England will kick off their quest to end a 60-year wait for major international silverware when they face Croatia in their opening FIFA World Cup match on Wednesday, while Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is poised to make history by appearing in a sixth World Cup tournament.
Ronaldo, 41, is expected to lead Portugal against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Houston, becoming only the second player to feature in six World Cups after Argentina captain Lionel Messi achieved the feat on Tuesday.
The Portuguese star enters the tournament under the spotlight following Messi’s remarkable performance for Argentina, where the veteran forward scored a hat-trick and matched the all-time World Cup goalscoring record. The long-standing rivals, who have dominated world football for nearly two decades, have won a combined 13 Ballon d’Or awards.
Portugal arrive at the tournament with one of their most talented squads in recent history and will be aiming to secure the World Cup title for the first time.
Meanwhile, England captain Harry Kane has called on his teammates to embrace the moment and play without fear as they prepare to face Croatia at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Three Lions are widely regarded as one of the favourites for the tournament after reaching the latter stages of several recent major competitions. However, they continue to seek their first World Cup triumph since lifting the trophy on home soil in 1966.
Speaking ahead of the match, Kane expressed confidence in England’s chances.
“This is one of the best opportunities we have had as a team to win it,” he said. “Everyone is eager to start well and show that we have the ability to go deep into the tournament. The message is to be free in the mind and enjoy the occasion.”
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Ghana will take on Panama in Toronto in another Group L encounter, while tournament debutants Uzbekistan face Colombia at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca in a Group K clash.
Messi Delivers Historic Performance
Tuesday’s action belonged to Messi, who marked his 200th international appearance with a record-setting display for Argentina.
Exactly 20 years after making his first World Cup appearance, the Argentine legend became the first player to compete in six World Cups and celebrated the achievement with the first World Cup hat-trick of his career.
His opening goal in the 17th minute brought his World Cup tally to 14, drawing him level with German icon Gerd Müller and France forward Kylian Mbappé. Messi added a second goal after the break to move onto 15 and then completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute, taking his total to 16 goals and matching former Germany striker Miroslav Klose.
The performance earned Messi a standing ovation from supporters and further strengthened his place among the greatest players in World Cup history.
Defending champions Argentina began their campaign in impressive fashion, while France also opened strongly with a 3-1 victory over Senegal. Mbappé scored twice for Les Bleus, underlining his status as one of the tournament’s biggest stars.
With both Argentina and France making winning starts, the prospect of another meeting between the finalists of the 2022 World Cup remains one of the tournament’s most intriguing possibilities.
