costa; João Cancelo, Rúben Dias, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes; Rúben Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes; Bernardo Silva, Francisco Conceição, Cristiano Ronaldo

Uzbekistan: Utkir Yusupov; Abdukodir Khusanov, Umar Abdullaev, Rustam Ashurmatov; Behruz Karimov, Abdulla Mozgovoy, Otabek Shukurov, Sherzod Nasrullaev; Abbosbek Fayzullaev, Oston Urunov, Eldor Shomurodov

Portugal vs Uzbekistan confirmed lineups

Portugal starting XI: Diogo Costa; João Cancelo, Rúben Dias, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes; João Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes; Cristiano Ronaldo. João Félix, Pedro Neto

Coach: Roberto Martinez

Uzbekistan starting XI: Abduvohid Nematov; Abdukodir Khusanov, Abdulla Abdullaev, Rustam Ashurmatov, Behruzon Karimov, Sherzod Nasrullaev; Odiljon Xamrobekov, Azizjon Ganiev, Otabek Shukurov, Abbosbek Fayzullaev; Eldor Shomurodov

Coach: Fabio Cannavaro

Ronaldo becomes first player to score in six World Cups with goal against Uzbekistan

Nuno Mendes scores as Portugal lead 2-0 against Uzbekistan

Cristiano’s double stuns Uzbekistan

Own goal from Abduvohid Nematov adds to Uzbekistan woes as Portugal go 4–0 up

Rafael Leao strike puts Portugal 5-0 up against Uzbekistan

England vs Ghana confirmed lineups

• Ghana: Benjamin Asare (GK), Jonas Adjetey, Gideon Mensah, Jerome Opoku, Marvin Senaya, Caleb Yirenkyi, Thomas Partey, Kwasi Sibo, Anthony Semenyo, Jordan Ayew and Inaki Williams

• England: Jordan Pickford (GK), Djed Spence, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Declan Rice, Eliiot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke, Harry Kane

The #ThreeLions make two changes for our game against Ghana 📋 pic.twitter.com/pNOtNzOxIo

— England (@England) June 23, 2026

Portugal thrash Uzbekistan to boost knockout hopes

Cristiano Ronaldo declared "I'm back" and said those "attacking" him should never write him off after making World Cup history in a 5-0 hammering of Uzbekistan on Tuesday in Houston.

The 41-year-old, under pressure to deliver after a barren recent run at major tournaments, pounced after six minutes to become the first player to score in six World Cup campaigns.

He added a second with a smart finish before half-time as Roberto Martinez's side ran riot against limited opposition.

The five-star display was in stark contrast to a stale 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo in which Ronaldo was laboured and largely anonymous.

Ronaldo shouted into a television camera "I'm back, I'm back", and said after his two-goal display: "I can say it was a very tough week, a difficult week, a week in which public opinion was very harsh on us, on all the players, especially on the coach.

"But it's always like that, it's fine because when you think about it, it's already 23 years I've been a professional and whenever things don't go well it's, 'Cristiano, he's finished, he's old'.

"But well, it was a good response from me and my teammates, which is what we wanted."

England stumble in race for last 32 with 0-0 draw against Ghana

England were left frustrated in their bid to join the likes of France, Argentina and Germany in the last 32 after failing to break down Ghana in a goalless Group L stalemate at Foxborough outside Boston.

England had launched their campaign last week with a stylish 4-2 win over Croatia, with their relentless attacking play sweeping aside the 2018 World Cup finalists.

But against a Ghana team defending in depth, England were unable to find the invention needed to break through, creating hardly any chances that troubled the Black Stars.

England were also fortunate to escape what looked like a strong penalty claim from Ghana in the 79th minute when Ezri Konsa bundled over substitute Prince Adu in the box.

The result left England and Ghana level on four points, just ahead of Croatia, who defeated Panama 1-0 in Toronto later Tuesday to eliminate the Central Americans.

Thank you for your support in Boston. We’ll be back on Saturday looking to finish the group strong 👊 pic.twitter.com/12LWH55kNX

— England (@England) June 23, 2026

Croatia keep knockout hopes alive with 1-0 win over Panama, send rivals packing

Croatia remains in contention for the knockout round ahead of its third and final group-stage match against Ghana on Saturday. Panama was eliminated and is still seeking its first World Cup point in two appearances.

After a slow-moving first half at BMO Field, Croatia broke through Panama’s strong back line after the break, with substitute Budimir finding the net just four minutes after coming on.

Josip Stanišić lifted a curving cross onto the boot of Ante Budimir, who tapped it into an open net in the 54th minute Tuesday, giving Croatia a 1-0 win over Panama in the World Cup.

Group L will be decided on Saturday, with England and Ghana tied at four points and Croatia with three. England will face Los Canaleros in East Rutherford, New Jersey, while Ghana and Croatia will play in Philadelphia.

🎙️ Luka Modrić after his 200th cap for Croatia:

"Thank God, we got three extremely important points. The 100th match didn’t end so well. We wanted to achieve victory and reaching 200 matches in the dearest jersey is something special.

I had the feeling we played with some… pic.twitter.com/PLHCyCbjmj

— Croatian Football  (@CroatiaFooty) June 24, 2026

Colombia vs DR Congo gets underway

The flags of Colombia and Congo are displayed on the pitch before the World Cup Group K soccer match between Colombia and Congo in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (Photo | AP)

Colombia and DR Congo go into the break locked at 0-0

Daniel Munoz gives Colombia the lead in the 76th minute

Colombia beat DR Congo 1-0 to reach World Cup knockouts

Colombia finally broke down a stubborn DR Congo side on Tuesday to secure a 1-0 win that guaranteed their place in the World Cup knockout rounds.

Victory in Guadalajara, courtesy of a 76th-minute goal from Daniel Munoz, took them top of Group K with six points -- two clear of Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal with one game to go in the first round.

Portugal, held 1-1 by DR Congo in their opening match, earlier hammered Uzbekistan 5-0 in Houston, with Ronaldo scoring twice.

Colombia, who failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, will face Portugal in Miami on Saturday, while DR Congo take on Uzbekistan in Atlanta.