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This was a World Cup night built around stars — but not all of them got the ending they wanted.
In Dallas, Harry Kane delivered the kind of captain’s performance England needed. He scored twice, linked the attack and gave Thomas Tuchel’s side control when the game threatened to get messy.
England beat Croatia 4-2, but the scoreline told two stories at once: the attack looks ready, the defense does not.
In Houston, Portugal had the bigger names but not the sharper night. DR Congo fought their way to a 1-1 draw, denying Cristiano Ronaldo and one of the tournament’s heavyweight squads a clean opening statement.
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• England 4-2 Croatia: Kane leads, defense worries
England started fast against a team that has hurt them before in major tournaments.
This time, the story was not fear of Croatia. It was England’s ability to respond every time the game tightened.
Kane scored twice and moved level with Gary Lineker as England’s top scorer at World Cup finals. That number matters. Kane is no longer just a striker waiting for service. He is England’s first point of control in attack.
Jude Bellingham added his usual presence: a goal, energy and the mood of a player who can change a match’s rhythm.
Marcus Rashford also gave England exactly what it needed from the bench: pace, space and a decisive finish late on.
But the win was not spotless. Croatia scored twice through Martin Baturina and Petar Musa, exposing England’s back line when the tempo rose.
Tuchel leaves with three points and four goals. He also leaves with a warning: scoring four does not erase conceding two.
• Croatia still has a pulse
Croatia did not collapse.
Luka Modrić still gave the team moments of calm and intelligence, even if he can no longer carry the whole rhythm by himself.
Dominik Livaković was one of Croatia’s best players despite conceding four. He made key saves and kept the result from becoming heavier.
The message is simple: Croatia is not finished, but its margin for error is getting thinner.
• Portugal 1-1 DR Congo: Ronaldo present, result missing
Portugal entered the night as the clear favorite.
The names were bigger. The experience was deeper. The expectation was a controlled start.
The World Cup does not work that way.
Portugal controlled long spells, but DR Congo stayed alive, stayed physical and left with a historic point. For Portugal, the draw is not a disaster. It is an early warning.
Ronaldo was again at the center of the spotlight, not only as Portugal’s captain but as one of the rare players to appear in six World Cups.
But this was not a night of personal glory. It was a night of Portuguese frustration and Congolese belief.
DR Congo did not play for a respectable defeat. It played for the result — and got it.
• Ghana 1-0 Panama: the late punch
In England’s group, Ghana took a valuable 1-0 win over Panama.
It was not the flashiest match of the night, but it was the kind that shapes qualification math.
Ghana waited for its moment and left with three huge points. The star quality here was not showmanship. It was patience.
The team understood that one chance could decide the game — and treated the match that way.
• Colombia 3-1 Uzbekistan: attacking quality wins
Colombia opened with a clear 3-1 win over Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan pushed back and scored through Abbosbek Fayzullaev, but Colombia had more quality in the final third.
Daniel Muñoz opened the scoring. Luis Díaz then appeared at the moment Colombia needed a star. Jhon Arias added the late finish that sealed the night.
The result said something about Colombia: this is not just a team of flair. It has multiple ways to hurt opponents.
And if Díaz finds his sharpest version, this group gets dangerous quickly.
What to watch
England leave the night with two truths. They look like a serious attacking contender, but they have not yet defended like a champion.
Their next test against Ghana should tell us more, especially against a team that knows how to win tight games.
Portugal face a different question. Can a squad full of stars find one clear rhythm around Ronaldo, or will the tournament force Roberto Martínez into more practical choices?
The night made one thing clear: big names will get the cameras, but mentally ready teams will steal the points.
