Hello and welcome to the Mirror’s live coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday, June 17.
Reigning champions Argentina faced Algeria last night with Lionel Messi emphatically responding to braces from Mbappe and Haaland, who issued his own reply to the 38-year-old, by scoring a hat-trick. Following his first goal, Messi was visibly emotional and the reason for his tears has since been revealed.
Portugal were forced to settle for a point in a 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their World Cup opener, wth Cristiano Ronaldo failing to find the back of the net.
Then it’s the big one as England kick off their tournament with a huge clash against Croatia. The Three Lions are also in Texas where the heat is set to be high at kick-off – but it won’t be too troublesome in Dallas where the roof will be closed and an industrial-scale HVAC unit will keep the stadium cool.
We will keep you up to date with all the latest from the USA, Canada and Mexico right here on our live blog, which you can read below…
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By Andy Lines, in Dallas, Texas
What a start for England. It was a privilege to be inside the “Palace in Dallas” to watch the start of their World Cup campaign.At times it felt like a chaotic FA Cup third round tie. At others an amazing world sporting experience – a mixture of a World Cup match and an American sporting Super Bowl-style occasion.But at the end it was a like a karaoke night down the pub. They bellowed the Beatles hit “Hey Jude”, Oasis’s “Wonderwall” and the traditional “Sweet Caroline.”England fans were on tenterhooks all game but burst into a stadium wide rendition of “Football’s Coming Home” after Marcus Rashford’s 85th minute goal which sealed the win.
Andy Lines17th Jun23:41 BST
Ryan Taylor in Dallas
England’s World Cup campaign certainly started with a bang.There will rightly be questions about their backline but on the flip side, their attack and ability to score goals should create excitement.Not only that but when you’re bringing players like Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers on against tired legs, they’re going to hurt opponents.I think this was the perfect first game for England. They now have several things to work on and refine, they’ve put a win on the board and have got a taste for the climate and occasion.Harry Kane looked very dangerous, Jude Bellingham performed well.It’s something to build on, that’s for sure.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun23:30 BST
Harry Kane has revealed what Thomas Tuchel said at half time to help inspire England to a 4-2 win over Croatia at the World Cup.
Kane told ITV:
He just said if we lose, we lose, but don’t be afraid and if we lose, we lose our way.It was a really good second half. Some of the things they did in the first ten minutes of the second half was fantastic.”I think without the ball we went more aggressive. It was difficult; they’ve got great players. When Luka [Modric] is dropping in and you’re trying to figure out who to pick up.In the second half we’ve got that extra gas and if we see a man in front we go. Just the intensity we went at, I think that’s our biggest strength.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun23:07 BST
England get the win over Croatia to begin their World Cup campaign in style with a 4-2 victory in Dallas.
The Three Lions secured the win thanks to a first-half brace from Harry Kane, as well as goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford in the second half.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun22:55 BST
England score their fourth goal thanks to Marcus Rashford and that should be enough to beat Croatia here in Dallas.
The Three Lions now have just a few more minutes to navigate before the three points are secured.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun22:34 BST
The US Customs and Border Protection have reportedly seized millions of pounds worth of fake World Cup merchandise.
As reported by ABC, CBP officers at the Port of Houston/Galveston Trade Enforcement have seized around $6million (£4.5million) in counterfeit items.
These include football shirts and balls, as well as shoes, Apple watches, toys and sunglasses.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun22:15 BST
Jude Bellingham produces a brilliant individual goal to give England the lead in the first minute of the second half.
Whatever Thomas Tuchel said in the half-time break has made an impact, with the Three Lions now leading 3-2 in the early minutes of the second half.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun22:11 BST
From Jeremy Cross in Houston
Cristiano Ronaldo left his team-mates to face the flak in the wake of Portugal’s painful World Cup opener in Houston.
Ronaldo skulked down the tunnel of the Houston Stadium, while the rest of the squad did a walk of shame in front of fans left stunned by Portugal’s 1-1 draw with minnows DR Congo in Group K.
