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The 2026 World Cup is set to be the biggest ever, with 48 teams in the tournament. From perennial contenders to smaller countries that become the subject of Cinderella stories, there is sure to be plenty of action next summer.
Group K carries a few storylines, but a major one stands out: Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup. Ronaldo — the all-time international leading goal scorer — has confirmed the tournament as his sixth and final World Cup, where he’ll be 41, potentially ending his legendary international career. Also in the group are James Rodriguez, Luis Diaz and Colombia, who return to the tournament for the first time since 2018.
Here, The Sporting News brings you a complete overview of Group K, headlined by Ronaldo’s final run.
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World Cup Group K schedule
Group K table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Portugal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | DR Congo/Jamaica/New Caledonia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | Uzbekistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | Colombia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group K fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Wed, Jun. 17 | TBD | Portugal vs. FIFA Playoff 1 Winner | TBD |
| Wed, Jun. 17 | TBD | Uzbekistan vs. Colombia | TBD |
| Tues, Jun. 23 | TBD | Colombia vs. FIFA Playoff 1 Winner | TBD |
| Tues, Jun. 23 | TBD | Portugal vs. Uzbekistan | TBD |
| Sat, Jun. 27 | TBD | Colombia vs. Portugal | TBD |
| Sat, Jun. 27 | TBD | FIFA Playoff 1 Winner vs. Uzbekistan | TBD |
Note that the full list of match venues and times will be updated by FIFA on Dec. 6, post the World Cup draw.
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World Cup Group K teams
Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo will head once more into the breach as the evergreen forward contests what will surely be his final World Cup with Portugal. Ronaldo will be 41 by the time the 2026 tournament kicks off in North America, but international football’s all-time record goal scorer retains his insatiable appetite for finding the back of the net.
This will be Ronaldo’s sixth World Cup and it underlines his towering place in his nation’s football history when we consider this will only be the Selecao’s ninth appearance overall. Ronaldo has played in five of those, although they have not done any better than the fourth place he helped them to in his first tournament back in 2006. Portugal came third on their World Cup debut in England in 1966, when the great Eusebio was top scorer.
Roberto Martinez’s side finished top of UEFA Group F to seal automatic qualification, although Ronaldo’s red card in the defeat to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin meant he was at risk of missing the opening games of the group stage until FIFA’s reprieve. Some observers might suggest that not having Ronaldo is no bad thing, with the more youthful talents of Joao Neves and Rafael Leao given room to author their own World Cup stories. The 2026 tournament is also likely to be an emotional one for Portugal, as they compete for the greatest prize a year on from the tragic death of their forward Diogo Jota.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 6th
- Regional ranking: 4th (UEFA)
- World Cup titles: 0
- World Cup appearances (last): 8 (Qatar 2022)
- How qualified: UEFA Group F winners: 4W-1L-1D
- Coach: Roberto Martinez (Spain) since January 2023
- Key player(s): Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Colombia
Colombia will once again be present at the World Cup, and the excitement among fans could hardly be greater. The 2026 finals will mark a new opportunity for Nestor Lorenzo’s team to try to make history with a generation that combines talent, youth, and experience.
The runner-up finish at the 2024 Copa America against Argentina left a bad taste in the mouth, but also the feeling that the Colombians are up to the task of fighting for big things. Although they have only been nearly-men until now, the team led by James Rodríguez promises to give their all to get fans excited again.
The pain of not qualifying for Qatar 2022 has healed, and Lorenzo’s team want to surpass the quarterfinals of 2014, their best performance in history. There is a good base of players: Luis Díaz, Jefferson Lerma, and Jhon Arias are the ones carrying the highest expectations.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 13th
- Regional ranking: 3rd (CONMEBOL)
- World Cup titles: 0
- World Cup appearances (last): 6 (Russia 2018)
- How qualified: 3rd in South American qualifying: 7W-4L-7D
- Coach: Nestor Lorenzo (Argentina) since June 2022
- Key player(s): Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich), James Rodriguez (Leon), Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace)
Uzbekistan
After years of slowly and quietly elevating their national team player pool, Uzbekistan finally got over the hump and qualified for their first-ever World Cup in 2026.
The White Wolves have been performing at the youth level for years, and have been hovering around qualification in many of the last few cycles. They missed out on advancing in Asian qualification by a single point in 2022, and were short of a playoff spot by goal differential in 2018.
They have progressed to the quarterfinals of youth World Cup tournaments multiple times in the last decade, at both the U-17 and U-20 levels. It has led them to a talented squad with multiple players in their prime at big European clubs, such as Abdukodir Khusanov at Manchester City and Eldor Shomurodov at Istanbul Basaksehir after a stint at AS Roma.
