Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name into football lore on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, becoming the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cups as Portugal routed Uzbekistan 5-0, while Colombia booked its place in the knockout stage with a 1-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ronaldo's historic double
According to a report from Xinhua, Ronaldo struck twice in the first half in Houston to help Portugal secure a dominant Group K victory. Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leao also found the net, while Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov scored an own goal, compounding his team’s misery.
The 41-year-old Ronaldo, whose World Cup tally now stands at 10 goals, brushed aside criticism that followed Portugal’s opening draw against DR Congo. “It’s always like that,” Ronaldo said. “It doesn’t matter, because it’s been 23 years on the job and when things go well, ‘Cristiano is good,’ when things go bad, ‘Cristiano is a retired player, he is old.’”
Croatia edges Panama
Meanwhile, Croatia kept its hopes of advancing alive with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Panama in Toronto. Substitute Ante Budimir scored the lone goal shortly after halftime, tapping home from close range after a surging run and cross by Josip Stanisic. Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic made several key saves as Panama failed to capitalize on multiple opportunities.
“This was very difficult and I didn’t expect that it was going to be such a difficult match, to be honest,” Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said. “We didn’t react the best, and perhaps it could be due to the pressure because we really needed these three points.”
England held by Ghana
In Boston, England was held to a frustrating scoreless draw by Ghana despite controlling possession and creating numerous chances. England enjoyed 72 percent possession and registered five shots on target, but Ghana’s disciplined defensive display earned the African side a valuable point.
“Frustrated a little bit with how they defended, how they set up,” England midfielder Jude Bellingham said. “They got exactly out of the game what they played for. Couldn’t quite break them down, even with all corners, all the possession, all the shots on goal from distance.” The draw left both England and Ghana on four points, with each needing at least a draw in their final Group L matches to advance.
Colombia advances to Round of 32
In Guadalajara, Daniel Muñoz scored for the second consecutive match as Colombia edged DR Congo, 1-0, to become one of the first teams to clinch a place in the Round of 32. The Crystal Palace defender broke the deadlock in the 76th minute with a low finish, and Colombia held on through a tense closing stretch to secure its second straight victory of the tournament.
The result left Colombia atop Group K with six points, two ahead of Portugal. The two sides will meet in Miami on Saturday (Sunday in PH) to determine the group winner. DR Congo remains third with one point and must defeat Uzbekistan in its final group match in Atlanta to keep its hopes of advancing alive.
