Another Global Soccer Giant Stunned In World Cup

Wednesday’s slate of World Cup games saw more shocking outcomes and dominant performances.

One of the tournament favorites stumbled in a game many expected to be a blowout, while a second contender put on an offensive clinic. Elsewhere on the slate, a West African team snatched a win in stoppage time, and a South American team pulled away late after a tight first half.

In the first match of the day, Portugal took on the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the country’s first World Cup appearance in 52 years. Portugal, on the other hand, has competed in the tournament every year since 2002 and is still attempting to bring home the one trophy that star forward Cristiano Ronaldo is missing from his case.

Portugal scored the opening goal of the game thanks to a header from João Neves in the sixth minute, leading fans to think this might be a similar game to Germany’s 7-1 win over Curaçao. The result ended up being more comparable to the improbable result seen in Spain vs. Cape Verde.

Yoane Wissa of the DR Congo scored in the fifth minute of first-half added time for the country’s first-ever World Cup goal, leaving Portugal fans stunned and sending DR Congo fans into a frenzy, including the few watching the game in enemy territory in Lisbon, Portugal.

Look at these DR Congo fans celebrating in the middle of thousands of Portugal fans 🇨🇩 pic.twitter.com/WtMzcBJJvw

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 17, 2026

These were the only two goals of the match, as both defenses stood strong, resulting in both countries only receiving one point in Group K for the tie, 1-1. Many viewers began questioning whether or not Ronaldo should continue starting for Portugal, as he has been goalless in his last 10 games in major tournaments.

“This may be the deepest Portuguese team they’ve ever had at a World Cup, but I think they’re better if Ronaldo comes off the bench,” Taylor Twellman told ESPN during his appearance on the Scott Van Pelt Show.

England vs. Croatia was a much higher-scoring affair, with the stars of England showing up in a 4-2 victory. 

Harry Kane, the country’s captain, started things off for England with a penalty kick goal in the 12th minute after being granted a re-kick due to the goalie jumping before Kane kicked the ball. The final 10 minutes of the first half were a back-and-forth affair. 

Croatia’s Martin Baturina tied the game up at the 36-minute mark, which was followed up by Kane’s second goal of the first 45. As the half came to an end, Petar Musa made it 2-2 right before the break.

England’s Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford helped the Three Lions pull away in the second half, scoring at the 47th and 85th minutes, respectively. The offense proved ready to potentially win England its second-ever World Cup, with the first being 60 years ago.

The most exciting moment of yesterday’s slate came in the 95th minute of the Ghana and Panama game. After a rainy, defensive game for both halves of regulation, Caleb Yirenkyi of Ghana broke the tie in stoppage time and gave them three points in Group L, putting them in first place along with England.

GHANA SCORES ITS FIRST GOAL OF THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP IN STOPPAGE TIME! 🇬🇭

Caleb Yirenkyi puts it in the back of the net! pic.twitter.com/CucTJ9UYjM

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 18, 2026

Colombia pulled away from Uzbekistan late in last night’s match, helping them take sole possession of Group K with three points and a two-goal differential to put Portugal on the ropes early in group play.

Following Wednesday’s results, the second weekend of the 2026 World Cup has plenty of matches to look forward to. Tonight, the other two host countries for this tournament will play in their second group stage game, with Canada taking on Qatar and Mexico squaring off against South Korea.

Friday, the USMNT takes on Australia in a pivotal game to determine who will gain sole possession of the Group D lead. A win would give the United States six total points and a commanding lead to advance to the knockout stages. Scotland will likely continue to drink Boston dry as they face off against Morocco, and Brazil will attempt to bounce back against Haiti after their draw with Morocco.

Saturday features powerhouses Spain and Belgium looking to avenge their surprising ties in their opening matches, while Vozinha looks to lead Cape Verde to another impressive result after his seven-save performance against Spain. Sunday’s games look to make history, as Lionel Messi is one goal away from breaking the all-time World Cup record, and France’s Kylian Mbappé is not far behind after his recent two-goal performance.