Cristiano Ronaldo is set to walk onto a World Cup pitch for the sixth time on Wednesday, matching Lionel Messi's record set just a day earlier — but the 41-year-old Portuguese star has a tough act to follow.
Messi, 38, scored a spectacular hat-trick on Tuesday in Argentina's opening match, his first World Cup treble, to equal the all-time World Cup goalscoring record of 16 held by Germany's Miroslav Klose. The Argentine captain started his 200th international appearance at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, becoming the first man to play in six World Cups.
Ronaldo is expected to equal that record when Portugal face the Democratic Republic of Congo in Houston. He captains a richly talented squad trying to win football's biggest prize for the first time.
One of that squad is pivotal midfielder Bernardo Silva, who signed for Real Madrid on a two-year deal on Wednesday, a month after his contract with Manchester City expired.
Between them, Ronaldo and Messi have won the Ballon d'Or award for the world's best player 13 times.
England's 60-year wait
England begin their campaign against Croatia on Wednesday at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Three Lions last won the World Cup on home soil in 1966 — 60 years ago.
England skipper Harry Kane urged his teammates to "go for it" and be "free in the mind" when they take on the beaten 2018 finalists.
"For sure it's one of the best opportunities we will have as a team to win it," Kane said on Tuesday. "I think everyone is eager to just start well tomorrow and prove that we have the capabilities of going far in this tournament."
Kane's team are among the favourites after a string of near-misses at recent tournaments.
Messi magic sinks France's rivals
On an extraordinary day Tuesday, Messi's 17th-minute curling strike took his World Cup goals tally to 14, putting him alongside German legend Gerd Mueller and France superstar Kylian Mbappe. He moved one clear of them in the 60th minute after pouncing on a rebound to make it 2-0. In the 76th minute, he swept in a low finish from the edge of the area to go level with Klose before departing to a standing ovation.
It marked exactly 20 years since Messi's first appearance at a World Cup.
Argentina defeated France in an epic 2022 World Cup final in Doha, winning on penalties after a 3-3 draw that saw Mbappe score a hat-trick. France — who could meet Argentina in the final again this year if seedings follow the form book — launched their tournament on Tuesday with a 3-1 defeat of Senegal, with Mbappe scoring twice.
Other Wednesday fixtures
In other games on Wednesday, Ghana face Panama in Toronto in England's Group L before first-time qualifiers Uzbekistan tackle Colombia at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in Group K.