The start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada, has presented fans with a real surprise. The matchday in Groups K and L was marked by incredible scoring and dramatic storylines that made fans' hearts race.
The main event of the day was the match in Group L, where the England national team, led by Thomas Tuchel, faced Croatia. The match turned into a true goal-scoring show, becoming the most spectacular on the tournament's opening day.
Battle of Titans: England vs Croatia
The English took the lead in the 12th minute thanks to captain Harry Kane. The striker converted a penalty on his second attempt: the first shot was saved by Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, but the referee noticed that the goalkeeper had left the goal line prematurely.
The 'Checkered' (Croatia) did not waste time and responded with a magnificent strike by Martin Bašić into the bottom left corner. Before halftime, the opponents exchanged two more goals. Kane completed his brace with a powerful header from a corner, while Petar Musa restored parity in the 45+5th minute. The score at halftime was level at 2-2.
The fate of the match was decided by a powerful start to the second half by the English. Already in the 47th minute, Jude Bellingham made a brilliant solo run to put his team ahead. Towards the end of the match, substitute Marcus Rashford settled all questions about the winner, extending the score to a comfortable 4-2.
Sensations and debuts in other matches
In another match in Group L, Ghana snatched victory over Panama in stoppage time. The match in Toronto featured a scarce number of chances, and the Ghanaians were also missing their leader Thomas Partey, who was denied a Canadian visa. However, in the 90+5th minute, Caleb Irenkei finished a cross from a teammate to bring the Africans a long-awaited victory.
In Group K, Colombia secured a comeback victory over Uzbekistan. The South Americans dominated possession from the first minutes. 'Bayern' leader Luis Díaz first hit the post and then delivered a magnificent pass to Daniel Muñoz, who elegantly chipped the goalkeeper.
Despite a difficult first half, after the break the Uzbekistan team took the initiative and made history: Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored his country's debut goal at World Cups. However, the team could not hold onto the sensational draw. Díaz once again showed his leadership qualities, restoring Colombia's advantage, and in stoppage time, Hamin Kamasa sealed the deal with a counter-attack goal — 3-1.
Also in Group K, a 1-1 draw was recorded between Portugal and DR Congo. The start of the tournament proved to be not only high-scoring but also emotional, offering viewers both classic victories for the favorites and historic achievements for debutant teams.