England vs Croatia reopens the wound, with Tuchel's unbeaten side against 40-year-old Modrić. Favourites, yes — but openers have been a graveyard.
Portugal open against DR Congo in Group K, and that one is not just Ronaldo’s sixth World Cup lap.
Ghana face Panama later in Toronto, while Uzbekistan make their World Cup debut against Colombia in Mexico City.
Groups K and L start today, so everyone is on zero.
Nice clean tables. Nice clean hope. Give it a few hours.
The World Cup is very kind until the first whistle reminds you that history does not defend set-pieces.
Portugal vs DR Congo — Group K — Houston, 6pm (UK)
This is Africa’s first big one today.
Portugal have the bigger names, the deeper squad, and Cristiano Ronaldo still trying to bend time like it owes him money.
DR Congo have a different kind of story.
Fifty-two years away from the World Cup, then back through the hardest route possible. That is not romance. That is stubbornness.
Portugal should dominate the ball. Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva can squeeze teams until the passing lanes look like a punishment.
But Ruben Dias starts on the bench, and a centre-back pairing of Renato Veiga and Tomas Araujo gives DR Congo a real target.
Not enough to make Portugal panic from minute one, but enough to make every counter feel like a warning.
DR Congo are dangerous because they are built for transition.
Yoane Wissa, Cedric Bakambu and the runners from midfield can carry the ball quickly into space, while Chancel Mbemba and Axel Tuanzebe give them power at the back.
If Portugal get loose, DR Congo have the legs to make them pay.
Still, Portugal have too much control and too many ways to score.
Ronaldo may not press like he is 25, but give him one clean ball in the box and suddenly everybody remembers why he is still here.
Confirmed Portugal XI: Diogo Costa; Nuno Mendes, Renato Veiga, Tomas Araujo, Joao Cancelo; Vitinha, Joao Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva; Cristiano Ronaldo, Pedro Neto.
Confirmed DR Congo XI: Lionel Mpasi; Steve Kapuadi, Chancel Mbemba, Axel Tuanzebe; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Noah Sadiki, Ngal’ayel Mukau, Arthur Masuaku; Samuel Moutoussamy; Yoane Wissa, Cedric Bakambu.
Key absences/team news: Rúben Dias starts on the bench for Portugal, with Renato Veiga and Tomás Araújo paired at centre-back. Ronaldo plays in his sixth World Cup. DR Congo have no fresh injury concern, with Mbuku and Elia among their options off the bench.
Prediction: Portugal 2-1 DR Congo.
Tip: Portugal to win. Even with Dias rested, Vitinha, Bruno and Bernardo give them a level of control DR Congo cannot live with for 90 minutes.
England vs Croatia — Group L — Dallas, 9pm (UK)
This is the headline fixture. England against Croatia does not need much marketing.
The 2018 semi-final is still there, sitting in English memory like a bad voice note nobody deletes.
Thomas Tuchel gets his first World Cup game as England manager, and of course it comes against Luka Modric and Croatia. Very normal. Very calm. Nothing dramatic at all.
England have the talent to win this group, but the question is always the same: can they turn talent into control when the other team refuses to panic?
Harry Kane arrives in scary form, Jude Bellingham gives them match-winning edge between the lines, and Declan Rice should give the midfield a platform.
Croatia will not be impressed by names.
They have been ageing for about nine years and somehow still keep annoying everyone.
Modric is 40 and still controls tempo like he owns the stadium lease.
Kovacic gives them press resistance. Gvardiol gives them defensive bite and ball progression.
The danger for England is emotional football.
If they chase the revenge story instead of the match, Croatia will drag them into slow passing, clever fouls and all the small crimes experienced teams commit when nobody is looking.
Projected England XI: Jordan Pickford; Reece James, Marc Guehi, John Stones, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson; Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon; Harry Kane.
Projected Croatia XI: Dominik Livakovic; Josip Stanisic, Josip Sutalo, Josko Gvardiol, Borna Sosa; Marcelo Brozovic, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic; Mario Pasalic, Ivan Perisic; Andrej Kramaric.
Key absences/team news: England have replaced injured Tino Livramento with Trevoh Chalobah in the squad, with Reece James starting at right-back. Croatia have their experienced core available, with 40-year-old Modric set for another World Cup and Mateo Kovacic over an injury-hit club season.
Prediction: England 2-1 Croatia.
Tip: England to win. Eight qualifiers, eight wins, not a single goal conceded, and Kane arriving on the back of 61 in 51 for Bayern; Croatia will make it tight, but the quality gap should tell.
