Portugal through to World Cup knockouts ahead of Colombia clash

Portugal have officially secured their place in the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup before even kicking a ball in their final Group K match against Colombia.

Roberto Martínez’s side head into Sunday’s decisive Group K clash against Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens (7.30pm local time; 12.30am Sunday in Lisbon) knowing their place in the knockout stages is already secure, after results elsewhere confirmed Portugal as one of the tournament’s best-ranked third-placed teams.

Portugal sit on four points from their opening two matches, following a 1-1 draw with DR Congo and a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan. That tally proved enough to secure qualification once Group H was completed on Friday night, with neither Uruguay nor Saudi Arabia able to reach four points.

The development removes one layer of pressure from Portugal’s final group match, but the stakes remain high. Victory over Colombia would secure top spot in Group K and potentially offer a more favourable route in the next round. A draw may also be enough, depending on goal difference and the final standings.

Colombia have also already qualified and enter the match level with Portugal on four points. They opened their campaign with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan before beating DR Congo 1-0, leaving both sides to battle directly for first place.

Portugal’s qualification was confirmed after a dramatic day in the wider tournament picture. Cape Verde made history by reaching the knockout stages in their first World Cup appearance, finishing unbeaten in Group H after a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia. The result, combined with Spain’s 1-0 win over Uruguay, meant the third-placed team in the group finished with fewer than four points.

That was enough to send several teams through, including Portugal, Paraguay, Egypt, England and Ghana, all already on four points.

Cape Verde’s achievement was one of the standout stories of the tournament so far. After holding Spain to a 0-0 draw and drawing 2-2 with Uruguay, the African side produced another disciplined display against Saudi Arabia to finish second in the group. Their reward is a glamour tie against defending champions Argentina on July 3.

Spain topped the group with seven points, while Uruguay and Saudi Arabia were eliminated with two points each.

Elsewhere, Belgium finished top of Group G after a 5-1 win over New Zealand, while Egypt drew 1-1 with Iran to secure second place. France also confirmed first place in Group I with a 4-1 win over Norway, inspired by a first-half hat-trick from Ousmane Dembélé.

For Portugal, however, attention now turns firmly to Colombia.

Martínez may be tempted to manage his squad carefully, knowing qualification is already secured, but the opportunity to win the group is significant. Portugal’s attacking display against Uzbekistan showed the team’s potential when the forward line clicks, and another strong performance would send a clear message before the knockout rounds.

With both Portugal and Colombia safely through, the match is no longer about survival. It is about momentum, confidence and the shape of the road ahead.

Inês Lopes

Newspaper editor at The Portugal Resident