In brief
- Colombia broke down DR Congo's defence in hard-fought win, while Panama is out of the World Cup.
- After failing to score in 10 consecutive major tournaments Ronaldo became the first man to score in six World Cups.
From a nail-biting, goalless first half and a record-breaking performance by a great of the game, to a frustrated stand-off between England and Ghana, Wednesday (AEST) at the World Cup has been full of highs and lows.
Going into the match, England and Ghana knew a 0-0 draw would leave both teams in a tough position to advance from the group stage, turning the match into a desperate fight for points. Nevertheless, 0-0 is exactly the score they ended up with.
Elsewhere, Portugal was looking to make up lost ground in its match against Uzbekistan after a disappointing start to the World Cup, drawing 1-1 with Congo DR last week. The team bounced back ably, coming up 5-0 and making Cristiano Ronaldo the first man to score in six World Cups.
Croatia, meanwhile, managed to net a second-half goal to beat Panama 1-0 for its first points of the tournament, in a high-stakes Group L clash that eliminated the South American side.
Colombia spent 75 minutes searching for a way through a watertight Congo DR defence before their 1-0 breakthrough sent them back to the top of Group K and set up a showdown with Portugal for a place in the Round of 32.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Congo DR makes Colombia put in a shift
Colombia might have expected to walk all over DR Congo, but the Congolese showed again why they've been one of this World Cup's most surprising defensive sides.
Congo DR thwarted attempt after attempt in the first half, frustrating a Colombian team that clearly felt they should be cutting right through.
Congo DR put on a replica of its performance against Portugal last week, rapidly interrupting set pieces before they could become something more.
Colombia emerged in the second half looking and feeling a little more patient than they had in the first. They tested the Congolese defence, looking for gaps and demonstrating some truly impressive and often tricky passing.
Bringing Jhon Córdoba off the bench after the half gave Colombia greater ability to play out wide, increasing the chances of a set piece coming together for them. A particularly big athlete among a smaller, lither group, the hope seemed to be that Córdoba might give Colombia some physical presence.
Soon, Colombia was moving everyone forward, with every player but their keeper Camilo Vargas stationed deep in Congo DR's half.
Still, Congo DR refused to concede an inch, and Colombia squandered golden opportunity after golden opportunity.
By the 68th minute, Colombia's strategy had begun to look a bit muddled. Perhaps it was a feint, because minutes later, Colombia had never looked more alive.
In the 75th minute, Colombia's Daniel Muñoz slammed the ball home, finding the breakthrough goal they'd been desperately searching for.
That moment of elation, however, would quickly return to frustration.
In the 78th minute, former Liverpool forward Luis Díaz found the back of the net again with a gorgeous chip over Congo DR keeper Lionel Mpasi's head. However, the goal was disallowed after Díaz was found to have pushed a nearby defender in the back before making his attack.
In the 79th minute, Díaz did it again. And again, the goal was disallowed and ruled offside. The VAR playback looked extremely tight, and the ruling may be controversial, but it stood: no goal.
But that was all Colombia needed to feel re-energised. Three breakthroughs in five minutes had Colombia believing in themselves again. Perhaps too much, when a hard clash resulted in a free kick for Congo DR, who had left Colombian keeper Vargas largely unchallenged throughout the match.
As full-time loomed, the energy of the match shifted. Congo DR seemed to suddenly realise they were 1-0 down and needed to get one of their own away.
It never felt like their attempt at a last-second turnaround was going to go their way. A golden opportunity was squandered when Congo DR forward Nathanaël Mbuku missed a sitter off the squabble that followed their free kick.
Thirty seconds into extra time, and it was clear that Congo DR were aware that time was running out. Desperation rose, and suddenly Colombia were confined to their own half, defending hard.
When the whistle blew, there was a palpable sense of relief for Colombia, having put in a serious shift.
With their 1-0 win over Congo DR, Colombia qualify for the knockout stage.
Croatia sends Panama out of the tournament
Croatia, which made it to the last four of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, had been looking to bounce back after their opening Group L match, a 4-2 defeat to England in Dallas.
In the end, Ante Budimir's 54th-minute goal proved enough to see off the spirited Central Americans.
Croatia's most celebrated player, Luka Modrić, was making his 200th international appearance, but his early headed effort on goal sailed over the bar.
Under Danish-born coach Thomas Christiansen, Panama have implemented a tight defensive structure that helped them secure their second-ever World Cup appearance.
But it was the Panamanian offence that almost made the difference in the first half.