That’s not a great look from someone of his experience and standing in the game.
Not the behaviour of an icon, who millions of children look up to around the world.
But still the behaviour of someone who has never been able to shed accusations the game is always all about him.
Ronaldo was a pale imitation of his former self – as one of the pre-tournament favourites made a woeful start to their bid to win a first ever World Cup.
The ageing legend missed two second half chances to seal the win that would have spared Portugal’s blushes.
And manager Roberto Martinez will now face a heaps of flak for refusing to substitute his main attraction – when it was clear Ronaldo was not going to influence the game.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun22:02 BST
Jeremy Cross in Houston
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez defended Ronaldo for storming down the tunnel in the wake of his side’s embarrassing 1-1 draw with DR Congo.
But he did admit there would have to be an inquest into the performance.
He said: “It’s part of what the World Cup is all about. Now it’s time to analyse and evaluate.
“We didn’t like the performance, but I liked the attitude and everything the players tried to do until the last second.
“It’s part of the process, we have two more games. We have to be self-critical. We will do it. It’s a sign that there are no easy games in the World Cup. We have to improve and grow.”
When asked about Ronaldo’s quick exit, Martinez added: “There’s a lot of work with interviews. The players aren’t sure if they need to stay or go to the locker room.”
Congo were making their first appearance at a World Cup since 1974 – and celebrated the point like they’d won the competition itself.
The hero was Newcastle flop Yoane Wissa, who scored Congo’s first ever World Cup goal.
He said: “I’m obviously very proud today because we’ve worked extremely hard. It was a very difficult match against a team that was stronger than us.
“But we showed courage and resilience. Scoring our first goal is a huge source of pride, because it reflects the character of this team. The most important thing now is to keep going.”
Mark Wakefield17th Jun21:55 BST
And just like that, England’s lead disappears once again.
Perat Musa equalises for Croatia, and the half-time whistle goes where both teams are all square at 2-2 in Dallas.
Work to do for England again to get the victory in Texas.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun21:44 BST
And just like that, Harry Kane gives England the leead once again, and no VAR intervention was required this time!
Kane gets on the end of a Declan Rice corner to nod the ball into the net and give the Three Lions a 2-1 advantage just before half-time.
England 2-1 Croatia in the 43rd minute.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun21:40 BST
Croatia are back level with England thanks to a long-range striker from Martin Baturina.
The goal comes after England seemingly were in control of the game, but will now have to work hard again to regain the lead here in Dallas.
England 1-1 Croatia on the 40-minute mark.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun21:13 BST
Harry Kane makes no mistake with the second attempt and sends the goalkeeper the wrong way to put England in front in Dallas.
1-0 to England!
Mark Wakefield17th Jun21:12 BST
Harry Kane mssed the penalty, but the referee is ordering a retake for encroachment from Josko Gvardiol.
Kane steps up for the retake…
Mark Wakefield17th Jun21:09 BST
England are given a penalty as Luka Modric fouls Noni Madueke in the box.
Harry Kane to step up and take the spot-kick…
Mark Wakefield17th Jun21:05 BST
We’re underway here in Dallas as England look to get a victory in their first World Cup fixture against Croatia.
Harry Kane is leading the team as the Three Lions look to secure all three points in their tournament opener.
Stay tuned for live updates.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun20:30 BST
The BBC appear to have broken a golden rule during their coverage of Portugal vs DR Congo.
Former Manchester City and Arsenal defender Gael Clichy was talking about Cristiano Ronaldo before kick-off where he used language that some may have found offensive.