Uzbekistan was forced to make a rare pre-World Cup coaching change, as 44-year-old Timur Kapadze, who led them to World Cup qualification, was forced to resign due to unspecified health reasons. They hired Italian hero Fabio Cannavaro, with Kapadze initially to stay on as an assistant before departing entirely shortly after. Cannavaro enjoyed a legendary playing career, but has failed to break through at the major club level as a manager, with short stints in charge of Dinamo Zagreb, Udinese, and Guangzhou Evergrande. It is a massive risk ahead of the biggest summer in national team history, but one they were forced to take.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 50th
- Regional ranking: 5th (AFC)
- World Cup titles: 0
- World Cup appearances (last): 0
- How qualified: AFC Third Round Group A runner-up: 6W-1L-3D
- Coach: Fabio Cannavaro (ITA) since October 2025
- Key player(s): Eldor Shomurdov (Istanbul Basaksehir), Abdukodir Khusanov (Manchester City), Husniddin Aliqulov (Caykur Rizespor)
FIFA Intercontinental Playoff Path 1 Winner
The first pathway at the intercontinental playoffs — officially called the FIFA Play-Off Tournament — will see New Caledonia and Jamaica contest a semifinal for the right to take on DR Congo in the final. Only the final winners will qualify for the World Cup.
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World Cup Group K odds and predictions
Here are the odds for Group K, according to DraftKings in the USA.
These odds will be updated as available.
| Team | Group Winner | To Qualify | Win title |
| Portugal | -125 | +1000 | |
| Uzbekistan | +2000 | +200000 | |
| Colombia | +200 | +5000 | |
| DR Congo | +700 | +70000 | |
| Jamaica | +4000 | +100000 | |
| New Caledonia | +10000 |
WORLD CUP DRAW BREAKDOWNS:
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F
Group G | Group H | Group I | Group J | Group L
World Cup 2026 bracket for Group K
The Group K winner will progress to the Round of 32, where they will be paired with a third-placed team from either Group D, E, I, J or L.
The Group K runner-up will be scheduled to meet the runner-up in Group L in the Round of 32.
Should the Group K third-place finisher qualify as one of the eight best third-place teams (out of 12 groups), they would face the winner of Group L.
Round of 32
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jun. 28 | M1: 2nd, Group A vs. 2nd, Group B | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M2: 1st, Group E vs. 3rd place finisher | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M3: 1st, Group F vs. 2nd, Group C | Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, MEX) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M4: 1st, Group C vs. 2nd, Group F | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M5: 1st, Group I vs. 3rd place finisher | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M6: 2nd, Group E vs. 2nd, Group I | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M7: 1st, Group A vs. 3rd place finisher | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M8: 1st, Group L vs. 3rd place finisher | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M9: 1st, Group D vs. 3rd place finisher | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M10: 1st, Group G vs. 3rd place finisher | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M11: 2nd, Group K vs. 2nd, Group L | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M12: 1st, Group H vs. 2nd, Group J | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M13: 1st, Group B vs. 3rd place finisher | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | M14: 1st, Group J vs. 2nd, Group H | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | M15: 1st, Group K vs. 3rd place finisher | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
| Fr, Jul. 3 | M16: 2nd, Group D vs. 2nd, Group G | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
Round of 16
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | M1: Winner, R32 M2 vs. Winner, R32 M5 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA) |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | M2: Winner, R32 M1 vs. Winner, R32 M3 | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | M3: Winner, R32 M4 vs. Winner, R32 M6 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | M4: Winner, R32 M7 vs. Winner, R32 M8 | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | M5: Winner, R32 M11 vs. Winner, R32 M12 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | M6: Winner, R32 M9 vs. Winner, R32 M10 | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | M7: Winner, R32 M14 vs. Winner, R32 M16 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | M8: Winner, R32 M13 vs. Winner, R32 M15 | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Match | Location |
| Thu, Jul. 9 | QF1: Winner, R16 M1 vs. Winner, R16 M2 | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Fri, Jul. 10 | QF2: Winner, R16 M5 vs. Winner, R16 M6 | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | QF3: Winner, R16 M3 vs. Winner, R16 M4 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | QF4: Winner, R16 M7 vs. Winner, R16 M8 | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
Semifinals
| Date | Match | Location |
| Tue, Jul. 14 | SF1: Winner, QF1 vs. Winner, QF2 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Wed, Jul. 15 | SF2: Winner, QF3 vs. Winner, QF4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
Third place match
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 18 | Loser, SF1 vs. Loser, SF2 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
Final
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jul. 19 | Winner, SF1 vs. Winner, SF2 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
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