Cristiano Ronaldo to start Portugal v Colombia, Joao Neves benched

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·28 June 2026

Cristiano Ronaldo to start Portugal v Colombia, Joao Neves benched

According to L'Équipe, Cristiano Ronaldo will start Portugal’s third World Cup match against Colombia in Group K, kicking off at 1.30am on Saturday.

The Portugal captain will line up alongside Joao Felix in attack.

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Ronaldo opened his tournament with a brace in the 5-0 win over Uzbekistan. He could have been rested for this one, but Roberto Martinez has kept him in the XI.

Joao Neves begins on the bench, whereas his Paris team-mates Nuno Mendes and Vitinha are named in the starting line-up.

After two rounds, Colombia lead the group with two wins and are already through to the round of 32. They hold a two-point advantage over Portugal, making this a de facto decider for Group K.

Source: L'Équipe