Portugal opens 2026 World Cup group stage against DR Congo as Ronaldo begins fifth and final tournament

MIAMI GARDENS, United States — Portugal faces the Democratic Republic of Congo in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Group 11 match on Sunday at Miami Gardens, with kickoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. local time. Cristiano Ronaldo, the 40-year-old forward, is playing in his fifth and final World Cup, having scored in each of his previous four tournaments without winning the title. Uzbekistan and Colombia round out Group 11. Later on Sunday, England takes on Croatia at 11:00 p.m. local time in Arlington, Texas, in a Group 12 fixture that also includes Ghana and Panama. England, whose only World Cup title came in 1966, is looking to end a long trophy drought, with German coach Thomas Tuchel seen as central to its title push. The 2026 tournament, the first to feature 48 teams, is being hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Group-stage play runs through late June, with the final scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.