The 2026 World Cup is still young, but the message is already loud: the underdogs aren’t just here to participate, they’re here to disrupt.
In today’s action, Congo held Portugal to a statement draw, where Cristiano Ronaldo and a star-studded midfield struggled to break down a disciplined, confident side.
Meanwhile, England and Croatia delivered the tournament’s most chaotic match yet — a thriller defined by end-to-end soccer and a second-half surge led by Jude Bellingham.
The good news? We’re only one week in, and the tournament has already provided statement moments, upsets, and drama. The bad news? For the favourites, this might just be the start of a very uncomfortable month.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Day 7 at the World Cup
GROUP L: Ghana vs. Panama
GROUP K: Uzbekistan vs. Colombia
Ronaldo silenced, but Congo hint at something bigger
On Monday, Cabo Verde frustrated Spain. On Wednesday, Congo held Portugal. Clearly, the tournament’s newcomers aren’t here to mess around.
The World Cup’s expansion to 48 teams — its first increase from the traditional 32 — has already started to justify itself. While critics warned it would create mismatches, it has done the opposite, producing moments where newcomers are shaping, not surviving, the global stage.
Despite enjoying 75 per cent possession, Portugal managed just seven shots and an expected goals (xG) of 0.69. João Neves’ early header, inside six minutes, felt like the start of a routine win. Instead, it was as good as it got.
Ronaldo will inevitably dominate the conversation. At 41, questions will only grow about how much longer he can lead the line at this level. He had little influence, few chances, and a missed opportunity that summed up both his and the Seleção das Quinas’s afternoon.
But Portugal’s problems ran far deeper than their most famous name. Even with a midfield packed with technical quality, players like Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes spent their time probing Congo’s backline rather than breaking it open. As the minutes passed, Portugal became increasingly predictable. All possession, no punch.
Yoane Wissa’s equalizer just before half-time, the Congo’s first-ever World Cup goal, was no fluke. It was the reward for organization, patience, athleticism, and a growing confidence that they belong on this stage.
England’s ruthlessness turns chaos into control in World Cup classic
England’s win over Croatia was pure chaos, the kind of match that reminds fans why they love soccer in the first place.
Early on, Harry Kane set the tone from the spot, converting a twice-taken penalty to break the deadlock. But Croatia refused to fade, striking back through Martin Baturina’s thunderbolt and Petar Musa’s stoppage-time equalizer before the break.
Then came the turning point: Jude Bellingham’s second-half strike, arriving immediately after halftime, was the moment the match shifted. Not because it ended Croatia’s resistance, but because it exposed England’s defining trait: ruthlessness. From there, Croatia were constantly rushed, forced into hurried decisions instead of sustained control.
In what might be the match of the tournament so far, fans were treated to everything: electric goals, superstar moments, VAR drama, and the kind of emotional volatility that makes the game irresistible. It was far from perfect soccer, but arguably something better. The collision of momentum, chaos, and conviction made it impossible to look away.
And even with a frustrated Luka Modrić & Co., there was no denying that Group L started with a bang.
One lingering question is how much the controlled climate inside Dallas Stadium shaped the intensity of the match. The tempo rarely dropped, without the late-game fatigue that has crept into other fixtures at this tournament.
So, can the Three Lions replicate their same second-half explosiveness when conditions are less forgiving in Boston on Tuesday? If this performance was shaped by an environment that suited high-tempo soccer, then managing that energy across different settings may end up being just as important as the tactics themselves.
Ronaldo is now the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match. He’s also gone 10 major tournament games without scoring for Portugal.
To help players manage the summer heat, FIFA has introduced hydration breaks halfway through each half. But are they also altering the rhythm of matches?
Pundits have noted the breaks disrupt flow, while also giving teams a chance to reset shape and adjust tactics. Across the tournament, a pattern has begun to emerge: momentum changes after the stoppage, as if the pause itself influences the game’s tempo.
In Portugal vs. DR Congo, Portugal opened the scoring, but DR Congo responded after the first-half hydration break. In England vs. Croatia, the Three Lions netted a penalty before the first break, with Croatia striking shortly after. It’s a sequence that has repeated itself all tournament long, raising questions about whether the breaks are becoming more influential than intended.
Before kick-off in Houston, Portugal paused for an emotional tribute to Diogo Jota, with players wearing wristbands in his memory. Jota, along with his brother André Silva, died in a car accident in 2025.
1. Harry Kane (England): The 32-year-old’s brace powered the Three Lions to a crucial win with knockout implications. In doing so, the talisman made English history, becoming the joint-top scorer in FIFA World Cup history with 10 goals alongside Gary Lineker.
2. Yoane Wissa (DR Congo): The Newcastle forward was DR Congo’s game-changer, heading home a stoppage-time equalizer to cap a historic result. His pace and aggression kept Portugal on edge, drawing key fouls as DR Congo protected a vital point.
3. Dominik Livaković (Croatia): The 31-year-old goalkeeper had a stellar performance in the second half, making six close-range saves back-to-back before the hydration break. Despite the loss, the netminder singlehandedly kept Croatia in the game, and prevented a horrendous scoreline — England could easily have had 10+ goals.