World Cup 2026: Group K Preview
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Much like yesterday's focal point Argentina, Portugal have a deep and balanced squad if they can manage the generational tension between their aging superstar and younger talent. Unlike Argentina, that superstar is the egotistical Cristiano Ronaldo.
Portugal 🇵🇹
FIFA Rank: 5th
Qualified as: UEFA Group F winners
The Skinny
Four years ago, a team rallied around their leader, one of the all-time greatest players in history, to finally deliver a World Cup to his name. Even though that player commanded the headlines, it was a total team effort, with the international trophy they had secured the year prior the first indicator of how balanced and potent the squad was. Yes, I'm talking about 2022 Argentina and Messi...but if you come back and read those first two sentences before the next World Cup, it's very possible they could be true of 2026 Portugal, too. Now, an obvious caveat is that there's a clear difference in the prestige between the Nations League that Portugal won last year, and the Copa America that Argentina won in 2021 to finally get the monkey off Messi's back. Portugal have won a major tournament in the 'Ronaldo Era,' a stunning Euros run a decade ago, but the iconic striker is just about the only holdover from that team to this one, that features a new generation of talent at top teams in Europe. But the Seleção das Quinas' status as "biggest favorite, outside of the biggest favorites" is warranted when you look closer at that perhaps underrated Nations League triumph last year: they topped a group with Croatia and Poland without losing a single match, then went into Germany and beat the hosts in the semifinals, and then heavy favorites Spain in the Final. They boast the recently crowned Premier League player of the year, and the man of the match in the Champions League Final. And perhaps an underplayed emotional element of this team's motivation is the tragic loss of their friend and teammate Diogo Jota last summer. Through every ensuing international window, and even in the official squad announcement, Portugal has displayed how much his memory and honor matter to them.
The Best XI
Another key distinction between Ronaldo and Messi is that they just occupy different spaces for their team: whereas Messi may need some compensation to account for his slower pace and lack of tracking-back, he still creates and faciliates for Argentina at the level that he has for a while. Ronaldo, on the other hand, better be knocking in goals, because if he's not, he's a complete black hole at the top of the pitch. That's not really a criticism-- he's a 41-year old man! --except for the fact that Portugal insists, perhaps because the striker himself insists, on continuing to play him, usually to their own deteriment. The other problem is that there's not a great alternative. Portugal's only other pure striker on the squad is Gonçalo Ramos, whose form has fallen off sharply since joining Paris Saint-Germain. It feels crass to think of Jota's tragic death in these terms, but this is where the clinical Liverpool man could really be used as an option. The good news for Portugal is that they're very deep at winger and attacking midfielder. Though manager Roberto Martinez will almost surely not do this, but the best option may just to play a "false 9" formation with Serie A wingers Rafael Leão and Fabio Conceição in the psuedo center forward spots, and Manchester City icon Bernardo Silva and recently anointed Premier League player of the year Bruno Fernandes flanking them. The other good news for Portugal is that the quality just keeps going up the further back you go; Vitinha and João Neves comprise one of the best midfields in the club world at PSG, and their teammate Nuno Mendes is widely considered the best left-back in the world at the moment. Elsewhere in the defense, Ruben Días (Manchester City), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting Lisbon), and João Cancelo (Barcelona) bring veteran quality.
DR Congo 🇨🇩
FIFA Rank: 45th
Qualified as: CAF Group B runners-up,
def. Cameroon, Nigeria and Jamaica in playoff
The Skinny
When the Democratic Republic of Congo beat Jamaica in overtime in March to clinch the penultimate spot in the 48-team field, it was an incredible cherry on top of what has been a long, unlikely journey to this tournament. It's not actually, as you might expect, the nation's first appearance at a World Cup; they were the first-ever African participant, in fact, attending the 1974 World Cup under the name and flag of Zaire. But that lone previous appearance is one that inflicts as much pain to remember as it does cause for celebration; not just because of the results on the field, but rather, the relentless racism in media coverage they received and the intense political pressure and brutality they endured under the government of Mobutu Sese Seko. Fast-forward over 50 years to present-day DR Congo, the nation looks considerably different, but still finds itself among turmoil. Some of the ugliness affected this team directly; a promising qualifying campaign turned sour when the Léopards blew a 2-0 lead at home against Senegal, and lost a match in which a win could have all but solidified their World Cup qualification. In the aftermath, fans rioted, flooding and vandalising the stadium and nearly stopping the team buses from leaving. DR Congo was not able to wrestle 1st place in the group back from Senegal, but stayed resolute mentally all the same, rattling off 5 consecutive wins from there to secure 2nd place and an African playoff berth, upset heavy favorites Cameroon and then Nigeria in said playoff, and then defeat Jamaica in a one-off in Mexico to at ong last, book their spot in these finals. This is a group with a sneaky amount of talent, for one, but also with bonds forged through tribulation, and you can bet they won't back down from any fight.
The Best XI
The Léopards squad is, with just a couple exceptions, full of players playing in top leagues in Europe, but England and France especially factor heavily in the first-team. Premier League fans will recognize a number of players here, most notably longtime Manchester United (and current West Ham) fullback Aaron Wan-Bissaka, his defensive counterpart Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Sunderland midfielder Noah Sadiki, and Brentford-turned-Newcastle star attacker Yoane Wissa. Meanwhile, captain Chancel Mbemba is a starter for Lille in Ligue 1, his fellow veteran defender Arthur Masuaku (Lens) will play on the left side, and his club teammate Ngal'ayel Mukau will patrol the midfield.
