Group K of the 2026 World Cup gathers four representatives from four continents, including Portugal, Colombia, Congo and Uzbekistan. The matches will take place in three US cities and two locations in Mexico, promising to bring an exciting competition for two direct tickets to the round of 32.
According to the simulation of the Opta supercomputer, Portugal is the team rated highest in the group. The European representative has a 94.9% chance of passing the group stage and 59% chance of finishing in the leading position.
This is the seventh consecutive World Cup that Portugal has participated in, a achievement only a few European teams have achieved since 2002. However, the best achievement of the "European Selecao" at the World Cup was still only third place in 1966.
Coach Roberto Martinez's team is considered one of the championship candidates thanks to possessing a balanced squad and rich experience. The Spanish strategist himself is also one of the most experienced coaches in the tournament, once leading Belgium to third place at the 2018 World Cup.
Besides, all attention is still focused on Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar is facing the opportunity to become the first player in history to participate in six World Cups. He is also the only player to have scored in five different World Cup finals.
Meanwhile, Colombia is considered a direct competitor to Portugal for the top spot in the group. Opta assesses that the South American representative has a 84.9% chance of winning a ticket to the next round.
Under the guidance of coach Nestor Lorenzo, Colombia is possessing a generation of talented players. This team once reached the final of Copa America 2024 and only lost to Argentina after extra time.
Colombia's greatest strength lies in attack. They scored 28 goals in the South American World Cup qualifiers, only behind Argentina. Luis Diaz is the most outstanding scorer with 7 goals, while James Rodriguez continues to show class with 7 assists even though he has turned 34.
In the remaining group, Congo and Uzbekistan are significantly underestimated but not completely out of chances.
Congo returned to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when they were still named Zaire. The African team is going through a waiting period of more than half a century to reappear on the world's largest stage.
Their hope is placed on the attacking duo Cedric Bakambu and Yoane Wissa, players who are playing in top European national leagues. Both have made a strong mark in their home team's journey to win tickets to the World Cup.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan is one of the most notable new faces of this year's tournament. The Central Asian team won a ticket to the World Cup for the first time and is led by former legend Fabio Cannavaro.
In the qualifiers, Uzbekistan only lost one match after 16 appearances. That achievement shows that they are not an easy opponent to defeat. The leader of this team is Eldor Shomurodov, who contributed 5 goals and 4 assists in the qualifying campaign.
Although Portugal and Colombia are considered superior, the new format of the 2026 World Cup opens up opportunities for even third-placed teams. This means that Congo and Uzbekistan still have the right to hope to create surprises in Group K.
