Overview
Portugal and Colombia will enter the final match of Group K of the 2026 World Cup with the goal of competing for the top spot when facing each other in Miami.
Colombia is in an advantageous position after two consecutive victories against Uzbekistan and the DRC. The South American representative only needs a draw to maintain the leading position, while Portugal must win if they want to rise to the top of the group. However, with 4 points currently available, Roberto Martinez's team is almost certain to win a ticket to the round of 32.
The top spot in Group K is considered important as they will only have to face one of the third-placed teams with the best results in the knockout round. The second-placed team is likely to face the second-placed team in Group L, where England, Ghana and Croatia are present.
After a 1-1 draw against DRC Congo in the opening match, Portugal regained confidence with a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan. Cristiano Ronaldo is the brightest star with a double, raising the total number of goals at the World Cup to 10 - the most in Portuguese football history. The 41-year-old striker also became the first player to score in six different World Cups.
CR7 is aiming for the goal of scoring in 2 consecutive World Cup matches for the first time since 2018. After two legs, only Erling Haaland and Jonathan David have a higher expected goal difference (xG) than Ronaldo.
In midfield, Bruno Fernandes continues to play the role of conductor when he has two opening passes. Only Rodri of Spain has made more cross-line passes than the midfielder of Manchester United after two matches.
Along with Joao Neves and Vitinha, Fernandes created a trio to help Portugal completely control the midfield. Only Spain has more combinations from 10 passes or more than Portugal at the 2026 World Cup, and they also possess the best pressing index (PPDA) of the tournament after two rounds.
On the other side, Colombia also showed effective high-pressing ability. They converted more than 36% of ball possessions in the opponent's half into shots, belonging to the highest group in the league.
Daniel Munoz is a notable name as he scored in both of the first 2 matches. Meanwhile, James Rodriguez continues to prove his class with five chances created against the DRC - the best achievement of a Colombian player in a World Cup match since Carlos Valderrama in 1998.
Along with Luis Diaz, the duo James Rodriguez and Daniel Munoz will be the biggest hope for Colombia to aim for a group stage win, something they have only done once before in 2014.
Head-to-head record
This will be the first time Colombia and Portugal have faced each other in history.
Colombia is unbeaten in the last 3 World Cup matches against European representatives (2 wins, 1 draw, not counting penalties).
Meanwhile, Portugal has also never lost in 3 World Cup group stage matches against South American opponents, with a record of two wins and one draw.
Score prediction: Colombia 1-3 Portugal
The match between Colombia and Portugal takes place at 6:30 am on June 28 (Vietnam time).
