World Cup 2026: England kick off in Dallas after big-hitting trio make mark – live

Key events Thomas Partey will not be part of the Ghana team that faces Panama, after he was denied access to Canada . What Ghana do have is the likes of Antoine Semenyo after putting greater emphasis of attracting players from the diaspora. Some lad called Messi is top of the Golden Boot list already. Who will hunt him down? Check out the top scorers, thus far. Portugal open up against DR Congo as the Hors d’oeuvre for England v Croatia, not that anyone in those two countries will see it like that. It is the sixth time Cristiano Ronaldo has been at a World Cup , which is a rather silly statistics. At 41, does he still have the powers to make a difference? double quotation mark Ronaldo could wield a huge influence over the trophy’s ultimate destination. It remains to be seen whether that is channelled positively. Portugal can field arguably the best first-choice midfield in this summer’s competition, an experienced defence and an admirable array of wide forwards. At the heart of their attack stands, depending on your perspective, either a free-scoring icon primed to fire them all the way or a 41-year-old passenger whose presence sucks an otherwise fluent team into an inescapable void. Nick Ames takes a look at the legend. That is more than enough England material for the timing being, but do not fear, there will plenty throughout the day. Opponents Croatia have impressed in recent times at the World Cup , reaching a final and semi-final in their past two outings. …