Ghana vs Panama — Group L — Toronto, 12am (UK, Thu)
Ghana cannot afford nonsense here.
England and Croatia are waiting in the same group, so this is the match that decides whether the Black Stars are chasing qualification or chasing calculators.
Ghana arrive with drama. Thomas Partey is unavailable after being denied entry into Canada, and Mohammed Kudus is out injured. That is not a small hit.
That is losing midfield authority and your cleanest final-third spark before the tournament even starts properly.
But Ghana still have Antoine Semenyo, Inaki Williams, Jordan Ayew and Abdul Fatawu.
That is enough attacking quality to beat Panama if they play with purpose and stop treating possession like a group project nobody wants to lead.
Panama are not here to be walked over. Anibal Godoy gives them experience, Ismael Diaz gives them movement, and they will see Ghana’s missing players as an invitation.
Ghana have to start fast. If this becomes messy after 60 minutes, nobody should pretend to be shocked.
Projected Ghana XI: Lawrence Ati-Zigi; Alidu Seidu, Jonas Adjetey, Jerome Opoku, Gideon Mensah; Kwesi Sibo, Elisha Owusu; Inaki Williams, Jordan Ayew, Abdul Fatawu; Antoine Semenyo.
Projected Panama XI: Orlando Mosquera; Edgardo Farina, Fidel Escobar, Jose Cordoba; Michael Murillo, Carlos Harvey, Anibal Godoy, Eric Davis; Yoel Barcenas, Jose Fajardo, Ismael Diaz.
Key absences/team news: Ghana are without Thomas Partey, Mohammed Kudus and Mohammed Salisu. Panama expect Anibal Godoy to be fit, while Adalberto Carrasquilla is a doubt after a muscle problem, though he has trained this week.
Prediction: Ghana 2-1 Panama.
Tip: Ghana to win. Semenyo’s direct running and the Williams-Ayew-Fatawu pace should be enough — but with Partey, Kudus and Salisu all gone, this is the shakiest favourite on the card.
Uzbekistan vs Colombia — Group K — Mexico City, 3am (UK, Thu)
Uzbekistan are finally here. First World Cup. Fabio Cannavaro on the bench.
Abdukodir Khusanov at the back. A whole country watching a debut that already means something before a ball is kicked.
Unfortunately, Colombia are not the kind of team that cares about your touching national storyline.
Luis Diaz, James Rodriguez, Jhon Arias and Luis Suarez give them too much final-third threat.
If Colombia get space between Uzbekistan’s wing-backs and centre-backs, this could turn nasty quickly.
Uzbekistan’s route is obvious: stay compact, feed Eldor Shomurodov, and make Colombia defend transitions instead of letting them set up camp.
But Colombia should have the ball, the better technicians and the bigger match-winners.
Projected Uzbekistan XI: Utkir Yusupov; Abdukodir Khusanov, Abdulla Abdullaev, Rustamjon Ashurmatov; Farrukh Sayfiev, Otabek Shukurov, Abbosbek Mozgovoy, Azizbek Nazrullaev; Abbosbek Fayzullaev, Oston Urunov; Eldor Shomurodov.
Projected Colombia XI: Camilo Vargas; Daniel Munoz, Davinson Sanchez, Jhon Lucumi, Johan Mojica; Jefferson Lerma, Richard Rios; Jhon Arias, James Rodriguez, Luis Diaz; Luis Suarez.
Key absences/team news: Uzbekistan have no players ruled out, but Khojiakbar Alijonov and Jaloliddin Masharipov are doubts. Colombia report a fully fit 26-man squad with no suspension concerns.
Prediction: Uzbekistan 0-2 Colombia.
Tip: Colombia to win — banker of the day. Diaz, James and Suarez against a debutant defence asked to hold for 90; the gap in attacking quality is the whole story.
Safest Football Call Of The Day
Colombia to beat Uzbekistan. The debut story is great, but Colombia have the cleaner attacking routes, the better technicians and the player most likely to break the match open in Luis Diaz.
Upset Special
DR Congo to score against Portugal. Portugal should win, but Dias on the bench changes the comfort level.
Wissa and Bakambu only need one loose transition to turn this into a much louder match.
For Africa, this is not a quiet day.
DR Congo get Portugal, Ghana get the match they simply have to win, and both teams are carrying different kinds of pressure.
One is playing for a return. The other is playing to stop another campaign from becoming a Ghanaian group-stage argument.
Back any of these? Tell me what you're rolling with today.
