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BOSTON — Cristiano Ronaldo, your turn.
The 41-year-old is set to enter the 2026 FIFA World Cup<\/a> on Wednesday when Portugal meets Congo after impressive performances by the tournament\u2019s other top stars.
France\u2019s Kylian Mbapp\u00e9<\/a> and Erling Haaland of Norway<\/a> each had two goals as they opened their World Cup campaigns on Tuesday, while Lionel Messi scored a hat trick for Argentina<\/a>. That gave Messi 16 career goals in the World Cup, tying him with Germany\u2019s Miroslav Klose for the all-time record.
Ronaldo is also looking to make history by becoming the first player to score in six World Cups. Messi, too, is playing in his sixth World Cup but failed to find the net in 2010.
\u201cWell, I wish him the best \u2014 I hope that he scores but not against us,” Congo coach S\u00e9bastien Desabre said of the Portugal forward.
Ronaldo\u2019s focus has been on his team\u2019s success.
\u201cWe go match by match, but not with the expectations of winning it all,\u201d Ronaldo told reporters in Portugal last week before the team\u2019s departure. \u201cIt has to be step by step. A good start is the most important thing.\u201d
Some Portugal supporters question whether the aging star will be a help or a detriment to the team.
After scoring just once in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Ronaldo was upset after he was subbed off against South Korea and benched for the club\u2019s first knockout-stage match against Switzerland. He also failed to score in the 2024 European Championship \u2014 the first time that has happened at a major international tournament.
But Ronaldo has also shown signs of his old productivity.
He scored eight goals during Portugal\u2019s 2025 UEFA Nations League title, including an equalizer in the final against Spain. And, he recently won his first Saudi Pro League title with Al-Nassr, scoring a club-high 28 goals.
\u2014 Portugal vs. Congo, 1 p.m. EDT in Houston (Fox\/Boston 25 News)
\u2014 England vs. Croatia, 4 p.m. EDT in Arlington, Texas (Fox\/Boston 25 News\/FS1)
\u2014 Ghana vs. Panama, 7 p.m. EDT in Toronto (FS1)
\u2014 Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, 10 p.m. EDT in Mexico City (FS1)
Harry Kane, one of the world\u2019s dominant goal scorers, leads England into its first match against Croatia with the Three Lions seeking their first World Cup title since 1966, when they won on home soil.
Kane has been a force over the past year with 61 goals in 51 matches for Bayern Munich across all competitions. The 32-year-old striker has eight goals in two previous World Cups and won the Golden Boot in 2018 by scoring six times in Russia.
But he didn\u2019t score in England\u2019s semifinal loss to Croatia in 2018. In 2022, he missed a penalty late against France in a 2-1 semifinal loss in Qatar when he sent the ball over the crossbar.
Kane\u2019s eight World Cup goals are two shy of Gary Lineker\u2019s England record.
Ghana will play its opening match against Panama without midfielder Thomas Partey after a Canadian judge on Tuesday rejected a bid to allow him into the country as he awaits trial on rape charges.
Partey\u2019s visa application was denied last week.
He will remain in the United States while his teammates play in Toronto on Wednesday. He will be eligible to play in Ghana\u2019s next two matches \u2014 both in the U.S.
Ghana\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had criticized the visa denial, calling it a \u201chigh-handed and extremely unfair decision.\u201d Its appeal was heard by the court earlier Tuesday.
Partay is awaiting trial in Britain while facing allegations from several women dating to his time playing for Arsenal from 2020-25. He has pleaded not guilty.
England fullback Tino Livramento was ruled out of the World Cup on Tuesday because of a calf injury, forcing coach Thomas Tuchel into a late squad change ahead of his team\u2019s opener against Croatia.
Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah was called up as a replacement and due to head to the England training camp in Kansas City. Livramento was injured during training on Sunday.
\u201cA subsequent scan and medical assessment on Monday unfortunately confirmed he could play no further part in England\u2019s tournament,\u201d it said in a statement.
Uzbekistan will mark the biggest moment in the country\u2019s soccer history on Wednesday when it participates in its first World Cup, facing Colombia.
Coached by Fabio Cannavaro, Italy\u2019s 2006 World Cup-winning captain and a former Ballon d\u2019Or winner, Uzbekistan finished second in Asian qualifying to earn its way into the expanded 48-team field.
Colombia is back in the World Cup after failing to qualify in 2022.
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