World Cup 2026 Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan

Is Portugal in the World Cup 2026 — and Which Group?

Yes. Portugal qualified for the 2026 World Cup as one of UEFA's automatic qualifiers and were drawn into Group K alongside Colombia, DR Congo and Uzbekistan. The four teams sorted by FIFA April 2026 ranking:

• 🇵🇹 Portugal — Pot 1, FIFA #5, head coach Roberto Martínez, captain Cristiano Ronaldo. 4-3-3 with a 4-2-3-1 against deep blocks. 9th World Cup, semi-finalists 1966 and 2006.
• 🇨🇴 Colombia — Pot 2, FIFA #13, head coach Néstor Lorenzo, captain James Rodríguez. 4-2-3-1 with a 4-3-3 with James inside. 7th World Cup, quarter-finals 2014.
• 🇨🇩 DR Congo — Pot 3, FIFA #46, head coach Sébastien Desabre, captain Chancel Mbemba. 4-2-3-1 with a 5-3-2 deep block in tight knockouts. 2nd World Cup — first since 1974 (then as Zaire).
• 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan — Pot 4, FIFA #50, head coach Timur Kapadze, captain Eldor Shomurodov. 4-2-3-1 with a 4-3-3 in possession. 1st World Cup — debut after AFC third-round qualification.

Portugal land in arguably the most navigable Pot 1 draw of any European nation outside Argentina's Group J. Colombia at #13 are a top-tier Pot 2 side and the genuine second-place threat — but the real depth gap to the bottom half of the group is among the widest in the tournament. Both DR Congo and Uzbekistan have honest tournament-debut energy; neither has the squad pedigree to credibly target the knockout rounds.

Will Cristiano Ronaldo Be at the 2026 World Cup?

Yes — but with a real fitness watch attached. Ronaldo is 41, plays his club football at Al Nassr, and has been the centre of every Portugal pre-tournament conversation since November 2025. Roberto Martínez has Ronaldo in the provisional squad. The caveat: Ronaldo missed the March 2026 international window with a hamstring injury, and the federation has stayed deliberately light on updates through April-May. Portugal's final 26-man squad confirms May 19 — that's when the medical picture firms up. The federation's training-base programme starts May 31; the captain's full-90 readiness is the open question Martínez has to answer in the eleven days between squad lock and the June 11 opener.

The 2026 World Cup is Ronaldo's sixth tournament — 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and now 2026 — and almost certainly his last. He has not officially announced retirement from international football, but the maths from age 41 and the four-year gap to 2030 makes a seventh appearance fanciful. Inside the Portugal camp the framing is more nuanced than the public narrative: Martínez treats Ronaldo as a high-quality penalty-box striker rather than a 90-minute presence, and the rotation with Gonçalo Ramos has been the planned shape since the 2024 Euro disappointment.

For the full Portugal tactical setup — formation, first-choice 11, and how Martínez is integrating Leão and Bernardo Silva alongside Ronaldo — see our Portugal tactical preview. For when the captain officially confirms his place, watch the May 27 FIFA squad deadline; our squad deadline tracker covers the timeline.

What Is Colombia's Path Through Group K?

Colombia at FIFA #13 are the best-placed Pot 2 side any Pot 1 nation could realistically have drawn. Néstor Lorenzo's squad reached the 2024 Copa América final (lost to Argentina in extra time) and brings the spine of that run into the 2026 cycle. The structural identity:

• James Rodríguez (Club León, 34) — captain and the squad's primary creator. The late-career resurgence at León has been the story of South American football in 2025-26.
• Luis Díaz (Liverpool, 29) — the left-side forward who carries the transition threat. Díaz vs Portugal's right-side defending is the matchup that probably decides June 27.
• Richard Ríos (Palmeiras, 25) — the deep eight, the press-resistance pillar. Ríos's emergence in 2024-25 is what makes the 4-2-3-1 work without James dropping deep.
• Jhon Durán (Al-Nassr, 22) — the No. 9 option Lorenzo prefers in matches Colombia expect to control possession in. Luis Suárez (Independiente Medellín) rotates in for direct-attack fixtures.

Colombia open Group K against Uzbekistan on June 17 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City — a match they should win comfortably, both on paper and given the altitude advantage. The middle fixture against DR Congo at Estadio Akron in Zapopan on June 23 is the squad-rotation game. Then on Saturday June 27 the group resolves at Hard Rock Stadium: Colombia vs Portugal, kickoff 21:00 ET, almost certainly for top spot. James vs Bernardo Silva in central midfield, Luis Díaz vs the Portuguese right-back, and the question of how much Ronaldo plays in a match that means everything for one side and very little for the other if Portugal have already secured top spot via the first two matchdays.

What Does Uzbekistan's First Ever World Cup Look Like?

