World Cup news today: Live updates, reaction and build-up after England win, Portugal held

Hello and welcome to day eight of Sports Mole's World Cup 2026 live news blog!

Another four matches came and went on Wednesday, and another quartet of contests are on the way on Thursday - we will be keeping on top of all the latest updates, buildup and reaction throughout the day.

Make sure you stay completely up to date by following our ongoing commentary below!

What's happening at the World Cup today?

The first round of World Cup 2026 fixtures has officially drawn to a close, after all eight Group K and Group L teams commenced their Mundial campaigns during Wednesday's batch of fixtures.

There will be plenty of reaction and fallout to the results on day seven, including England's statement 4-2 victory over Croatia and Portugal's frustrating 1-1 draw with DR Congo.

Later in the evening, Ghana also got their Group L campaign off to a winning start by edging out Panama 1-0, while Colombia took down tournament debutants Uzbekistan 3-1.

Looking ahead to round two, Group A continues with a showdown between the Czech Republic and South Africa at 5pm, before co-hosts Mexico battle South Korea at 2am on Friday morning.

During normal waking hours for UK citizens, Group B action resumes with an Ingelwood showdown between Switzerland and Bosnia-Herzegovina, which precedes current co-hosts Canada against 2022 hosts Qatar in Vancouver.

Off the pitch, the debate surrounding hydration breaks will no doubt rumble on, and Scotland will be ramping up their preparations for a blockbuster battle with Morocco on Friday.