Uzbekistan 🇺🇿
FIFA Rank: 50th
Qualified as: AFC Group A runners-up
The Skinny
If DR Congo feels like a World Cup debutante, Uzbekistan truly is one! And yet, as far as debutantes go, Uzbekistan's inclusion in this tournament doesn't feel all that surprising. They were the exact kind of team poised to benefit directly from the expanded 48-team field: constantly on the cusp of breaking through, but never quite able to crack the small allottment reserved for their federation. The White Wolves (a real contender for coolest nickname at this tournament) have been a constant presence at the AFC Asian Cup; amazingly, they've reached the quarterfinal stage of every tournament in the 21st century, even finishing as high as 3rd place in the 2011 edition. They also have had some near-misses for World Cup qualifying: missing out on automatic qualification for the 2018 tournament on goal difference alone, losing to Uruguay in an inter-confederation playoff for the final spot in the 2014 tournament, etc. But the Central Asians made the most of the expansion to 8 allotted spots this time around, booking their inaugural spot by finishing second only to top-ranked Iran in their group, and managing to avoid the firewall of Australia, Japan, Korea and Saudi Arabia. This is a team with a lot of familiarity and cohesion, plus a sprinkling of talent at some major clubs, and they'll be a resolute group to deal with amongst 3 more attack-oriented teams in this group. It doesn't hurt that they're being led by Fabio Cannavaro, a guy that knows a thing or two about what it takes to win a World Cup.
The Best XI
Almost the entirety of this squad plays professionally in either the Uzbekistan Super League, or the Persian Gulf Pro League in Iran. That sort of familiarity can come in handy at tournaments like these, and these guys have been playing together for a while; the entirety of the likely starting midfield is over 30. Some notable exceptions to the rule: captain Eldor Shomurodov will likely start up top as he does for Istanbul Başakşehir, and his club teammate Abbosbek Fayzullaev is likely to join him in attack here. Then, of course, there's the star boy in defense: Abdukodir Khusanov, starter for Manchester City, as he has been from the ripe old age of 20.
Colombia 🇨🇴
FIFA Rank: 13th
Qualified as: 3rd in CONMEBOL
The Skinny
Colombia's football history, inasmuch as it's measured by success, has popped up in a couple big spurts over the years. The first was in the 90s, where they went from just 1 World Cup appearance in history to competing in all 3 World Cups that decade, and made the semifinals of 7 out of 8 Copa Americas during that stretch, culminating in a major trophy on home soil in 2001. A long 15-year lull followed, but then came another peak in the mid-2010s, when James Rodriguez put the world on notice and led Colombia on a thrilling quarterfinal run in the 2014 World Cup, followed by 3rd place finishes at the 2015 and 2016 Copa Americas, and another Round of 16 berth in Russia 2018. Might Los Cafeteros be on the cusp of another one of those spurts? A squad between generations whiffed on the 2022 World Cup altogether, but just two years later, a new-look team took the Copa America by storm, barnstorming through the tournament in the U.S. all the way to the Final, where only an overtime goal separated them from mighty Argentina. They maintained that momentum throughout qualifying, bested in the South America gauntlet only by Argentina and plucky Ecuador. They're not a deep squad, but their starting XI will feel as if they can hang with anybody, and the unparalleled support of the Colombia faithful will give Los Cafeteros a "12th man" for as long as they stay in this tournament.
The Best XI
Back is legendary midfielder James Rodríguez, who continues to struggle at the club level (he's currently on the outs with MLS club Minnesota United) but turns into Superman every time he pulls on the national team kit. He's 34 now, which is in line with this squad, one of the oldest at the tournament; but the upside is that means some serious veteran leadership, like in defense with Mallorca's Johan Mohica, Davison Sánchez of Galatasaray, and Crystal Palace's Daniel Muñoz. The "youngster" of the back line is 27-year old Jhon Lucumí, starter at Serie A's Bologna. Muñoz's Crystal Palace teammate Jefferson Lerma will likely start in the defensive midfield, and in attack, it's all about former Liverpool and current Bayern Munich star Luis Díaz. The winger had a tremendous first season in the Bundesliga and will undoubtedly be the focal point of this attack, but if defenses key in on him, Sporting Lisbon's Luis Suárez (no, not that one) is a real up and comer at striker.
Group Schedule (all times ET)
6/17, 1 PM: Portugal v DR Congo (Houston)
6/17, 10 PM: Uzbekistan v Colombia (Mexico City)
6/23, 1 PM: Portugal v Uzbekistan (Houston)
6/23, 10 PM: Colombia v DR Congo (Guadalajara)
6/27, 7:30 PM: Colombia v Portugal (Miami) / DR Congo v Uzbekistan (Atlanta)
Group Prediction
Portugal's an interesting team to try and predict this tournament; it feels like I've seen as many predictions that they're quietly a potential title winner as I have that they're the most likely favorite to go home early. For what it's worth, I'm int he former camp; I understand the concerns about their attack, and about their performance the last time a World Cup was in the Western hemisphere, but I think there's too much quality here to ignore, and I do think the loss of Jota will be a real rallying point for them. I do think Colombia's pace and the energy they get from their fans will give the favorites a game, but I expect Portugal's performance over the course of the group will be slightly better. As is the case with a couple other groups, the two big questions are: which of the top two teams will win the group, and which of the 'bottom two' can snag 3rd place and a possible Round of 32 berth? To the latter, I like DR Congo; I think their talent and drive is a level above Uzbekistan's, and in fact could be enough to see them take a shock point off Colombia or Portugal.
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