Group K closes out the 2026 World Cup group stage tonight and both matches in the Southeast United States have real stakes. No dead rubbers here.
Colombia and Portugal meet in Miami, and the math is pretty clean. Colombia sits atop the group and needs just a draw to stay there. Portugal can advance with a draw too, but anything less starts to get messy. A Portugal win flips the order entirely, sending them through as group winners and Colombia into second. Lose, and Portugal could be watching the Round of 32 from home if other results don’t break their way.
Cristiano Ronaldo is in the starting lineup for Portugal, which tells you everything about how seriously they’re taking this. No rest for the legend. Portugal came into this tournament as one of the deeper teams on paper, but group play has been uneven. The attack hasn’t clicked like they hoped. Colombia, on the other hand, has been steady. They’re organized, they’re confident, and they know a draw is enough. That’s a dangerous combo for Portugal.
Here are the starting XIs for Colombia vs Portugal:
Colombia: (to be confirmed – lineups rolling in as kickoff approaches)
Portugal: (to be confirmed – same situation)
Meanwhile in Atlanta, DR Congo is playing for history. Their first World Cup appearance since 1974, back when the country was called Zaire, and they’re still alive in the group. They have one point coming into tonight. A win over Uzbekistan puts them on four points, and that could be enough to sneak into the knockout round for the first time ever.
Uzbekistan is already eliminated. They’re playing for pride and nothing else. But eliminated teams can be weirdly dangerous in these spots. No pressure. Nothing to lose. They can swing freely while DR Congo tries not to let the moment swallow them whole.
Uzbekistan’s lineup is out: Nematov in goal, Khusanov, Alijnov, Ashurmatov, Nasrullaev, and Urozov across the back five. Midfield is Mozgovoy, Shukurov, Khamdanov, and Fayzzulaev. Up front it’s Shomurodov alone in a 5-4-1. They’re basically daring DR Congo to break them down.
DR Congo’s starters haven’t been confirmed at this writing, but the vibe from camp is that they’re going for it. They have to. Sitting back won’t get them three points.
Both matches kick off simultaneously, so fans are going to need multiple screens and a calculator. Group K could end in a few different ways and every goal matters. The knockout bracket is taking shape and these four teams are fighting for the last few slots.
Two games. Real stakes. No country in this group wants to go home tomorrow.
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