Portugal Honors Diogo Jota in World Cup Opener

On a World Cup stage already lit up by Lionel Messi’s hat-trick and the familiar ruthlessness of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, Portugal step out today with something heavier than expectation on their shoulders.

They play for a teammate who will never share this tournament with them.

Diogo Jota’s death, in a car crash that also claimed the life of his brother André Silva last year, ripped through Portuguese football. It shook Liverpool’s dressing room, where players admitted they struggled to concentrate on the game. It devastated a young family: Jota had married his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso, less than two weeks before the accident. They have three children.

Now, as Portugal prepare to open their World Cup campaign against DR Congo in Houston, the grief travels with them.

Roberto Martínez named Jota an honorary member of the squad. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro went further, presenting each player with a bracelet engraved with their name alongside Jota’s. A small object, but a permanent reminder.

“They made sure that it was a wristband that we could wear on the pitch,” midfielder Vitinha told reporters. “He let us choose if we wanted to use it or not, during the day or during the match. We received it with a lot of affection and we chose to use it.”

Those bracelets will be on show at Houston Stadium (NRG Stadium) at 1 p.m. ET. So will the weight of a promise.

“We feel this and we want to win it, not just because it’s a World Cup and it’s everybody’s dream, but for him as well,” Vitinha told CNN Sports earlier this year.

This is a gifted Portugal side, but the emotional load is real. They chase a title for a nation, and for a forward who grew up dreaming of exactly this tournament and should, by all logic, have been in that dressing room.

Ronaldo, one more World Cup shot

Amid the tributes, the spotlight inevitably swings to Cristiano Ronaldo.

He is no longer the force of nature who once bent entire tournaments to his will, yet he remains the most scrutinized figure in this squad. Portugal are stacked with talent in midfield – Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Bernardo Silva and João Neves form what might be the most complete engine room in the competition – and the question lingers: does Ronaldo elevate that core or unbalance it?

In Qatar 2022, he struggled and eventually lost his starting place. Dropping him again now would be a bold call. Perhaps too bold for a World Cup opener. As Messi reminded the world last night, class does not expire. Ronaldo still knows how to find the net, still commands fear in penalty areas.

DR Congo will not arrive as star-struck tourists. They are underdogs, yes, but organized and compact, with Yoane Wissa the clear danger in attack. The plan is simple: frustrate, stay in the game, then let their striker punish any lapse.

For Portugal, the margins are different. They need control, incision, and a performance that looks like a statement, not a struggle. They need to show they can carry grief and still play with freedom.

England and Croatia renew a familiar tension

Later, at 4 p.m. ET in Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium) in Arlington, another old storyline returns.

England and Croatia meet again, a fixture that has become a kind of psychological checkpoint for the Three Lions. Croatia ended England’s run in the 2018 World Cup semifinals, another chapter in a long chronicle of near-misses and what-ifs.

This time, England arrive with a squad built more on chemistry than star power. Manager Thomas Tuchel has left out big names such as Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, a clear signal that he values balance and unity over cramming every talent into the plane.

Still, the spine is formidable. Declan Rice to anchor. Jude Bellingham to drive. Harry Kane to finish and lead. England, as ever, carry the burden of a nation that hasn’t lifted the World Cup since 1966 and refuses to lower its expectations.

Across from them stand the old tormentors. Croatia remain stubbornly competitive, still orchestrated by Luka Modrić, the 40-year-old playmaker who continues to bend games to his rhythm. With him on the pitch, the Vatreni will believe they can once again unnerve and unpick England.

For one soccer-obsessed country, this is not just an opening group game. It is a test of nerve, memory and patience.

Messi keeps rewriting the record book

While others prepare, Messi is already re-sculpting the history of the World Cup.

His hat-trick against Algeria pulled him level with Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. He responded with typical humility, acknowledging the milestone without basking in it.

In reality, keeping track of his records is almost a full-time job. He seems to set a new one every time he steps onto the pitch.

One number stands out: five of his World Cup goals have come from outside the box, matching the mark held by Brazilian great Rivellino. It is a statistic that captures the essence of his genius – not just volume, but audacity and range.

In Buenos Aires, fans poured into the streets to celebrate his first World Cup hat-trick. For Argentina, this is more than form; it feels like destiny renewed.

England’s endless emotional loop

For England supporters, tournaments are not just events. They are rituals of hope and hurt.

