Kickoff times are Eastern. Channels, times, and team news confirmed the morning of June 17, 2026.
Day 6 was the day the headliners showed up. Lionel Messi scored his first World Cup hat trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria, tying Miroslav Klose for the most goals in tournament history with 16. Kylian Mbappé scored twice in a 3-1 win over Senegal to become France’s all-time leading scorer, and Erling Haaland had two of his own in Norway’s 4-1 win over Iraq, the country’s first World Cup since 1998.
Today it is Ronaldo’s turn. Portugal plays its first game this afternoon, and the day’s other big match is England against Croatia, a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semifinal. Both of those are on big FOX, free over the air. The two evening games are on FS1.
If you are still sorting out your setup, the full how-to-watch guide covers every option from free to zero-hassle. And before the group stage piles up, the 12 players to watch is your cheat sheet for whose names matter.
1 p.m. ET: Portugal vs. DR Congo, FOX
This is Cristiano Ronaldo‘s sixth World Cup, a record, and almost certainly his last. He turned 41 in February. Portugal arrives in Houston unbeaten this year and among the favorites to win the group, with Roberto Martínez building the attack around him. The only real question is how Martínez manages his minutes in a game Portugal should win. Lineups drop about an hour before kickoff.
For DR Congo, just being here is the story. Its only previous World Cup came in 1974, as Zaire, when it became the first sub-Saharan African team to reach the tournament. It was the last team to make the field this time, sealing a spot with a 100th-minute winner over Jamaica in March. The squad is full of players who came up in Europe, Premier League names like Yoane Wissa and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with captain Chancel Mbemba at the back. The two countries have never met.
How to watch: FOX, free over the air with an antenna. Telemundo and Peacock carry it in Spanish.
4 p.m. ET: England vs. Croatia, FOX
England has waited eight years for this rematch. In 2018, Croatia beat them in the semifinals and went on to the final, and that one still stings. They arrive ranked fourth in the world, still chasing a first World Cup since 1966, with captain Harry Kane, their all-time leading scorer, up front and Jude Bellingham running the midfield. Win it well and the talk turns to a deep run. Anything less, and the old questions about this England team come back.
Croatia is not what it was in 2018, but this group is not far off: third in 2022, with 40-year-old Luka Modrić still pulling the strings in what is likely his final World Cup. On paper, the best match of the day.
How to watch: FOX, free over the air. Telemundo and Peacock carry it in Spanish.
7 p.m. ET: Ghana vs. Panama, FS1
The other Group L game, and the one without the household names. Ghana is back at the World Cup for a fifth time, with that 2010 quarterfinal run still its high point, and Panama is here for a second time after debuting in 2018. Stuck in a group with England and Croatia, both teams probably need to win this one to have any real path to the round of 32. This is also where the day shifts to FS1, so the antenna-only plan hits its first wall.
How to watch: FS1, which needs FOX One, a live-TV service, or a cable login. Telemundo and Peacock in Spanish.
10 p.m. ET: Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, FS1
The nightcap from the Azteca, and the other half of Ronaldo’s group. Uzbekistan is at its first World Cup, a milestone for the country. Colombia is the group’s dark horse, a 2014 quarterfinalist with quality out wide, and Luis Díaz is the one to watch. If you are following Portugal, treat this one as scouting.
How to watch: FS1. Telemundo and Peacock in Spanish.
The 30-second watch recap
- Spending nothing today: an antenna gets both FOX games, Ronaldo’s opener and England vs. Croatia. The two FS1 nightcaps, Ghana vs. Panama and Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, are not free in English. Telemundo has all four in Spanish, free over the air.
- Every match, cheapest: FOX One at $19.99 a month carries today’s four and all 104.
- Zero hassle: if you already have YouTube TV or another live-TV service, every game is just there. Open the app at 1.
The full guide has the longer version, including the free-trial math.
Tomorrow the hosts are back
Thursday brings four more: Czechia vs. South Africa at noon on FOX, Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina at 3 p.m. on FOX, Canada vs. Qatar at 6 p.m. on FS1, and Mexico vs. South Korea at 9 p.m. on FOX. Two host nations are in action, with Mexico in primetime and Canada chasing a first win after opening with a draw against Bosnia. Only the Canada game is on FS1 tomorrow, so the antenna plan holds up well again.
Then Friday the USMNT is back: Christian Pulisic and the US face Australia in Seattle in their second group game, with a real chance to take control of the group.
Every big name has started now. From here it is about who backs it up.
