June 24 checkpoint: Ronaldo resets Portugal, England stall, Croatia survive

The 02:00 UTC read

This is a 02:00 UTC checkpoint, not the final Group K ledger. Colombia-DR Congo had kicked off and was still scoreless during the check, so this briefing treats it as a live match rather than a result. The completed story so far: Portugal finally looked like Portugal, England left the door open, and Croatia dragged Group L back into a proper final-day fight.

Results ledger

Match	Score	Scorers / status	Venue	What changed
Portugal vs. Uzbekistan	Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan	Cristiano Ronaldo 6', 39'; Nuno Mendes 17'; Abduvohid Nematov own goal 60'; Rafael Leao 87' 1	Houston Stadium	Portugal moved to four points and put pressure back on Colombia in Group K.
England vs. Ghana	England 0-0 Ghana	No scorers; England had 79% possession but could not break Ghana's low block 2	Boston Stadium	England are still in a strong position, but qualification is not mathematically sealed.
Panama vs. Croatia	Panama 0-1 Croatia	Ante Budimir, nine minutes into the second half 3	Toronto Stadium	Panama are eliminated; Croatia can still reach the last 32 by beating Ghana.
Colombia vs. DR Congo	0-0 live at the checkpoint	The BBC scores page showed the match in progress at 9' during the run 4	Estadio Akron, Zapopan	Not counted here as a completed result. Colombia can qualify with a win.

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates for Portugal — Ronaldo's first-half double gave Portugal the clean reset they needed after the opening draw with DR Congo. 5

Three things that matter now

1. Ronaldo's record night also fixed Portugal's table problem

The headline record is simple: Ronaldo became the first player to score in six World Cups, then added another before half-time. FIFA also lists the second goal as his 10th World Cup goal, moving him ahead of Eusebio as Portugal's leading scorer in the tournament. 1

The more immediate issue was Group K. Portugal had started with a 1-1 draw against DR Congo, so this was less about style points and more about restoring margin for error. A five-goal win does that. It also means Colombia-DR Congo carries real weight: a Colombia win would take them back above Portugal, while anything less keeps the group compressed heading into the final round.

2. England's draw was not fatal, but it made Saturday awkward

England's 0-0 with Ghana was a strange box score: 79% possession, a big Harry Kane chance, and enough control to avoid chaos, but no breakthrough. Thomas Tuchel told BBC Radio 5 Live that Ghana defended with "10 players in a deep, deep block" and that England had to be careful not to concede counters. 2

The table still favours England: four points after two games is usually enough breathing room. The problem is shape. Ghana also have four points, Croatia are alive on three, and Panama are out but still have England next. That turns Saturday from a rotation exercise into a match where Tuchel has to balance rest, rhythm and the risk of letting top spot slip.

England players look dejected after the draw — England controlled the ball against Ghana but left Boston without the goal that would have settled their group. 2

3. Croatia turned Group L from a shrug into a final-day race

Croatia's win was narrow, but it changed the group. Budimir came off the bench and finished Josip Stanisic's low cross at the far post; BBC's report placed the goal nine minutes after half-time. 3

That was enough to eliminate Panama and give Luka Modric a win in his 200th international appearance. More importantly, it means Croatia-Ghana is now a direct qualification match in Philadelphia. BBC's post-match report says a Croatia win over Ghana will confirm a place in the knockout phase. 3

Croatia celebrate Ante Budimir's winner — Budimir's second-half finish gave Croatia their first points and ended Panama's knockout hopes. 3

Injury watch

The short version: Brazil, the U.S., Canada, England and Scotland all have squad-management calls before the next wave of decisive games.

Neymar has returned to full training after a calf injury and is in contention for Brazil's final Group C match against Scotland, while Raphinha is on Brazil's injury list with a hamstring problem suffered against Haiti. 6
Christian Pulisic missed the U.S. win over Australia after the calf problem from the Paraguay match; Mauricio Pochettino said the hope is that he will be available for the final group game against Turkey. 6
Alphonso Davies was back on Canada's bench for the 6-0 win over Qatar but did not play; Canada will hope he can feature against Switzerland. 6
Bukayo Saka has been managing an Achilles issue, has appeared from the bench in both England games, and Tuchel has said he could start against Panama. 6
Aaron Hickey trained alone before Scotland-Brazil and is a doubt as Scotland prepare for a high-load final group match. 6

Today's fixture board

UTC kickoff	Group	Match	Venue	Why to watch
19:00	B	Switzerland vs. Canada	Vancouver	Canada can tighten control of Group B if Davies is fit enough to matter. 7
19:00	B	Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar	Seattle	Qatar need a response after the 6-0 loss to Canada. 7
22:00	C	Scotland vs. Brazil	Miami	Neymar's fitness call meets Scotland's need for a result. 7
22:00	C	Morocco vs. Haiti	Atlanta	Morocco can push for control of the group; Haiti need points after two tight matches. 7
01:00 Thursday	A	Czechia vs. Mexico	Mexico City	Mexico can finish the group stage strongly at home. 7
01:00 Thursday	A	South Africa vs. South Korea	Guadalupe	South Korea need a result to keep pressure on Czechia and Mexico. 7

What to carry into the next check

Group L is the cleaner story: England and Ghana are on four, Croatia are alive on three, and Panama are out. Group K is deliberately unfinished in this briefing because Colombia-DR Congo was live at the cutoff. Once that result is final, the next update should start there before moving into Groups A, B and C.