Clichy said:
“What’s impressive is that we have been players, well Olivier [Giroud] is still playing, but it was impressive that every five years to reinvent himself.”It’s not a given for everybody. First you have to be able to want to change, you need to be able to have the quality to change. It needs a lot of work because he was a winger, I played against him [Ronaldo], you [Wayne Rooney] played with him. He used to take the p*** out of people.”And he went from that to straight box player and scoring goals, so you have to give credit for that because it’s not easy, you have to want to do it, and it’s a great example for footballers. He changed the way we see football because of health and his way of living, but overall, he is a fantastic ambassador for the brand of football.”
However, the BBC did not issue an apology to viewers, despite the comment from Clichy being made at around 5.50pm.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun20:10 BST
It ends in a 1-1 draw between Portugal and DR Congo, with Joao Neves’ opener cancelled out by a Yoane Wissa header in the first half.
Cristiano Ronaldo failed to find the back of the net for Portugal, and Wayne Rooney stated before kick-off why the striker would have been “raging” after seeing Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland all on the score sheet in their opening fixtures.
“He’ll have been raging,” said Rooney, sparking laughter in the BBC studio. “In a good way.”He added: “That’s how he’s pushed himself, that’s his mentality. Everything is a challenge to him. Over the years, him and Messi have pushed each other to reach these levels,” Rooney added. “He’ll want to win firstly for Portugal to win the World Cup, but he’ll want to be the top goalscorer.”That’s how he’s pushed himself. When he sees other players scoring goals, he wants to be best. That’s not in a bad way. He’ll want to score two and score three tonight to show he’s still at that level.”
Mark Wakefield17th Jun19:49 BST
The teams have been confirmed for England vs Croatia this evening.
There is no place for Bukayo Saka or Marcus Rashford in the team, with Noni Madueke presumably starting on the right wing and Anthony Gordon on the left.
England XI: Pickford; James, Konsa, Stones, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
Croatia XI: Livakovic; Sutalo, Vuskovic, Gvardiol; Pasalic, Modric, Sucic; Perisic, Baturina; Musa
Mark Wakefield17th Jun19:15 BST
The last time the Democratic Republic of Congo qualified for the World Cup, the country was known as Zaire, reports Tom Victor.
They came desperately close in 2018 and 2022 and Paul-Jose M’Poku – part of the squad beaten in the play-offs by Morocco four years ago – is delighted to see his compatriots get the job done.
M’Poku told Mirror Football:
Obviously it took time but now it’s a proud moment, not only for the national team, but for all the country.To be able to play at the World Cup is a dream for every person so yeah, we are so proud as the Congolese.Everyone’s been speaking about [the last time they qualified]. Even some of our parents, those people who were there. We always spoke about how they were there, and now we will speak about how in 2026 we were there, we made it also, after 52 years – it was crazy.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun19:06 BST
Newcastle United star Yoane Wissa equalised for DR Congo against Portugal in one of the final moments of the first half at Houston Stadium.
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves opened the scoring for Portugal, but Wissa’s header sees the scores level at 1-1 at the half-time break.
Plenty to play for in the second half.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun18:49 BST
The parents of Diogo Jota are in attendance for Portugal vs DR Congo this evening.
Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, both died in a car accident in July last year.
Both of Jota and Andre’s parents are at Houston Stadium to watch Portugal take on DR Congo in the Group K match at the World Cup.
https://x.com/ESPNFC/status/2067291404380885504?s=20
Mark Wakefield17th Jun18:37 BST
DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba is the only player to win 100 caps for his country and his brother-in-law – former DRC international Paul-Jose M’Poku – has full faith in the defender, reports Tom Victor.
M’Poku told Mirror Football:
Chancel is the symbol, let’s say, of the Congo national team.He’s coming from Congo and he was born there, [then] he went to Europe and succeeded in Europe and has now succeeded with his national team.He’s a symbol for all the Congolese who were born in Congo and he can show hope to them that if Chancel made it, why can’t we? And I think he’s so aware of it also, so that’s what’s good about him.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun18:14 BST
Just six minutes into the match and Joao Neves has opened the scoring for Portugal here in Houston.
