World Cup Day 11: Ronaldo Chases History, England Opens Against Croatia, and Partey Confirmed Out After Visa Lies

Since the 2026 World Cup kicked off on June 7, the story of the first ten days has been parity, not dominance. Eight of the first 16 matches ended level, more draws at this stage than any World Cup in history, according to BBC Sport. The previous record was seven, set across three different tournaments in 1974, 1982, and 1986.

Ronaldo's Record Attempt

The biggest individual storyline heading into Wednesday is Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal opens its campaign, and Ronaldo has a chance to score in a sixth separate World Cup, a feat no player has ever accomplished. AP News flagged this as the headline watch item for the June 17 slate. At 41 years old, Ronaldo playing a meaningful role in a World Cup at all is remarkable, regardless of whether the record falls.

England vs. Croatia in Arlington

England opens against Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington (in the Dallas-Fort Worth area) on Wednesday. BBC News spoke to fans who had already arrived in the city. One group reported paying roughly £850 per ticket. "It's a bit of a shame, really, we've been priced out of this one," one fan told BBC. England is among six European nations, including France, Norway, Austria, and Portugal, still waiting on their openers as of Tuesday.

Of the 10 European teams that have played so far, only Germany, Scotland, and Sweden won their first matches, according to BBC Sport. Belgium drew 1-1 with Egypt in Seattle in temperatures above 30°C. Belgian manager Rudi Garcia refused to blame the heat but did say, according to BBC Sport, "The grass really needed watering. It was very dry and as a result it was slowing the ball down."

BBC Sport's analysis on why European teams have struggled points to a combination of the expanded 48-team format, which reduces the penalty for a draw in group play, and heat conditions across North American venues that disadvantage physically dominant European sides.

Partey Barred, and the Misrepresentation Is the Story

Ghana will play Panama on Wednesday in Toronto without Thomas Partey. That was established in earlier coverage, but Tuesday brought a sharper detail from BBC Sport. The Canadian federal court ruling explicitly stated that Partey had failed to disclose that he is the subject of multiple criminal charges for sexual violence in the UK when applying for entry.

The court found "no serious issue in the underlying refusal" of his visa. Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship department told BBC Sport: "Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada's immigration laws. Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies."

Partey, 33, who now plays for Villarreal, pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault involving four women between 2020 and 2022. His trial is scheduled for next year. Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz, who said before the tournament he had no qualms about selecting Partey, told reporters Tuesday: "My business is to play with the cards that I have in front of me."

Partey has not been convicted of anything, and the charges remain allegations. The court ruling, however, did not turn on guilt or innocence. It turned on the fact that he did not truthfully answer whether he had ever been arrested or charged, which he had been. That constitutes a misrepresentation problem independent of the underlying case.

Ghana's remaining group fixtures are against England in Boston on June 23 and Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27.

Iraq's First Game in 40 Years

Iraq played its World Cup opener Tuesday night, ending a 40-year absence from the tournament. The last time Iraq appeared at a World Cup was Mexico 1986. NPR reported on the celebration in Dearborn, Michigan, home to one of the largest Iraqi diaspora communities in the United States, where a local shop owner said he was fielding around 100 calls per day from fans seeking Iraq national team jerseys.

For Dearborn resident Zee Esho, who emigrated from Iraq as a child, the significance stretched beyond soccer. "When they play, you have people from the South, from the North, from the West, from the East, all gathering together to watch the game," Esho told NPR.

The Mbappe Record, Already in the Books

Kylian Mbappe's record-breaking goal for France, which surpassed Olivier Giroud's all-time mark, was covered in prior reporting. BBC Sport published a detailed profile Tuesday tracing his path from his debut in 2017 to the record. Giroud, working as a pundit for BBC One during France's match against Senegal, said: "He will beat every single record — the number of caps and goals. I think he can easily reach 100 goals and maybe beat Miroslav Klose's World Cup record." Mbappe is now at 14 World Cup goals, two behind Klose's all-time record of 16.

American Soft Power, One Waffle House at a Time

NPR noted a quieter subplot in week two. International visitors are discovering American regional food culture in cities they would not normally visit. Japanese sports journalist Tatsuya Takeuchi posted about Nashville hot chicken from Japan's training base and got flooded with local recommendations. Scottish fan Shaun Alexander told NPR the warmth he encountered on the ground contradicted the diplomatic tension narrative. "It's just remarkable the types of warmth that you kind of find and come across in the States."

With Portugal, England, France, Norway, and Austria all yet to play, the draw-heavy pattern of week one will face its sharpest test in the next 72 hours. Whether the tournament's better-ranked European sides can convert expected results or whether the 48-team format has genuinely flattened the competitive landscape should be much clearer by Thursday.