In the 23rd minute, José Luis Rodríguez guided a header towards goal, but the outstretched fingertips of Croatian keeper Dominik Livaković redirected the ball off the bar.
The second half marked a clear momentum shift and the capacity crowd of 43,000 in Toronto with a strong Croatian majority erupted when Budimir tapped in a cross from teammate Josip Stanišić.
Croatia should have been two up minutes later, when a perfectly weighted pass from Modrić sent Marco Pašalić alone speeding towards goal.
Pašalić's first effort was stopped by keeper Orlando Mosquera, and although the rebound came back to him, he blasted an off-balance second attempt well over the bar.
Panama kept pressing for the equaliser, but they ultimately failed to find the net, extending their World Cup goalless streak.
They face England in what will be their final match of the tournament on Friday.
Croatia have three points and will face Ghana, who moved onto four points after holding England to a goalless draw earlier, for a place in the final 32.
Deep, deep, deep defence by Ghana
Panama's loss followed a frustrated match between England and Ghana, which left the fourth-ranked Three Lions with a doughnut next their name in a stand off at Boston Stadium.
England were left frustrated in their bid to join the likes of France, Argentina and Germany in the last 32 after failing to break down Ghana in a goalless Group L stalemate at Foxborough outside Boston.
They had launched their campaign last week with a stylish 4-2 win over Croatia, with their relentless attacking play sweeping aside the 2018 World Cup finalists.
But their attack was thwarted by a defensive Ghana, who pulled off a last-gasp 1-0 victory over Panama in their opening match. The side made their intentions clear right from the kickoff as they lined up to blunt England’s attacking style.
In constant drizzle, the Three Lions had almost 80 per cent possession in the first half but were limited to half-chances as Ghana players swarmed around England captain Harry Kane and anyone else on the few occasions they got into dangerous positions.
The opening 45 minutes were the first in any game at this World Cup in which neither side had a shot on target and one of the biggest cheers was for the sight of former England captain David Beckham watching the game in a suit and shown on the giant screens at the stadium.
England were unable to find the invention needed to break through, creating hardly any chances that seriously troubled the Black Stars.
England assistant coach Anthony Barry said at halftime that Ghana were defending "deep, deep, deep, probably deeper than we expected".
England were also fortunate to escape what looked like a strong penalty claim from Ghana in the 79th minute when Ezri Konsa bundled over substitute Prince Adu in the box.
A toothless England performance was summed up in the final minutes, when Kane blasted over the bar from point-blank range with the goal gaping.
Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz praised his team for sticking to his strategy for frustrating England.
"I am so proud, the way our players, they fought during the game, how much they stand behind the game plan," he said.
The result represented the fourth time in a row at major competitions, two European Championships and now two World Cups, that England have drawn their second group game.
The result leaves England and Ghana level on four points.
Ronaldo: 'I'm back'
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, an under-fire Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo silenced his critics as he became the first man to score in six different World Cups, proving once again this World Cup has been a showcase for some of the sport's greatest players.
A joyous Ronaldo was mobbed by teammates as he celebrated his emphatic opening goal in a 5-0 rout of Uzbekistan in their Group K match in Houston.
It was a big moment for the superstar striker who had failed to score in 10 consecutive matches at major tournaments.
Ronaldo scored a double in the big win, shouting "I'm back, I'm back" into the television cameras.
Ronaldo's record followed fellow superstar Lionel Messi's own milestone yesterday, when he became the World Cup's all-time leading goal scorer.
Ronaldo, 41, came into this morning's game still stinging from sharp criticism following an underwhelming performance in Portugal's opening 1-1 draw against Congo DR, but by minute six, the concern melted away when he scored the game's first goal.
He added a second on 39 minutes to give Portugal a 3-0 lead after Nuno Mendes had put Roberto Martinez's side 2-0 up in the 17th minute with a well-taken free kick.
Portugal let loose in the second half with two more goals, including a spectacular Rafael Leão strike, to complete the rout.
Speaking after the match, Ronaldo said that, while he was happy to break records, the most important thing for him was the team's improvement and the confidence the players showed after a frustrating first match.
"The team performed really well and improved a lot," he said. "As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Obviously, speaking personally, records are always nice but my goal is always to help the national team achieve its objectives."
Portugese coach Martinez told reporters his side had made the most of their disappointing first game.
"There are times when you need a game like the first one in order to grow in the tournament," he said.
"Today we saw a team with the same attitude and commitment, but with greater maturity because it was no longer the opening match."
— With reporting by Agence France-Presse and Reuters news agencies.
You can watch all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ live, free and exclusive on SBS, SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.
