The Latest from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada

Panama had the best early chance in the Group L match against Croatia on a comfortable, breezy evening at Toronto Stadium. A header by Jose Luis Rodriguez went off the bar in the 23rd minute. Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic got a piece of the ball with his left hand. Both teams lost their opening games. Panama dropped a 1-0 decision to Ghana last week in Toronto while Croatia dropped a 4-2 decision to England in Dallas.

7 p.m.

Toronto Stadium gets another starring turn as host to a Group L game between Panama and Croatia. It’s the fourth of six games to be played in Toronto. Both teams opened with a loss, but three points could go a long way toward advancing to the knockout stage after England and Ghana played to a draw.

6 p.m.

Ghana has held on for a 0-0 draw with England at Boston Stadium. The Three Lions dominated all aspects of the game except the scoring, outshooting the Black Stars 19-2 (3-1 on target) and possessing the ball 78 per cent of the match. Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare has yet to allow a goal through two games. Both teams have four points, though England has the better goal differential.

5:45 p.m.

Thousands of Croatia fans are arriving at Toronto Stadium, where their team will play a Group L World Cup match against Panama. Fans took over the streets around the stadium marching from the Toronto Event Centre, which they’ve temporarily dubbed “Croatia House,” to the game venue. The fans were wearing red-and-white checkered apparel including many who were wearing their team’s jerseys as they waved their country’s flag, chanting and cheering for their team.

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4:50 p.m.

England and Ghana are tied 0-0 heading into halftime of their Group L matchup at Boston Stadium. England dominated with 80 per cent possession, but none of its six shots were on target. Ghana has yet to register an attempt on goal.

4:45 p.m.

Canada coach Jesse Marsch says captain Alphonso Davies will not start against Switzerland tomorrow in Vancouver, but is expected to play at some point. Davies hasn’t played this tournament as he works his way back from a hamstring injury, but he was available off the bench for Canada’s 6-0 rout of Qatar. While Davies wasn’t needed in that match, Canada wants to win or tie Switzerland to finish top of Group B and get home advantage and a favourable matchup in the Round of 32.

4:25 p.m.

Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron has been given a one-match suspension after he was the first player to be sent off at the World Cup for covering his mouth. Almiron will miss Paraguay’s final group game against Australia on Thursday. Almiron was issued a red card for covering his mouth during a confrontation with Turkey’s Mert Mulder in Paraguay’s 1-0 win last Friday. Under new rules, players are not allowed to cover their mouths to disguise what they are saying during confrontations.

4 p.m.

England and Ghana are underway in Foxborough, Mass., with first place in Group L on the line at the World Cup. England captain Harry Kane enters the match tied with Gary Lineker’s English record of 10 World Cup goals after scoring twice in a 4-2 win over Croatia. Both teams opened the tournament with victories and can take a major step toward the knockout stage with another three points.

3:02 p.m.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s first-half brace helped Portugal rout Uzbekistan 5-0. Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leao also scored for Portugal, while Abduvohid Nematov committed an own goal. The result moved Portugal into first place in Group K with four points. Colombia, which has three points, plays Congo later tonight in Zapopan, Mexico.

2:15 p.m.

Cristiano Ronaldo has joined the party at the World Cup. Portugal’s 41-year-old superstar captain scored twice as his team took a 3-0 lead over Uzbekistan into the break in Houston. Ronaldo is the first player to score in six World Cups and has 17 goals over that span, one back of record-holder Lionel Messi of Argentina. Ronaldo joins fellow superstars Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane, who all have multi-goal games at this tournament. Second half action is underway.

2:12 p.m.

The U.S. has eased travel restrictions on Iran’s World Cup team, allowing the squad to arrive in Seattle two days before Friday’s match against Egypt. Iran will leave its base camp in Tijuana tomorrow but must depart the U.S. after the game. The team had previously been limited to arriving only one day before matches in Los Angeles.

1 p.m.

Today’s World Cup action has kicked off in Houston, where Portugal is facing Uzbekistan in a Group K match. Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo entered the match with 15 World Cup goals, fourth-most all-time and one behind France star Kylian Mbappé and retired Germany great Miroslav Klose. Argentina’s Lionel Messi leads with 18, including five at this tournament.

12:18 p.m.

FIFA will consider keeping hydration breaks at future World Cups despite criticism of the extra stoppages at this year’s tournament. FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the breaks today, saying they may improve the quality of matches by allowing players to recover and coaches to make adjustments. The stoppages, introduced midway through each half, have drawn criticism from fans who view them as unnecessary interruptions and liken them to American-style timeouts.

12:15 p.m.

Cristiano Ronaldo will be in the starting lineup for Portugal’s World Cup game against Uzbekistan despite his forgettable performance in the team’s opening match. The 41-year-old failed to score in the opener and missed several good chances, prompting questions from television analysts about both his form and coach Roberto Martínez’s decision not to substitute him.

10:48 a.m.

Metro Vancouver transit authority TransLink says the first full week of FIFA World Cup activity led to a spike in public transportation use across the region, even on non-game-days. It says system-wide ridership jumped by almost 8 per cent during the first seven days of the tournament, with match days seeing an almost 14 per cent spike. More than one million people have used the system so far during the World Cup, with downtown seeing a 23 per cent jump versus an average day while Main Street-Science World Station on the SkyTrain used for accessing BC Place Stadium reported a 43 per cent increase in traffic – amounting to about 105,000 total boardings – for the first week of the tournament.

9 a.m.

Canada and Switzerland are both training in Vancouver today ahead of tomorrow’s Group B showdown at BC Place. The Canadians can finish first in the group with a win or draw after opening the tournament with a draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina and a 6-0 victory over Qatar. Canada and Switzerland are tied atop Group B with four points apiece, with the Canadians holding the edge on goal differential.

8:50 a.m.

Thousands of Croatia supporters are expected to descend on Toronto today ahead of Croatia’s World Cup match against Panama at Toronto Stadium. Fans are set to march to the venue carrying a giant Croatian flag after gathering at a sold-out supporter event at “Croatia House” near the stadium. An estimated 130,000 people of Croatian descent live in Canada, with many residing in the Greater Toronto Area. Panama played its opening game of the tournament at Toronto Stadium last week and has been training nearby in New Tecumseth ahead of tonight’s game. Both teams dropped their opening games.

8:53 a.m.

World Cup fans in Toronto made their feelings clear last weekend, showering FIFA’s new mandatory hydration breaks with boos during Germany’s match against Ivory Coast. The three-minute stoppages, branded as “Powerade Hydration Breaks,” were introduced for player safety but have drawn criticism from fans who see them as commercial interruptions in a sport traditionally played without such breaks. Experts say the backlash is aimed more at FIFA than Coca-Cola, the Powerade parent company, with one marketing professor calling the beverage giant “collateral damage.”

 8:44 a.m.

Today’s World Cup schedule is highlighted by Portugal facing Uzbekistan, 1 p.m., in Houston, with Cristiano Ronaldo looking to bounce back after a frustrating opener and help Portugal get back on track in Group K. England takes on Ghana, 4 p.m., in Foxborough as Harry Kane chases the English World Cup scoring record, while Panama and Croatia meet in a critical Group L matchup, 7 p.m., in Toronto. Colombia can secure a spot in the knockout stage with a win over Congo at 10 p.m. in Guadalajara after opening the tournament with a victory over Uzbekistan.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

The Latest from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada

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