Lionel Messi became the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer on another landmark day for the tournament’s star players, with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe also helping themselves to braces. Now, on day 13 of the tournament, two more of international football’s most prolific goalscorers take centre stage.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo will feel he has something to prove after watching all of the major Golden Boot contenders storm out of the traps and, after he blanked in his first game, World Cup debutants Uzbekistan could well feel his wrath in Thursday’s opening match at 6pm (all times UK).
Harry Kane, who scored a brace in England’s 4-2 win against Croatia, will be hungry for more goals when the Three Lions lock horns with Ghana at 9pm.
Panama and Croatia then go head-to-head at midnight, before Colombia seek to make it back-to-back wins when they face DR Congo in the early hours of 3am.
Here are the best of the World Cup 2026 stats heading into day 13.
World Cup 2026 stats you might see on Day 13
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Portugal vs Uzbekistan
- Portugal key stat: Cristiano Ronaldo could extend his goal drought to 11 matches since his last goal at a major tournament.
- Uzbekistan key stat: The White Wolves have lost their last three matches.
Portugal came unstuck in their opening group game, which they drew 1-1 to DR Congo. A failure to beat tournament debutants Uzbekistan would not only significantly dent their hopes of making the knockout stages, but see them become only the second Portugal side – after the band of 2014 – to fail to win their opening two World Cup games.
No player has scored more international goals than Cristiano Ronaldo (143), however his failure to score in the 1-1 draw against DR Congo extended his goal drought to 10 matches since his last goal at a major tournament: since a 3-2 win over Ghana in Portugal’s opening game of the 2022 World Cup.
However, if Ronaldo does score, he will make history by becoming the first ever player to score in six different World Cups after 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022.
Uzbekistan lost 3-1 to Colombia in their first ever World Cup game, but Abbosbek Fayzullaev did make history by scoring the country’s first ever goal at the tournament. The White Wolves are out at 18/1 to stun Portugal, and 13/2 to draw, but they could be looking at a fourth straight defeat.
England vs Ghana
- England key stat: If Harry Kane (10 goals) scores he will overtake Gary Lineker (also 10) as England’s all-time goalscorer at World Cups.
- Ghana key stat: If the Black Stars win they will have the most wins (seven) of any African country in the history of the World Cup.
England, after beating Croatia 4-2, will look to make it back-to-back wins at the start of a major tournament for only the second time since 2006 (the other being World Cup 2018) – and for only the fourth time ever at a World Cup.
The Three Lions, who have opened the scoring in 14 of their 15 matches under Thomas Tuchel, will progress through to the knockout stages if they do claim three points against Ghana, and Panama fail to beat Croatia.
Fresh from bagging a brace against Croatia, England’s record top-scorer Harry Kane now needs only one more goal to become his country’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, overtaking Gary Lineker, with both players on 10 goals.
Kane (115 appearances) also needs just one more cap to move ahead of David Beckham in the list of England men’s record appearances. Wayne Rooney (120) will be the next player to target, then the all-time leader Peter Shilton on 125.
Jude Bellingham was also on the scoresheet against Croatia and is now preparing to become the youngest England player to reach 50 caps, which he’ll do aged 22 years and 359 days on Tuesday.
Ghana squeezed past Panama thanks to a 95th minute winner from Caleb Yirenkyi. If they upset England they will have the most wins (seven) of any African country in the history of the World Cup, moving ahead of Morocco and Ghana.
It would also mark the first time that the Black Stars have won multiple games at a World Cup since 2010 when they reached the quarter-finals.
As for their boss, Carlos Queiroz, he was in charge of Iran four years ago when they were thrashed 6-2 by England at the 2022 World Cup, so he’ll be hoping for a different outcome on Tuesday!
Panama vs Croatia
- Panama key stat: If the Canal Men lost it would be their fifth defeat in five World Cup games; only El Salvador will have a current worst 100% loss rate (six defeats in six) at the World Cup
- Croatia key stat: Luka Modric could become only the fourth player to reach 200 international caps after Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Bader Al-Mutawa (Kuwait), and Lionel Messi (Argentina).
Panama were seconds away from claiming their first ever World Cup point at the fourth attempt, only to concede a devastating 95th goal to Ghana. They will now bid to change this against Croatia, although history is against them here, having scored just twice and conceded 12 goals in those four games.
Another defeat would leave the Canal Men with five defeats from their first five World Cup matches – level with Iraq and Haiti – leaving only El Salvador (six defeats in six) with a worst 100% loss record at the tournament.
Croatia may have lost 4-2 to England in their opener, but this experienced side won’t panic, having finished third in 2022 and runners-up in 2026. After all, they do tend to start slow, losing their opener in four of their last six World Cups. They have, however, never lost their opening two games at a World Cup, and only lost consecutive games once.
Skipper Luka Modric had a disappointing game against England, lasting just less than an hour, but has the chance to bounce back in what will be his 200th cap for Croatia; becoming only the fourth player to reach this landmark after Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Bader Al-Mutawa (Kuwait), and Lionel Messi (Argentina).
Colombia vs DR Congo
- Colombia key stat: Los Cafeteros are bidding to claim their seventh win in their last eight group stage matches.
- DR Congo key stat: The Leopards are targeting their first World Cup win at the fifth attempt.
52 years after their World Cup debut – as Zaire – DR Congo scored their first goal (Yoane Wissa) and claimed their first point in a hugely creditable 1-1 draw against well-fancied Portugal. Next up, it’s another tricky clash against Colombia, where they go in search of their first win at the fifth attempt.
Colombia overcame Uzbekistan 3-1 to take control in Group K and they now go in search of their seventh win in their last eight group stage matches at the World Cup, which would fire them into the knockout stages.
Star man Luis Diaz scored and assisted in the opener, to add to the seven goals he scored in qualifying, with his total tally now 23 goals and eight assists for his country.
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