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Aron Wright - June 5, 2026
Group K carries more emotional weight than any other group at the 2026 World Cup. Portugal arrive as one of the tournament favourites. But they play every game in the shadow of Diogo Jota.
The Liverpool forward died in a car accident in July 2025. He was 28 years old. Roberto Martinez named him as the symbolic plus-one in the squad. His number travels with the group.
Colombia return after missing Qatar with Luis Diaz in the form of his life. DR Congo are back after 52 years away. Uzbekistan make history as the first Central Asian nation ever at a World Cup.
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Portugal are one of the three or four teams that can win this tournament. They are the reigning UEFA Nations League champions. Their midfield is the best in the competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo is 41 and making a record sixth World Cup appearance. He needs three goals to break the all-time tournament scoring record.
The Jota story defines this squad. He was 28 years old and at the peak of his career. He was part of Martinez’s plans for this tournament. His death in July 2025 shook Portuguese football to its core.
Martinez named him as the plus-one. Every player at this tournament carries that weight. It does not change the football. It changes what the football means.
The squad is extraordinary. Vitinha and Joao Neves won everything with PSG this season. Bruno Fernandes was one of the best players in the Premier League. Bernardo Silva, Pedro Neto and Rafael Leao give Martinez attacking options of genuine world class.
Ruben Dias has a hamstring injury and has not played since March. That is the one real concern. Goncalo Inacio can cover but Dias is irreplaceable at his best.
Prediction: Portugal are the strong favourites to win Group K. The quality gap between them and their three opponents is clear. The Colombia game on June 27 in Miami is the only fixture without a straightforward outcome.
Colombia missed Qatar 2022 and the hurt of that absence has sharpened this squad. Nestor Lorenzo has built something real.
They reached the Copa America 2024 final. They finished third in CONMEBOL qualifying with 28 points. They arrive with momentum and belief.
Luis Diaz is the story. He scored 26 goals and provided 23 assists across all competitions for Bayern Munich this season. He is the most dangerous attacker in this group.
James Rodriguez is 34 and plays in MLS but he is still the player who changes games from nothing. This is his final World Cup. He won the Golden Boot here in 2014. He will not let it go quietly.
The Jhon Duran exclusion is the big talking point. The Aston Villa striker was one of Europe’s most in-form forwards this season. Lorenzo left him out for disciplinary reasons.
It is a significant absence. Colombia are a different team with a natural target man in the box. Without Duran, everything runs through Diaz and the midfield runners.
Prediction: Colombia must clinch the second spot in Group K with Diaz in form of his life and will be a key difference-maker in this group. They are expected to beat Uzbekistan on June 17 and the June 27 game against Portugal decides the group winner.
DR Congo have not been at a World Cup since 1974. They competed as Zaire that year and went out in the group stage. The wait since then has been 52 years. It ended on March 31, 2026 when Axel Tuanzebe scored in the 100th minute against Jamaica to seal their place. A nation of 100 million people celebrated.
Sebastien Desabre has built a squad on the Congolese diaspora in Europe. Yoane Wissa at Newcastle is their most dangerous attacker. Cedric Bakambu at Real Betis has 21 international goals.
One more breaks the all-time DR Congo record. Aaron Wan-Bissaka switched allegiance from England to give Desabre an elite right-back. Chancel Mbemba captains the side with 107 caps.
These are not players who lack quality. They beat Cameroon and Nigeria to get here. That tells you everything about what this squad can do.
Prediction: DR Congo could end up at third in the table. They are good enough squad to take points from Uzbekistan and make Colombia and Portugal work hard. The June 27 game in Atlanta against Uzbekistan is their final and they will treat it like one.
Uzbekistan are the first Central Asian nation ever to qualify for a World Cup. They did it without a defeat in their final AFC qualifying group. Then they hired Fabio Cannavaro.
The 2006 World Cup winner and Ballon d’Or winner replaced Timur Kapadze, who had guided them through qualifying, and took charge in October 2025. His first major international tournament as a manager is this one.
The squad is heavily domestic with fifteen of the 26 players play in the Uzbekistan Super League. Abdukodir Khusanov is the only player at a top European club. He plays for Manchester City but has barely featured since his January 2025 signing.
Captain Eldor Shomurodov is the all-time top scorer with 44 goals. Abbosbek Fayzullaev is the creative spark. Cannavaro has built the team around defensive discipline.
The Colombia opener on June 17 in Mexico City is their best and possibly only chance of a result in this group.
Prediction: Uzbekistan could finish fourth. The quality gap is too wide. But Cannavaro will have them organised and Shomurodov will work for every minute he is on the pitch.
Portugal should win this group. Their squad is one of the best in the tournament. But Colombia are dangerous and the June 27 game in Miami is a genuine contest.
DR Congo will not roll over for anyone and Uzbekistan have Fabio Cannavaro on the touchline and a defence built to frustrate. This group is not as straightforward as it looks.
For a betting angle, back Diaz as Group K top scorer. He is a better bet than Ronaldo and faces weaker opposition in the first two games. The price should reflect that gap.
