Portugal settle for second after Colombia draw; Croatia await in last 32

Portugal finished second in Group K at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a goalless draw with Colombia, with goalkeeper Diogo Costa producing an outstanding display to ensure Roberto Martínez’s side avoided defeat.

The result left Colombia top of the group, while Portugal progressed as runners-up and will now face Croatia in the last 32 on Thursday, July 2, at 7pm local time (12am on July 3 in mainland Portugal).

Portugal had already secured qualification before kick-off, but victory would have given them the chance to finish top of Group K. Instead, the draw confirmed Colombia as group winners and left Portugal to advance in second place.

The match belonged to Diogo Costa, who was named FIFA’s Player of the Match after producing a series of assured saves to frustrate Colombia’s attackers. While he was not required to make any spectacular stops, the Porto goalkeeper was consistently alert, commanded his penalty area and denied every meaningful Colombian effort.

Costa was finally beaten after the 90 minutes, but the goal was ruled out, preserving Portugal’s clean sheet and underlining his importance throughout the match.

Despite the positive of reaching the knockout stage, Portugal struggled to impose themselves for long periods and created relatively few clear-cut opportunities against a confident Colombian side.

The performance suggested Martínez’s men will need to improve considerably if they are to progress further in the competition.

Speaking after the match, Martínez praised his goalkeeper’s contribution, describing Costa’s display as “fantastic”.

The Portugal coach played down the significance of the draw itself, insisting the team’s priority was achieving its long-term objective of remaining in the tournament.

“The important thing was to progress,” Martínez said, while acknowledging there were “aspects to improve” ahead of the knockout rounds.

Portugal’s players struck a similar tone after the final whistle, focusing on qualification rather than the nature of the performance.

Attention now turns to Croatia, who finished second in Group L to set up an intriguing knockout meeting with Portugal in Toronto.

Croatia’s experience on the international stage will present a stern test for Martínez’s squad, who showed defensive resilience but have yet to produce the fluent attacking football expected of one of Europe’s leading nations.

Source: DN/SIC Notícias

Inês Lopes

Newspaper editor at The Portugal Resident