CNN Sports’ Glen Levy, an England fan and journalist, wrote a letter to the national team that captures decades of scars. From Diego Maradona’s Hand of God in 1986 to the penalty shootout agony against West Germany in 1990, from David Beckham’s red card against Argentina at France ’98 to Ronaldinho’s freakish lob in 2002, the story rarely ends well.

There was the Lampard “ghost goal” against Germany in 2010, the group-stage collapse in Brazil 2014, the familiar penalty heartbreaks. Even the recent revival under Gareth Southgate – a World Cup semifinal in 2018, a Euro 2020 final, a quarterfinal in Qatar 2022 – came with a sting in the tail.

Legendary striker Gary Lineker summed up the national mood when he told CNN Sports he is “desperately keen before I die to see England win a World Cup.” That longing, shared by millions, frames every kick this summer.

The fear? That the script never really changes.

Visa drama eased for Iran’s Torabi

Away from the marquee clashes, Iran have been wrestling with problems far removed from tactics and team selection.

Because of political tensions, the team has been based in Mexico, flying into the United States for matches. After Iran’s first game, winger Mehdi Torabi discovered his visa had expired, putting his participation in doubt.

The issue has now been resolved. A US State Department official confirmed that Torabi has been granted a new multi-entry visa, allowing him to play in all remaining fixtures.

“As soon as we became aware of the issue, we worked to ensure that the player can participate in every game,” the official said.

For Iran, already juggling complex logistics, it is one less distraction in a tournament full of them.

Ghana, Panama and a search for momentum

At 7 p.m. ET, attention turns to Toronto Stadium (BMO Field), where Ghana face Panama in a match that carries quiet significance for both nations.

Panama, in only their second men’s World Cup, endured a brutal debut in 2018: three games, three defeats, including a 6-1 hammering by England. This time, the target is modest but meaningful – a first ever World Cup point. They will look at Ghana as their best opening to achieve it.

Ghana, once seen as Africa’s brightest hope for a world title, have stalled since that bitter quarterfinal exit in 2010. They have not escaped the group stage at a World Cup since.

This version of the Black Stars lacks some of the star power of previous generations, yet there is a spark. Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo arrives in form and gives Ghana a cutting edge they badly need. Three points in the opener would restore belief.

They must do it without Thomas Partey. The 33-year-old midfielder had his visa application to Canada rejected, a decision upheld by a federal judge earlier this week, according to the Associated Press. Partey is awaiting trial on rape charges in the United Kingdom, but will be available for Ghana’s remaining group games in the United States.

It leaves Ghana short of experience in midfield on a night when control could decide everything.

Uzbekistan’s debut and Colombia’s old magic

The World Cup’s final debutant steps into the light at 10 p.m. ET at Mexico City Stadium (Estadio Azteca), a venue steeped in football history.

Uzbekistan, led by 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro, want to do more than just make up the numbers. They aim to be the only one of the four new teams to win their opening match.

Defender Abdukodir Khusanov is the standout name. At 22, already a regular at Manchester City and tested in both the Premier League and Champions League, he gives the White Wolves a touch of elite pedigree and calm at the back.

Across the halfway line stand Colombia, seasoned and dangerous. James Rodríguez, the breakout star of Brazil 2014, still conducts their attacks, his left foot as inventive as ever. On the flank, Luis Díaz arrives in blistering form, one of the most in-form players in world football this season.

Uzbekistan will try to spring a surprise. Colombia will try to remind everyone they still belong on the biggest stage.

Ebola fears shadow DR Congo’s campaign

While DR Congo prepare to face Portugal on the pitch, their country confronts a crisis off it.

Health officials warn that the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo could become the “worst ever” in the region if it is not contained. More than 800 cases have been confirmed.

The challenge is stark. The affected area is remote yet densely populated, beset by insecurity and humanitarian emergencies. This outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are no specific treatments or vaccines.

US authorities have responded with entry restrictions and health screening for passengers arriving from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan. No Ebola cases have been identified in the United States. The World Health Organization rates the risk as very high within the DRC but low globally.

During the World Cup, US health officials are tracking multiple infectious threats. Ebola is serious, but not the chief concern. Early in infection, the virus does not spread easily. Once a patient becomes severely ill and highly infectious, they are typically too unwell to travel or attend a match.

Still, for DR Congo’s players, the knowledge that their country is fighting a potential health catastrophe back home adds another layer of gravity to a campaign already framed by underdog status.

On a day when Messi chases history, Ronaldo reaches again for the spotlight and England brace for old wounds, Portugal’s quiet procession onto the pitch in Houston may carry the deepest meaning of all.