Star forwards dominate opening games
Three of football’s biggest names delivered standout performances on Tuesday at the 2026 World Cup.
Kylian Mbappé scored twice against Senegal and became France’s all time leading scorer.
Erling Haaland made a strong World Cup debut, also netting two goals in Norway’s win over Iraq.
Lionel Messi went even further, scoring a hat trick against Algeria. That took him level with Miroslav Klose as the joint top scorer in World Cup finals history.
Their performances set a high standard for the rest of the tournament.
Ronaldo fails to make impact against DR Congo
On Wednesday, attention turned to Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.
He had a quiet night in a 1 to 1 draw against DR Congo. Portugal struggled to find a winning goal, and Ronaldo could not break his recent scoring drought at major tournaments.
He also missed a key chance late in the match. He moved into the path of a pass that was intended for Bruno Fernandes, which stopped a clearer scoring opportunity.
Henry questions Ronaldo’s decision making
Former France striker Thierry Henry criticised Ronaldo’s choice during the move.
Henry said Ronaldo should have let the play run for Bruno Fernandes, who was better placed to score.
He added that Ronaldo’s movement blocked the pass and reduced Portugal’s chance of a winner.
Henry’s message was simple. The team should come first, not individual goals.
