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England began their World Cup journey with a commanding attacking performance against Croatia, while Portugal were forced to settle for a draw on an eventful day of football action.

Harry Kane struck twice as England opened their World Cup campaign with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia in Dallas.

Thomas Tuchel’s men impressed going forward but showed vulnerability at the back, yet their attacking strength proved decisive in overcoming Croatia.

Kane gave England an early lead in the 12th minute with a twice-taken penalty after Luka Modric fouled Noni Madueke. Although Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved Kane’s initial effort, he was penalised for stepping off his line, allowing the striker to convert at the second attempt.

Croatia equalised after 36 minutes when Martin Baturina unleashed a fierce strike that flew past Jordan Pickford, who managed to get a touch but couldn’t prevent the goal.

England reclaimed their advantage three minutes before half-time as Kane powered home a header from Declan Rice’s corner, drawing level with Gary Lineker on 10 World Cup goals. It also marked his 81st goal in 115 appearances for the national team.

However, Croatia hit back almost immediately, with Petar Musa steering Ivan Perisic’s header beyond Pickford to make it 2-2 just before the interval.

Shortly after the restart, Jude Bellingham restored England’s lead with a driving run and precise finish, justifying Tuchel’s decision to start him ahead of Morgan Rogers. The goal reasserted England’s control in the match, and they never looked back.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal endured a frustrating start to their campaign, held to a 1-1 draw by an impressive DR Congo side in their opening fixture.

Midfielder Joao Neves put Portugal ahead in the sixth minute with a close-range header, but Roberto Martinez’s side failed to make the most of their possession dominance, struggling to create clear-cut chances.

Their missed opportunities proved costly as, in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, Newcastle forward Yoane Wissa was left unmarked to head in Arthur Masuaku’s cross from six yards. The goal marked DR Congo’s first-ever World Cup strike.

It was a moment of redemption for the African nation, which, under the name Zaire, had lost all three matches in their only previous World Cup appearance in 1974 by a combined scoreline of 14-0.

In Toronto, Ghana’s Caleb Yirenkyi scored a dramatic winner in the 95th minute to deny Panama their first-ever World Cup point.

With six minutes of added time played, Brandon Thomas-Asante burst down the left flank, beat his defender, and squared the ball for Yirenkyi to tap in from close range.

The result was harsh on Panama, who had competed valiantly against the four-time African champions in only their fourth World Cup appearance since debuting in 2018.

Colombia celebrated a triumphant return to the World Cup by defeating debutants Uzbekistan, with goals from former Liverpool forward Luis Diaz and Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz highlighting the contest.

Munoz opened the scoring with a spectacular volley at full stretch, connecting with a perfectly placed pass from Diaz, who had earlier struck the post.

Uzbekistan, under the guidance of Italian World Cup-winning defender Fabio Cannavaro, equalised in the 60th minute through Abbosbek Fayzullaev’s close-range header.

The South Americans quickly regained control as Diaz found the net, his shot squeezing past goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov despite the latter getting two hands to the ball.

Substitute Jaminton Campaz added a third for Colombia deep into stoppage time with a well-taken header, sealing a 3-1 victory.