Is Portugal’s World Cup group stage draw as easy as it looks? | OneFootball

On paper, Portugal have landed in about as comfortable a group as a team of their standing could hope for. DR Congo are making their first World Cup appearance in 52 years, and Uzbekistan will be making their tournament debut this summer. Colombia, the most credible of the three opponents, missed the 2022 tournament entirely.

Those who bet on FIFA World Cup 2026 will see Portugal listed as overwhelming favourites to top the group, and that assessment is understandable. But writing off this group entirely would be a mistake, and Colombia in particular deserve far more credit than they are currently receiving.

DR Congo

DR Congo qualified in the most dramatic circumstances, with former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe bundling the ball over the line in the 100th minute against Jamaica to end a five-decade-long wait for a World Cup return.

Sebastian Desabre has built a side that is well-organised and dangerous on the counter, with Cedric Bakambu leading the attack and Premier League pair Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Yoane Wissa adding real quality. Portugal should win the opener in Houston on 17 June, but a team returning to the World Cup after five decades, with nothing to lose, is never simply a free three points.

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan have no World Cup history and operate largely outside European football’s mainstream conversation, but they qualified by finishing top of their AFC group ahead of Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

Several of their key players are established in the South Korean and Japanese leagues, and they will be organised and physically competitive. Portuguese should have enough to take the three points against Fabio Cannavaro’s side, but a complacent performance could easily produce a result that puts unnecessary pressure on the Colombia game.

Colombia

Colombia went 28 matches unbeaten before losing the 2024 Copa America final to Argentina in extra time, a run that included wins over Germany, Spain and Brazil.

The squad Nestor Lorenzo has built functions as a unit, with Richard Rios providing energy in midfield and Daniel Munoz offering real quality and attacking verve at right-back. They also have Luis Díaz who is performing at the highest level in European football for Bayern Munich, and Sporting CP goal machine Luis Suárez. They finished third in CONMEBOL qualifying, above Brazil, which is context that tends to get overlooked when Group K is discussed.

The fixture falls on 27 June in Miami, the final group game for both sides. By that point, Portugal may already have qualification secured, and the temptation to rotate could be significant. A fully-motivated Colombia side against a Portugal team with one eye on the knockouts is not the straightforward fixture the seedings suggest. For those following World Cup tips ahead of the tournament, Colombia are one of the more interesting propositions in the group stage.

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Portugal should qualify from this group. The squad is too strong, and the opposition is not at the level of the sides they will face in the knockouts. But how they come through matters.

A stumble against Colombia, or a draw that leaves questions about their cohesion heading into the last 16, would be a setback they cannot afford, given what is at stake this summer.