Guy JACKSON England begin their bid to end a 60-year wait for a trophy when they take on Croatia in their World Cup opener on Wednesday while Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play in a record equalling sixth tournament.
Portuguese great Ronaldo, 41, has a tough act to follow after his old nemesis Lionel Messi scored a spectacular hat-trick for Argentina on Tuesday to equal the all-time World Cup goalscoring record, making a mockery of his 38 years.
Between them, Ronaldo and Messi have won the Ballon d'Or award for the world's best player 13 times.
Ronaldo is expected to start against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Houston, captaining a richly talented Portugal squad that are trying to win football's biggest prize for the first time.
One of that squad is pivotal midfielder Bernardo Silva, who signed for Real Madrid on a two year deal on Wednesday, a month after his contract with Manchester City expired.
England skipper Harry Kane, meanwhile, urged his England teammates to "go for it" and be "free in the mind" when they take on the beaten 2018 finalists Croatia in the vast AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Kane's team are among the favourites for the World Cup after a string of near-misses at recent tournaments but history weighs heavy on a side who last won football's biggest prize on home soil in 1966.
"For sure it's one of the best opportunities we will have as a team to win it," Kane said on Tuesday.
"I think everyone is eager to just start well tomorrow and prove that we have the capabilities of going far in this tournament.
"Ultimately, for me, the message is just to be free in the mind."
In other games on Wednesday, Ghana face Panama in Toronto in England's Group L before first-time qualifiers Uzbekistan tackle Colombia at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in Group K. — AFP
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