World Cup 2026Group KTeams, Fixtures & Odds

Opta rates Portugal a 59.0% probability of topping Group K and a 94.9% chance of reaching the Round of 32 — among the five most likely tournament winners. Roberto Martinez assembled a squad that runs deep beyond Cristiano Ronaldo — making his sixth and final World Cup at 41 — with Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao and Vitinha providing quality at every level. Portugal topped UEFA qualifying Group F at 4-1-1, including a 9-1 rout of Armenia in which Fernandes scored a hat-trick. The known vulnerability is midfield resilience against pressing: Ireland won 2-0 in November 2025 by exploiting it. Martinez left Joao Palhinha out of the final 26 in response.

Colombia return to the World Cup for the first time since 2018. Under Nestor Lorenzo they finished third in CONMEBOL qualifying with 28 points (7W-7D-4L, 18 conceded) — the second-tightest defensive record in South America behind only Argentina. Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich) is the attacking engine; James Rodriguez (34, Minnesota United) the creative hub. In the June 1 warm-up against Costa Rica, James came off the bench at halftime, created five chances in 45 minutes and set up the clincher in a 3-1 win. The squad lost Jhon Jader Duran (disciplinary omission) and Juan Cuadrado, but the core is intact.

Uzbekistan are historic first-time World Cup qualifiers coached by 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro, anchored by 22-year-old Manchester City centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov. Cannavaro's side logged wins over Egypt, Iran and Venezuela in preparation — though that record is drawn from a single source and is unverified. DR Congo return for the first time in over 50 years after a CAF route and an inter-confederation playoff win over Jamaica. Captain Chancel Mbemba, Yoann Wissa and Cédric Bakambu give them individual quality, but the squad is assessed as the group's weakest.

The standard path: Portugal and Colombia beat the two weaker sides, then meet in the group finale with seeding — not qualification — on the line.

The decisive match is Colombia vs Portugal on June 27 in Miami Gardens. Portugal's depth is the consensus edge, but Colombia's defensive structure and Diaz's counter-threat make it genuinely competitive. The group opener — Portugal vs DR Congo on June 17 in Houston — matters too: a comfortable win banks three points early and sets Portugal's trajectory. DR Congo vs Uzbekistan on June 28 in Atlanta is the consolation closer, consequential only if one of the two outsiders can accumulate enough points to crack the eight best third-place spots.