FIFA World Cup 2026: With Cristiano Ronaldo-starrer Portugal opening their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against the Democratic Republic of Congo on June 17, Wednesday at the Houston Stadium, two striking personalities caught the eye of the world. In a photo shared on X, Team India’s batting star Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma were shown to be present in the stands watching the exciting match unfold.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Did Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma really attend the match between Portugal and Congo?
The unverified claim by the account on the social media platform of X is completely false as both Kohli and Anushka are currently in London spending time with their kids. A few days ago, an account on X also stated that the couple was going to attend Portugal’s match but it wasn’t true.
Virat Kohli & Anushka Sharma spotted in the stands supporting Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal at the FIFA World Cup. 🇵🇹🐐 pic.twitter.com/9sYGkuMtJd
— Central Cricket (@arshdeep3444) June 17, 2026
As far as the state of the match is concerned, Congo made an outstanding effort to hold a strong Portugal team to a 1-1 draw, leaving Ronaldo’s fans disappointed. While Joao Neves opened the scoring in the sixth minute of the match, Yoane Wissa levelled the scores before the first half ended as Portugal, one of the strongest contenders to win the tournament, were left frustrated. They will next face Uzbekistan on June 23, while Colombia await them on June 28.
When will Virat Kohli next be in action?
Meanwhile, Kohli is likely to next be in action during the 50-over series against England in July that will take place following the T20I series against India. The 37-year-old missed the 50-overs leg against Afghanistan due to a hamstring tear sustained while batting for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) against the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Having retired from Tests and T20Is, the former Indian captain is only active in ODIs as far as international cricket is concerned. Kohli is seemingly targeting to play in the 2027 World Cup and is likely to announce his full international retirement following that. The right-handed batter had amassed 765 runs in the 2023 World Cup but the Men in Blue lost in the final to Australia.
