Cristiano Ronaldo at 41, Luka Modric at 40: World Cup Legends Defy Age, But Is Anyone Ready?
Alright, Emerald City! Can you believe it's taken this long? Day 7 of the World Cup is finally HERE, and the big dogs are stepping onto the pitch. We're talking England, we're talking Portugal, and let me tell you, there are some absolutely WILD storylines heading into their opening matches. Get ready, because groups K and L are about to get real.
CR7's 28 Goals Last Season and Portugal's Wild Card
Okay, first up: Portugal vs. Congo DR. Portugal is rolling in as the co-third favorite, right there with England, behind France and Spain. Their midfield? Holy smokes, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, João Neves, that's a unit built to dominate. But the BIG question, the one everyone's whispering about, is 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo. CR7, leading the line at 41! He's been doing his thing in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Nassr, racking up 28 goals and two assists in 30 matches last season. Can he translate that to the biggest stage?
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DR Congo, on the other hand, is making their first appearance since 1974 as Zaire. Back then, they got stomped 9-0 by Yugoslavia. Ouch. But don't sleep on them, they knocked off Cameroon and Nigeria, then beat Jamaica 1-0 to get here. They've got Premier League talent in Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Noah Sadiki, and Joanne Wissa. This is not 1974 anymore, folks. They could absolutely sneak into the knockout rounds.
2018 Rematch: Old Foes, Old Faces, New Pressure
Then we got England vs. Croatia, a total 2018 semifinal rematch! Remember that one? Croatia sent England home before losing to France in the final. And guess what? A bunch of those same Croatian heroes are back: 40-year-old midfielder Luka Modric, 37-year-old Ivan Perisic, 34-year-old forward Andrej Kramaric, and 32-year-old midfielder Mateo Kovacic. Seriously, these guys are seasoned pros. Croatia even finished third in 2022. Can this uber-experienced crew make another deep run?
England, managed by Thomas Tuchel, looks stacked everywhere. Their only real weakness? The weight of a nation dying for their first World Cup title since 1966. That's some serious pressure! They did have to swap Tino Livramento for Trevoh Chalabah due to an injury picked up in training, so that's a small disruption. Elliot Anderson is playing next to Declan Rice in midfield, and Jude Bellingham is set to be right behind Harry Kane, even after a kinda up-and-down season with Real Madrid. This one's gonna be a clash.
Ghana's Shot at Redemption and a Missing Star
Last game of the day, Ghana vs. Panama. Can Ghana finally break their group stage curse? They haven't made it out since that infamous 2010 quarterfinal loss to Uruguay and Luis Suarez's handball. They didn't even qualify in 2018, and only have one win and one draw in six group games across 2014 and 2022. The expanded tournament gives them a real chance, but they'll be without Villarreal center back Thomas Partey for this first match. He was denied entry into Canada for facing multiple rape charges, but he's expected to be able to play in their final two group games. Huge blow for game one, though. Panama is gonna try and capitalize on that.
Whew! What a day of World Cup action. We've got Portugal kicking off at 1 p.m. ET, England vs. Croatia at 4 p.m. ET, and Ghana vs. Panama at 7 p.m. ET. Don't miss a second, Seattle! These early games are all about setting the tone for what's gonna be a wild ride. Get hyped!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.