FIFA World Cup 2026 | Group K Preview
We now take a look at the penultimate group of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where we have a European giant looking for a final hurrah, a South American sleeping giant looking to once again regain its dominant stride, an African outfit that will be bringing an indomitable spirit to the tournament, and an Asian underdog making its first competitive appearance in the World Cup.
So let’s dive right into Group K of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
FIFA World Cup 2026 | Group K Teams
Portugal (UEFA)
Colombia (CONMEBOL)
Democratic Republic of the Congo (CAF)
Uzbekistan (AFC)
The run-in
Portugal
The Seleção topped their World Cup qualifying group, which comprised Hungary, Armenia, and the Republic of Ireland, with a decent record of four wins, one draw, and a solitary loss. They had a good attacking return, scoring 20 goals while conceding seven.
Boasting a rich World Cup pedigree, Portugal will look to get past the semi-final stage this time around and hopefully go all the way.
Colombia
Colombia had a rather smooth path to qualification in a rather competitive CONMEBOL line-up this time around. The fact that they finished third over perennial heavyweights Brazil and Uruguay goes to show how much they have grown as a team in the last couple of years.
Having missed the 2022 edition by a whisker, La Tricolor come into the World Cup with a point to prove.
DR Congo
The Léopards are set to make their first World Cup appearance as the DR Congo; the last time they qualified, they were known as Zaire.
The DR Congo had arguably the toughest qualifying route among all African sides. After finishing second in their group behind Senegal, they had to go through a play-off round, which saw them defeat Cameroon and Nigeria before prevailing against Jamaica in the intercontinental play-offs.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan are one of the many debutants that will grace this year’s World Cup, having taken giant strides in their growth as a footballing nation.
The White Wolves also have the distinction of being the first country from Central Asia to play at the World Cup after finishing second in the third round of the AFC qualifiers behind Iran.
How each team stacks up
Portugal enter the tournament with arguably the best midfield corps on paper. João Neves and Vitinha have won the Champions League with PSG for a second year running, Bruno Fernandes has just broken the Premier League assists record with Manchester United, while Bernardo Silva helped Manchester City seal a domestic double and mount a late title charge in the Premier League. However, all eyes will undoubtedly be on Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be playing his sixth World Cup and will look to have a massive influence in the knockout stages of the tournament, something he has struggled to do in previous editions. Coach Roberto Martínez will hope that he leads this Portuguese golden generation to glory, having failed to do so in his previous stint with Belgium.
Colombia, meanwhile, have a squad that is mixed with young stars alongside established superstars who will be entrusted to do the heavy lifting. James Rodríguez, Jhon Arias, Daniel Muñoz, Richard Ríos, Yerry Mina, and Davinson Sánchez all have experience, but it will be the Bayern Munich superstar Luis Díaz who will be the main man for Colombia following his incredible season in the German Bundesliga, where he was part of arguably the world’s best front three, having registered 26 goals and 23 assists across all competitions.
Elsewhere, the DR Congo come into the World Cup quietly optimistic about their chances of progression to the knockouts. They have a well-disciplined defence, alongside attackers who have been in good nick for their respective club sides. The likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Chancel Mbemba, Axel Tuanzebe, and Arthur Masuaku bring European pedigree at the back, while the likes of Gaël Kakuta, Cédric Bakambu, Noah Sadiki, and Yoane Wissa will provide the attacking impetus.
Lastly, Uzbekistan do not have as much star power and are somewhat of an unknown quantity in this tournament. That said, they are currently led by Fabio Cannavaro, the Italian former World Cup-winning skipper, legend, and Ballon d’Or winner; expect the White Wolves to be defensively compact and physical, with star Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov leading the defence on the pitch, having slowly built a reputation as one of the Premier League’s best young defenders last season.
Who makes it out of Group K
Portugal and Colombia definitely look set to be locked in a tussle for the top spot. The clash between the two sides could pretty much shape the outcome of the entire group, with Uzbekistan and the DR Congo also in with a fair shout to make it out of the group stage with a dominant third-place finish. There is a very good chance we see three teams progress out of this group into the round of 32.
Prediction
Portugal (1st)
Colombia (2nd)
Democratic Republic of the Congo (3rd)
Uzbekistan (4th)