The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder gives Portugal the lead against DR Congo in this Group K clash, but there’s still a long way to go before this game is decided.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun17:55 BST
Jeremy Cross in Houston
This is DR Congo’s first appearance at a World Cup since 1974.
But it hasn’t taken them long to realise nothing – or no-one – can steal the limelight from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Well, apart from Lionel Messi that is.
Ronaldo is making a record-equalling sixth World Cup appearance.
Portugal team-mate Bruno Fernandes has revealed Ronaldo had been “anxious” in the build up to his team’s opening Group K game in Houston.
But if this were true, it didn’t feel like it when Ronaldo led his team out into the Houston Stadium to warm up.
With his chest stuck out like a peacock. Ronaldo couldn’t resist a quick glance up to the big screen behind the goal to see his face beaming back at him.
Just how he likes it.
Thousands of Portuguese supporters let out huge cheers to greet their evergreen icon.
Ronaldo remains the talisman of this team, despite him now being 41 and well past the peak of his powers.
Ronaldo’s welcome might have been predictable.
But what few Portuguese fans had not expected, was to have found themselves queuing up to purchase ponchos outside the stadium.
Tropical rain greeted all those heading to the match.
And the only person who seemed happy about this was the bloke flogging said ponchos.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun17:08 BST
Ahead of tonight’s opening World Cup match, Portugal have named their starting line-up for the Group K clash against DR Congo.
Cristiano Ronaldo starts for Portugal, as does Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Chelsea’s Pedro Neto and new Real Madrid signing Bernardo Silva,, who will leave Manchester City this summer.
Portugal XI: Costa; Cancelo, Araujo, Veiga, Mendes; Vitinha, Neves; Silva, Fernandes, Neto; Ronaldo
Mark Wakefield17th Jun16:47 BST
The World Cup continues tonight with several more important group stage fixtures taking centre stage in North America.
England fans will be keeping an eye on tonight’s fixture against Croatia, but there are three more matches taking place across the tournament.
Here, Mirror Football takes a look at tonight’s FIFA World Cup schedule:
- Portugal vs DR Congo (6pm kick-off – Group K)
- England vs Croatia (9pm kick-off – Group L)
- Ghana vs Panama (12am kick-off – Group L)
- Uzbekistan vs Colombia (3am kick-off – Group K)
Mark Wakefield17th Jun16:15 BST
Tonight we will be expected to see Cristiano Ronaldo in action for the first time at this summer’s World Cup.
Portugal take on DR Congo in their first Group K fixture, where Ronaldo and Co. wll be hoping to get all three points in their opening fixture.
Kick-off is at 6pm UK time from Houston Stadium, and you’ll be able to follow LIVE updates right here.
Mark Wakefield17th Jun15:44 BST
England football fans Lauren and James Portwood are supporting the Three Lions in Texas today… on their honeymoon.
The happy newlywed couple got married earlier this month. And James decided to whisk his new bride off to the United States to support Thomas Tuchel’s men. They have been planning a special honeymoon ever since they became engaged in 2024. Lauren said: “England winning today would be the best wedding present ever!” And James added: “It’s going to be a very special few days.”
James, 36, is an accountant and his new bride Lauren, 41, works in customer services. The couple, both Leicester City fans, live in West Bridgford, Notts and have four children Lexi, 17, Elise, 16, Teddy six and three-year-old Charlie.
Andy Lines17th Jun14:57 BST
The World Cup set a new attendance record on Tuesday, according to FIFA, with 281,223 combined having travelled to watch the four matches on offer yesterday.
France and Senegal saw 80,545 attendees, Argentina and Algeria saw 69,045, Austria and Jordan 68,527 and Iraq and Norway 63,106. The total outstrips the previous record set in 1994, the last time the World Cup came to the US, when 277,070 people attended another four games.
According to FIFA, average attendance figures for this year are on track to surpass the highest ever cumulative record of 3.5 million attendees, which was also set in 1994.