DHAKA WEDNESDAY JUNE 17, 2026, ASHAR 3, 1433 BS
REUTERS,
Houston
Portugal begin their latest World Cup campaign in Houston on Wednesday against the Democratic Republic of Congo in a Group K opener that pairs a European heavyweight chasing long-awaited glory with a side returning to the tournament after 52 years.
DR Congo, who competed as Zaire in 1974, endured a difficult debut at the time, losing all three matches without scoring and conceding 14 goals. This time, they arrive with a more experienced squad largely based in Europe and a stronger competitive profile.
Portugal, meanwhile, are again among the contenders, led by 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, still seeking one of the few major honours missing from his decorated career. Their best World Cup finish remains third place in 1966, and they were eliminated in the quarterfinals in 2022 by Morocco.
A strong start is crucial in a group that also includes Colombia and Uzbekistan. Portugal have lost only two of their last 15 World Cup group-stage matches, though one of those defeats came against South Korea in 2022. They have also been solid against African opposition in recent tournaments, going unbeaten in their last five group-stage meetings.
Defender Matheus Nunes stressed the need for focus, saying “every match must be treated like a final” because underdogs can be dangerous over 90 minutes. Portugal may have a concern over defender Ruben Dias, who trained separately from the squad on Monday due to undisclosed reasons.
DR Congo’s preparations were disrupted by an Ebola outbreak at home, forcing players into a 21-day isolation period across Belgium and Spain before traveling to the United States. Despite that, they have settled well in Houston, drawing 0-0 with Denmark and losing narrowly 2-1 to Chile in warm-up matches.
Coach Sebastien Desabre said his team “adapted to difficult circumstances” and are now focused on delivering a strong performance on the big stage.
England’s WC dream begins with stern Croatia test
STAR SPORTS DESK
Thomas Tuchel’s England begin their World Cup campaign in Texas with a heavyweight Group L opener against Croatia. The Three Lions arrive among the tournament favourites after a perfect qualifying campaign, winning all their matches without conceding a goal, though underwhelming recent friendlies have slightly tempered expectations. Croatia, meanwhile, remain one of the most battle-hardened tournament sides. With memories of their 2018 World Cup semifinal still vivid, this opening clash could shape the trajectory of Group L.
This will be the 12th meeting between the two teams. England lead the head-to-head record with six wins to Croatia’s three, alongside two draws. Their only World Cup meeting came in 2018, when Croatia secured a 2-1 semifinal victory.
Both sides were dominant in qualifying. England were one of only two UEFA nations to win every match, while Croatia also impressed, going unbeaten with seven wins from eight games.
England have a strong record in tournament openers, losing just one of their last eight (W3, D4). Croatia, however, have struggled in early fixtures, winning only one of their last five World Cup openers.
Since their 1966 triumph, England have reached the World Cup semifinals just twice, finishing fourth in both 1990 and 2018.
Captain Harry Kane arrives with eight World Cup goals across previous tournaments and needs two more to match Gary Lineker’s England record of 10. Only Kylian Mbappe (12) has scored more across the last two World Cups.
While attention also turns to Luka Modric’s likely farewell tournament, Ivan Perisic remains Croatia’s key big-game influence. He has been directly involved in 18 goals (10 goals, 8 assists) in major tournaments and is one of only three players -- alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar -- to both score and assist in each of the last three World Cups.