Uzbekistan are at a World Cup for the first time since gaining FIFA membership in 1992. Thirty-four years of qualification near-misses ended in autumn 2025 when Timur Kapadze's side finished second in their AFC third-round group on goal differential, securing automatic qualification. The squad spine is younger than many established nations and concentrated in the European mid-tier:

• Eldor Shomurodov (Roma, 30) — captain and the headline striker. Shomurodov's Serie A experience is what gives the squad its tactical anchor.
• Abdukodir Khusanov (Manchester City, 21) — the centre-back the new generation is built around. The City move in January 2025 fast-tracked his exposure to top-five European football and he has held his own.
• Otabek Shukurov (Achmat Grozny, 30) — the deep midfield organiser. Less glamorous than Shomurodov or Khusanov but the press-resistance pivot the system needs.
• Khojimat Erkinov (Pakhtakor, 25) — the inside-left creator the squad's chance creation runs through.

The realistic Group K ceiling is one draw — most plausibly against DR Congo on matchday 3 (Friday June 27 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta), when Portugal and Colombia are both pursuing top spot at Hard Rock Stadium. The opener against Colombia on June 17 at Estadio Azteca is the toughest possible draw — top-five South American attack, altitude familiar to Colombia's Andes-based players. The middle fixture against Portugal on June 23 at NRG Stadium in Houston is where Kapadze will likely test the deep block. Whatever happens, Uzbekistan's first World Cup goal — whoever scores it — will be one of the tournament's signature moments.

How Is DR Congo Back at the World Cup After 50 Years?

DR Congo's only previous World Cup was 1974 in West Germany, when the country competed as Zaire under the Mobutu regime. That tournament became one of the World Cup's most-cited cautionary tales — a 9-0 loss to Yugoslavia, a 3-0 loss to Brazil, and the surreal moment when defender Mwepu Ilunga ran out of the wall and kicked a Brazilian free kick before it could be taken. The team played under direct political pressure with their match fees withheld; the campaign ended with three group-stage losses and the federation in disarray.

Fifty-two years later, the rebuild is structural. Sébastien Desabre took over the national team in 2023 and led the squad to fourth place at the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast — the strongest finish since DR Congo's 1968 AFCON title. CAF qualifying for 2026 ran cleanly: top of their qualifying group, securing automatic qualification rather than a play-off route. The squad spine plays primarily in Ligue 1 and the Premier League:

• Chancel Mbemba (Lille, 31) — captain and the centre-back the system runs through. The Marseille years and now Lille establish him as the team's tactical leader.
• Yoane Wissa (Newcastle, 29) — the No. 9 / left-side forward whose Newcastle move in summer 2025 confirmed his Premier League ceiling.
• Cédric Bakambu (Real Betis, 35) — the experienced striker option, target-man profile.
• Samuel Moutoussamy (Forest, 29) — the deep midfield pivot.

The realistic Group K ceiling for DR Congo is one win plus one draw — most plausibly beating Uzbekistan on matchday 3 (June 27 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta) and stealing a point against Colombia in matchday 2 if Lorenzo rotates with the Portugal closer in mind. FIFA #46 is the lowest of any Pot 3 side in Groups H, I, J or K, but the AFCON pedigree gives DR Congo a credible best-third path that most Pot 3 entrants don't have.

What Are the Predicted Group K Standings?

Best-effort prediction based on April 2026 form, FIFA ranking, qualifying records and 2025-26 friendly results:

1. 1st — Portugal. 7-9 points. Win vs DR Congo and Uzbekistan; the June 27 Colombia closer goes either way. Top spot likely sealed before matchday 3 if both opening matches go cleanly. Goal differential should run +4 or higher.
2. 2nd — Colombia. 5-7 points. Win vs Uzbekistan, beat or draw DR Congo, the Portugal result decides whether Colombia win Group K or finish second. Round of 32 entry near-certain; quarter-final ceiling realistic.
3. 3rd — DR Congo. 1-3 points. Realistic ceiling is one win (vs Uzbekistan in matchday 3) plus a possible draw against Colombia. Best-third tiebreaker is genuinely live with goal differential at zero or better — FIFA #46 ranks DR Congo above several Pot 3 sides in Groups B and E.
4. 4th — Uzbekistan. 0-3 points. The first-time-entrant ceiling is realistically one draw — most plausibly against DR Congo in matchday 3 if Kapadze's deep block holds. The expanded 48-team format gives Uzbekistan a wider best-third window than the 32-team era would have allowed, but the Pot 4 draw position and the FIFA ranking gap make Group K a structurally tough debut group.

For sister-group breakdowns, see Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D, Group E, Group F, Group G, Group H, Group J, and Group L. For the live Group K hub with standings updates as the tournament progresses. For the full UK and US viewing guide: UK TV broadcast guide and US TV broadcast guide.