Portugal v Ghana, 24 November 2022

Kick-off: 7.00pm local (4.00pm GMT) . FIFA world ranking: Portugal 9, Ghana 61 . The only previous meeting was in the group stages of the 2014 World Cup in Brasilia. Portugal won 2-1, with the winner scored by Cristiano Ronaldo. That game will also be remembered for the Ghanaian government sending an emergency payment to the players to avoid a potential team boycott. . Portugal won for the first time in their last four opening games of a World Cup finals (lost one). . Ghana were the lowest ranked team at this World Cup finals. . Cristiano Ronaldo became the first-ever player ever to score at five World Cup finals (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022). Pepe, Uwe Seeler, Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi had currently scored at four editions. . Following his recent departure from Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to captain a team at the World Cup finals whist not contracted to a club since Bruce Wilson of Canada in 1986. . A penalty had been awarded in nine of the 15 games so far in this World Cup finals. . Teams from the African confederation had failed to score in their four previous games at this World Cup. . This was the first game at the World Cup finals to produce five or more goals after a goalless first-half since Belgium's 3-2 win against Japan in the Round of 16 tie at Rostov-on-Don in 2018. . Andre Ayew had now played in more games at the World Cup finals (eight) than any current player from the nations of the African confederation.