Texas takes center stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup today. Portugal takes on Congo in Houston at noon, then Croatia plays England in a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semifinals at 3 p.m. The Portugal squad featuring star forward Cristiano Ronaldo is among the favorites to win the expanded 48-team tournament and hoist its first World Cup trophy. Still, the team carries the memory of a beloved teammate into the tournament. Portugal is based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for training. Portugal also plays Uzbekistan on Tuesday, June 23, in Houston and Friday, June 27, against Colombia in Miami – one of the marquee matchups of the group stage. Congo, which is based in Houston for training, was forced to change its World Cup preparations due to an Ebola outbreak in the country last month. U.S. health officials imposed travel restrictions that forced the Congolese soccer team to cancel its buildup events so the team could train in Belgium. The entire playing squad is based at clubs outside of Congo, most of them in Europe. There have been at least 600 suspected cases of Ebola and 139 suspected deaths in Congo. Congo continues group stage play with Colombia on Tuesday in Mexico and Uzbekistan next Friday, June 27, in Atlanta. Croatia’s squad features FC Dallas striker Petar Musa and Croatian legend Luka Modric, who helped lead them to back-to-back World Cup semifinals. Croatia, which is based in Virginia, also plays Panama on June 23 at 6 p.m. CT in Toronto and then Ghana on June 27 at 4 p.m. CT in Philadelphia. England is currently ranked fourth in the world after France and Spain’s first group stage games. England has already made squad changes despite not playing a game yet due to injuries, but the team still features some of the biggest names in global soccer. Teams can call up injury replacements up to 24 hours before the kickoff of their first game. English Premier League champion Arsenal is sending 4 players to the World Cup: Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke. Barcelona’s Marcus Rashford, Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly, John Stones, Marc Guehi, and Everton’s Jordan Pickford were also included. Few teams have had as tortured a history at the World Cup as England, despite its reputation as the birthplace of modern soccer. England is seeking its second World Cup trophy ever and the first since winning on their home soil over Germany in 1966. On top of their tortured past, they’ve had a difficult time in the States. Two San Antonio men were charged with stealing England’s team gear before they reached their base camp in Kansas City. England continues group stage play against Ghana on Tuesday at Boston Stadium and Panama at New York/New Jersey Stadium on Friday, June 27. ...read more read less