Messi. Mbappé. Haaland. All three scored last night. Today: Ronaldo and England open.

Who won yesterday's World Cup games?

Tuesday night was the sporting equivalent of the NFL dropping the Super Bowl, the World Series Game 7, and the CFB national title on the same evening, and all three were great. Three of the most famous soccer players alive played their 2026 World Cup openers. All three scored. The universe, for once, did not blunder.

France 3, Senegal 1 — MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford

Kylian Mbappé waited sixty-six minutes, then politely reminded everyone why he exists. His first goal was a first-time finish off Michael Olise's pass, calm as ordering coffee. Bradley Barcola made it 2-0 in the 82nd minute. Senegal pulled one back through Ibrahima Mbaye at 90+5 because pride is free. Then Mbappé hit a long-range screamer in the 90+6th minute to seal it 3-1 and, in doing so, became France's all-time leading scorer with 58 international goals, surpassing Thierry Henry. That's the soccer equivalent of a quarterback breaking Dan Marino's touchdown record in the playoffs while playing his first game as captain. Mbappé did Mbappé things: waited patiently, made it look easy, then did something insane in stoppage time and jogged back to midfield without changing his expression.

Norway 4, Iraq 1 — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough

Erling Haaland walked into his first World Cup game and scored twice before halftime, like a man who forgot he left something on the stove. Goal one at the 29th minute. Goal two at the 43rd. Iraq briefly made it interesting: Aymen Hussein tied it 1-1 at the 39th minute, giving the stadium a genuine moment of “wait, is this happening?” before Haaland immediately answered “no.” Leo Ostigard added a third in the 76th minute and an own goal completed the 4-1 rout at 90+6. Norway has not been to the World Cup since 1998. They picked a tremendous time to come back.

Argentina 3, Algeria 0 — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

Put this one in a time capsule. Lionel Messi, 38 years old, on his 200th appearance for Argentina, on what is likely his final World Cup, scored a hat trick. His 14th, 15th, and 16th World Cup goals, tying Miroslav Klose's all-time record. Goal one: a 20-yard screamer into the roof of the net at the 17th minute that made Arrowhead sound like a stadium twice its size. Goal two: a tap-in rebound at the 60th. Goal three: a curled finish to the bottom corner at the 76th. The NFL analogy is obvious and unavoidable: Tom Brady in his last Super Bowl, throwing three touchdowns in the first three drives, wearing a cape. Argentina did Argentina things, which means they were brilliant and you left feeling like you'd watched something historic, because you absolutely did.

Who plays today? (June 17, 2026)

Four games. England opens. Ronaldo opens. This is not a slow Wednesday.

Portugal vs. DR Congo — 1 p.m. ET on Fox and Telemundo. NRG Stadium, Houston. Cristiano Ronaldo plays his sixth World Cup at age 41, the only player ever to score at six different tournaments. DR Congo is in their first World Cup since 1974. One of these facts is significantly more impressive than the other.

England vs. Croatia — 4 p.m. ET on Fox and Telemundo. AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas. The rematch nobody in England forgot. Croatia beat England in the 2018 World Cup semifinal 2-1 in extra time. More on this below.

Ghana vs. Panama — 7 p.m. ET on FS1 and Telemundo. BMO Field, Toronto. Ghana reached the quarterfinals in 2010 and nearly eliminated Uruguay in one of the most controversial moments in World Cup history. Panama is making their second World Cup appearance ever. Competitive match, worth checking in on.

Uzbekistan vs. Colombia — 10 p.m. ETon FS1 and Telemundo. Estadio Azteca, Mexico City. Colombia has genuine talent in James Rodríguez and Luis Díaz, and Uzbekistan is making their first World Cup appearance. Late, but Colombia's opener is worth a first-half glance if you're up.

What's the must-watch game today?

England vs. Croatia, 4 p.m. ET. It is not close.

Here is the backstory in NFL terms: imagine the AFC Championship in 2018 where an 8-seed beats the Chiefs in overtime on a late field goal nobody saw coming. Kansas City goes home furious. Four years later they meet again in the opening round of the next tournament. That is England vs. Croatia in 2026. Croatia beat England in extra time in the 2018 semifinal with Ivan Perisić tying it late and Mario Mandíukí winning it in overtime. England has been living with that result for eight years.

England enters as a heavy favorite. Harry Kane leads the attack and is the straight-up quarterback of this team: pre-snap reads, accurate delivery, great arm, needs his supporting cast. Jude Bellingham is the do-everything midfielder who drops into coverage and also scores touchdowns. Phil Foden is the slot receiver who turns a short pass into a 60-yard gain. Croatia counters with Luka Modrić, who at 40 still sees the field better than anyone. Think Peyton Manning: retired his legs, still running the offense with his brain. England is favored. England is always favored. England fans will tell you privately that this fact has historically not been reassuring. Watch this game.

We broke down the 2018 heartbreak and what England's golden generation has rebuilt since on the Game Day School YouTube channel. Watch it before kickoff so you know exactly what's at stake.

England vs. Croatia: What Time and Channel?

England vs. Croatia kicks off at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT on Wednesday, June 17 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It airs on Fox (English) and Telemundo (Spanish). Stream it on the Fox Sports app or Fubo. Check the full How-to-Watch cheat sheet for every option, or grab a streaming pass here.

What channel are today's World Cup games on?

• 1 p.m. ET — Portugal vs. DR Congo: Fox / Telemundo (NRG Stadium, Houston)
• 4 p.m. ET — England vs. Croatia: Fox / Telemundo (AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX)
• 7 p.m. ET — Ghana vs. Panama: FS1 / Telemundo (BMO Field, Toronto)
• 10 p.m. ET — Uzbekistan vs. Colombia: FS1 / Telemundo (Estadio Azteca, Mexico City)

See the complete How-to-Watch guide or stream every game here.

New here? Start with these

Jumping in because your coworker mentioned a Messi hat trick and you want to understand what is happening? Great timing. We explain every confusing soccer rule and moment using NFL and baseball terms over on the Game Day School YouTube channel. Subscribe before England kicks off and you'll actually know what you're watching at 4 p.m.

• How the 2026 World Cup Works — groups, knockout rounds, and why ties actually matter
• How to Watch the 2026 World Cup — every channel and streaming option
• Yesterday's recap (June 16) — the night Messi, Mbappé, and Haaland all opened their 2026 accounts on the same evening

FAQ: World Cup June 17, 2026

What time does England play today?

England vs. Croatia kicks off at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT on Wednesday, June 17 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It airs on Fox (English) and Telemundo (Spanish).

Did Messi score in the World Cup last night?

Yes. Lionel Messi scored a hat trick for Argentina in their 3-0 win over Algeria on June 16 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. His three goals (17th, 60th, 76th minutes) brought his World Cup career total to 16, tying Miroslav Klose's all-time record.

What channel is Portugal vs. DR Congo on?

Portugal vs. DR Congo airs on Fox (English) and Telemundo (Spanish) at 1 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium in Houston. You can also stream on the Fox Sports app or Fubo.

Is Ronaldo playing in the 2026 World Cup?

Yes. Cristiano Ronaldo is playing for Portugal in the 2026 World Cup at age 41, making it his sixth World Cup. He is the only player in history to score at six different World Cup tournaments. His opening match is today at 1 p.m. ET on Fox vs. DR Congo.