Colombia hold Portugal to a goalless draw to win Group K
Diogo Costa’s goalkeeping kept Portugal level in Miami, but a 0-0 draw was still enough for Colombia to win Group K and send both teams into the World Cup last 32.
Jun 28, 2026
Colombia and Portugal could not be separated in Miami, and a goalless draw on Saturday was enough to carry Colombia to the top of Group K with Cristiano Ronaldo’s side settling for second. Both nations had already booked their place in the last 32 before kick-off, so the night was about seeding rather than survival, but neither was willing to let the other take first place without a fight.
Colombia dominate but Diogo Costa stands firm
The scoreline flattered Portugal. Colombia controlled the contest at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, holding 55 percent of the ball and working 24 shots to their opponents’ 13. Six of those forced saves out of Diogo Costa, comfortably the busiest man on the pitch, and the Portugal goalkeeper turned away everything thrown at him. When Davinson Sanchez did finally beat him with a header, the effort was ruled out for offside. Joao Felix carried most of Portugal’s threat going the other way, but clear openings were rare against a Colombia side that defended as soundly as it attacked.
The 0-0 finish was a first of its kind for Colombia, who had never before drawn a goalless game at a World Cup. It left them on seven points, two points clear of Portugal on five, and rounded off an unbeaten group stage for Nestor Lorenzo’s team.
A quiet night for Ronaldo
Ronaldo could not find a way through the Colombia defence, and Portugal’s captain saw out the group stage without a goal in Miami. His mark on this tournament had come earlier, when he started Portugal’s opener against DR Congo as the oldest outfield player to begin a World Cup match and joined Lionel Messi as the only men to appear at six finals. Here, though, the night belonged to the goalkeepers.
DR Congo seal third as Uzbekistan exit
The other Group K fixture decided who would join the top two. DR Congo beat Uzbekistan 3-1 to finish third on four points, enough to keep their hopes alive as one of the best third-placed sides, while Uzbekistan went home without a point from their first World Cup. For a Congolese team back at the finals after a 52-year absence, reaching the knockout conversation is real progress.
What comes next
Both are through to the last 32, and finishing top should in theory hand Colombia the kinder draw. For Portugal, the knockout round becomes a test of whether they can rediscover the finishing touch that deserted them in Miami, where they mustered only two shots on target against a well-drilled Colombia defence. Ronaldo, in particular, will want a sharper night once the margin for error disappears.