The parade of stars continues at the 2026 World Cup: after the record-breaking first matches of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, it is Cristiano Ronaldo's turn to make his debut in this World Cup on Wednesday, in pursuit of the only trophy missing from his immense list of achievements.

Against DR Congo (7pm), "CR7" will join Messi at the record number of six World Cups played but will still be far from the new feat of the "Pulga", who on Tuesday became the joint top scorer in the history of the competition (16 goals) thanks to a hat trick against Algeria (3-0) in Kansas City.

With 14 goals in three World Cup appearances, including a brace in the successful opening match for Les Bleus against Senegal (3-1), Kylian Mbappé is lying in wait after having erased Olivier Giroud's record for the number of goals in the French national team.

Now it's "CR7" and Kane's turn.

Beyond the record for participation in a final phase, the main thing for Cristiano Ronaldo will be, as France and Argentina brilliantly did, to make a successful start in this World Cup, against a Democratic Republic of Congo returning to the competition after half a century of absence.

At the twilight of his immense career, the superstar plays his last card to try and lift the only trophy he is missing and join his eternal rival, Lionel Messi, who won the title with the Albiceleste in 2022.

At 41, the man with five Ballon d'Or awards is no longer the flamboyant and efficient player he once was, but he still enjoys an almost untouchable status in a selection that has grown stronger in recent years, notably with a Vitinha/Joao Neves/Bruno Fernandes midfield that would make all the great nations pale.

European Golden Shoe winner with 61 goals scored this season, Harry Kane will also be expected to start with England, who face Luka Modric's Croatia in one of the best matches of the first round (10:00 PM).

This match brings back bad memories for the Three Lions, since it was against the Croatians that they were eliminated in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, in their last encounter in a major tournament.

Messi, the greatest?

Is he definitively the greatest? On Tuesday against Algeria, the Argentinian captain certainly added his name even higher in the pantheon of his sport, with two breathtaking records.

By starting the match, Messi became the first footballer to play in six World Cups, since he has not missed any since the 2006 World Cup in Germany, a time when the stars of the beautiful game were called Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho...

And by single-handedly scoring all three of the Albiceleste's winning goals, he joined Germany's Miroslav Klose at the top of the list of top scorers in the almost century-long history of the World Cup, with 16 goals.

And the Argentinian prodigy, who is leading the title holders in their dream of a double unprecedented since 1962 and the Brazil of Pelé and Garrincha, could well improve this record even further to become the sole holder, with an upcoming match against Jordan on June 22.

The Blues are on form, Mbappé outshines Giroud

At MetLife Stadium, west of New York, Les Bleus ideally launched their quest for a third star in a match that had all the makings of a trap, 24 years after the French defeat against the Lions of Teranga in the opening of the 2002 World Cup.

Against Senegal, winners of the last AFCON but stripped of their title by default in favor of Morocco, Didier Deschamps' team had a difficult first half. But the second half was a completely different story.

Mbappé has rediscovered his effectiveness by breaking Olivier Giroud's record for goals in the French national team with his 57th and 58th goals, each time after excellent work from Michael Olise.

"I am very happy to be able to make a little more of my country's history, it's something I've always wanted to do," reacted the captain of Les Bleus.

Bradley Barcola, who replaced a disappointing Ousmane Dembélé, also contributed to France's opening victory, coming on as a substitute in the 82nd minute. In the other Group I match, Norway easily defeated a valiant but limited Iraq 4-1, thanks in particular to a brace from Erling Haaland.