The first round of fixtures at the 2026 World Cup will finally be over on Wednesday.
Groups K and L finally get their tournaments underway as favorites like England and Portugal play their first games nearly a week after the World Cup began. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the day’s four games.
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Portugal vs. Congo DR
Wednesday, June 17 | 1 p.m. ET | Houston | TV: Fox
Odds: Portugal (-370), Congo DR (+1000), Tie (+470)
Portugal begins the World Cup as the co-No. 3 favorite with England behind France and Spain at +700. The Portuguese may have the best midfield in the tournament with Bruno Fernandes, Bernando Silva, Vitinha and João Neves. The defense is pretty good too. If there’s a question about the team, it’s about how well Cristiano Ronaldo can lead the front line at the age of 41.
Ronaldo will again be the focal point of the Portugal attack despite spending the last four seasons in the Saudi Pro League. He scored 28 goals and had two assists across 30 matches for Al-Nassr in 2025-26.
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DR Congo is making its first World Cup appearance since it was in the tournament as Zaire in 1974. In that tournament, Zaire lost 9-0 to Yugoslavia. We’re confident a blowout like that isn’t going to happen again to DR Congo.
In fact, this is a team that has a real chance of getting to the knockout rounds. DR Congo knocked off Cameroon and Nigeria in the second round of African qualifying and then beat Jamaica 1-0 in extra time to make it to the World Cup. The team features Premier League players like Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Noah Sadiki and Joanne Wissa.
England vs. Croatia
Wednesday, June 17 | 4 p.m. ET | Dallas | TV: Fox
Odds: England (-140), Croatia (+410), Tie (+270)
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The first game of Group L is a 2018 rematch. Croatia knocked off England in the semifinals before losing to France in the final.
Many of the same key players are back yet again for Croatia, including 40-year-old midfielder Luka Modric, 37-year-old Ivan Perisic, 34-year-old forward Andrej Kramaric and 32-year-old midfielder Mateo Kovacic. Can this uber-experienced team make another run to the semifinals? Croatia finished third in 2022 after losing to Argentina in the semis.
England is also a squad seemingly without a weakness … unless you want to count the pressure of a nation desperate for its first World Cup win since 1966 as one. Thomas Tuchel’s squad did have to make one change late in the week, as fullback Tino Livramento was replaced by Trevoh Chalabah thanks to an injury picked up in training over the weekend.
Elliot Anderson has emerged as Declan Rice’s partner in the center of midfield, and Jude Bellingham should again slot in at the top of the midfield behind Harry Kane despite an up-and-down season at Real Madrid.
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Ghana vs. Panama
Wednesday, June 17 | 7 p.m. ET | Toronto | TV: FS1
Odds: Ghana (+115), Panama (+250), Tie (+230)
Believe it or not, Ghana hasn’t made it out of the group stage of the World Cup since its infamous quarterfinal loss to Uruguay and Luis Suarez’s handball at the 2010 World Cup. Ghana failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018, and over the 2014 and 2022 World Cups, has just one win and one draw across six group games.
The expanded tournament presents a great chance to break knockout round drought, though the team will be without Villarreal center back Thomas Partey for the first game. Partey was denied entry into Canada as he’s facing multiple rape charges but will be able to play in Ghana’s final two group stage games as they’re in the United States.
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Panama is making just its second World Cup appearance. The first came in 2018 as the team allowed 11 goals over its three group stage games. That included a 6-1 loss to England. Avoiding another massive loss to England is key to advancing to the knockout rounds in 2026, but that can’t be worried about until the final game of the group stage.
Midfielder Aníbal Godoy is the mainstay in the midfield at the age of 36. He’s Panama’s all-time leader in appearances and Wednesday night’s game will be his 160th for his country.
Uzbekistan vs. Colombia
Wednesday, June 17 | 10 p.m. ET | Mexico City | TV: FS1
Odds: Uzbekistan (+850), Colombia (-280), Tie (+370)
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Can Colombia summon a World Cup run in what could be James Rodriguez’s final major tournament? The 34-year-old became a star during the 2014 World Cup as he scored in every single game during Colombia’s run to the quarterfinals.
However, Colombia was knocked out in the Round of 16 in 2018 and failed to make the World Cup in 2022. And Rodriguez is still looking for his first World Cup goal since 2014. Rodriguez has bounced around the world in recent years, playing in Greece, Brazil, Spain and Mexico before appearing in six games for Minnesota United this spring.
Uzbekistan is making its World Cup debut after easily qualifying from Asia. The Uzbeks finished second to Iran in their qualifying group while tying the Iranians in both their qualifying matchups and beating Qatar by a combined score of 6-2 in their two games. The team is now coached by former Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro, who was appointed after Uzbekistan qualified for the tournament.
The team’s best player is Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov. He’s the first Uzbek to play in a Premier League or Champions League game.
