World Cup 2026, June 17: Two Debutants Make History
Updated 17 June 2026.
World Cup 2026 results on June 17 opened Groups K and L: England beat Croatia 4-2 in a seven-goal thriller, Colombia saw off Uzbekistan 3-1, Ghana snatched a stoppage-time winner over Panama, and Portugal were held 1-1 by World Cup debutants DR Congo. Two of the four games produced first-ever World Cup goals for debutant nations, DR Congo’s Yoane Wissa and Uzbekistan’s Abbosbek Fayzullaev, on a day that belonged as much to the underdogs as the favourites.
| Match | Result | Group | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|
| England v Croatia | 4-2 | L | Kane 12′ (pen), 42′; Bellingham 47′; Rashford 85′; Baturina 36′; Musa 45+5′ |
| Portugal v DR Congo | 1-1 | K | Neves 6′; Wissa 45+5′ |
| Uzbekistan v Colombia | 1-3 | K | Muñoz 40′; Fayzullaev 60′; Díaz 65′; Campaz 90+9′ |
| Ghana v Panama | 1-0 | L | Yirenkyi 90+5′ |
England survive Croatia scare in seven-goal thriller
Harry Kane’s first-half brace put England in control before Martin Baturina and Petar Musa hauled Croatia level at 2-2 either side of the break. Jude Bellingham settled it within two minutes of the restart, and Marcus Rashford added a fourth late on to make it 4-2, a result that also made Bellingham the youngest European to feature at four major tournaments. Read the full story in our England 4-2 Croatia report.
Debutants DR Congo and Uzbekistan both make history
Group K produced two landmark moments on the same day. Yoane Wissa’s stoppage-time leveller earned DR Congo a 1-1 draw with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and their first-ever World Cup goal, while Abbosbek Fayzullaev’s 60th-minute header gave Uzbekistan their first-ever World Cup goal in a 3-1 defeat to a Colombia side built around Luis Díaz and Daniel Muñoz. Catch up in our Portugal 1-1 DR Congo report and our Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia report.
Ghana win late and without Kudus and Partey
Panama defended well for 90 minutes against a Ghana side missing Mohammed Kudus and Thomas Partey to injury, only for substitute Caleb Yirenkyi to snatch a 1-0 win in the fifth minute of stoppage time. It puts Ghana top of Group L on goal difference alongside England after round one. Read more in our Ghana 1-0 Panama report.
June 17 by the numbers
- 13 goals across the four matches, the highest single-day total of the tournament so far.
- 2 first-ever World Cup goals: Yoane Wissa (DR Congo) and Abbosbek Fayzullaev (Uzbekistan).
- 2 stoppage-time strikes that changed a result: Wissa’s 45+5′ equaliser for DR Congo and Yirenkyi’s 90+5′ winner for Ghana.
- England 4-2 Croatia was the highest-scoring game of the day, with four different scorers for England alone.
Where the World Cup 2026 June 17 results leave Groups K and L
Colombia top Group K on goal difference after round one, level on points with Portugal and DR Congo, while Uzbekistan are still searching for their first point despite Fayzullaev’s historic goal. In Group L, England and Ghana share the top spot, both unbeaten, with Croatia and Panama needing a response next time out. Track every table on our standings page, with live goals on live scores. The format is explained in our complete World Cup 2026 guide.
Frequently asked questions
What were the World Cup 2026 results on June 17?
On 17 June 2026: England 4-2 Croatia, Portugal 1-1 DR Congo, Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia, and Ghana 1-0 Panama, completing the Group K and Group L openers.
Which debutant nations scored their first-ever World Cup goals on June 17?
DR Congo (Yoane Wissa, against Portugal) and Uzbekistan (Abbosbek Fayzullaev, against Colombia) both scored their first-ever World Cup goals on the same day.
Did Ghana win without Mohammed Kudus and Thomas Partey?
Yes, Ghana beat Panama 1-0 despite missing both players to injury, with substitute Caleb Yirenkyi scoring a stoppage-time winner.
