World Cup Preview Group K: The Last Run for Cristiano Ronaldo

Kevin Sweeney
July 20, 2011; San Diego, CA, USA; CD Guadalajara defender Miguel Ronce (16) battles with Real Madrid forward Christiano Ronaldo (7) for a header on a corner kick during the first half at Qualcomm Stadium.

The World Cup begins today, with South Africa playing Mexico at 3 pm. Group K in this tournament will contain one of the biggest stars on the planet, Cristiano Ronaldo. Will this be his last World Cup? He has not said, however, one thing is for certain. He has a stronger supporting cast for this run.

Portugal is ranked number 5 according to FIFA. Columbia is likely the second-best team in this group. They are ranked number 13 by FIFA. The group has the 43rd-ranked Congo. There is an Ebola plague there now; they look to make a distraction. The group is rounded out by number 50-ranked Uzbekistan. How far do you think Portugal will go?

World Cup 2026 Group K Forecast

Jun 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; A general view of from Citizens Bank Park of Lincoln Financial field with 2026 FIFA World Cup signage.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagin Images

Group K in the 2026 World Cup has one of the biggest stars on the planet in Christiano Ronaldo. He plays for Portugual, who should win this group. There is one other good team in this group in thirteenth ranked Columbia. Congo and Uzbekistan round out this group, the Congo team has something to play for, even if neither Congo nor Uzbekistam are highly-ranked.

Columbia is the likely second place finisher in this group. As such, they will probably make it out of this group. Los Cafeteros missed the 2022 tournament, but are back with a verenge. They beat both Spain and Germany. They won the 2024 Copa America and in qualifying they beat both Argentina and Brazil.

They are led by striker Luis Diaz. Diaz is in the best form of his life, and at 29, he is at his peak. He plays for Bayern Munich and scored seven goals in the qualifying round. A potential brekout player for the Columbians is Yasper Asprilla. He is a 22-year-old forward is an agile playmaker who could make a difference in this tournament.

The Demcratic Republic of the Congo are back after a 52 year absence from the World Cup. They are, perhaps, most noteworthy because there is an Ebola outbreak there. That negativity could give the Leopards something for which to fight. They had a complicated path through qualifying , but they are here.

Congo is led by striker Ydane Wissa. The 29-year-old plays for Newcastle in the English Permier League. He stands out on this roster. That said, a potential breakout star for this team is Noah Sadiki. He is only 21, but the midfielder Sunderland player sets the pace for this team.

The Class of this group id the team from Portugual that is a real threat to win the tournament. For years the team was viewed as Cristino Ronaldo and company, but at age 41 the star has a strong supporting cast. Those players include Vitina and Joao Neves, and Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes. This team has never had as great a chance of winning the World Cup than this year.

Though he has a strong supporting cast, the star odf this team is Cristiano Ronaldo. He cannot possibly play in the next tournament, so this is likely it. CR7 is chasing his 1,000th career goal in this tournament., More games for Portugual increases his chances of getting there. A young player who could help him is Joao Neves. The midfielder is just 21, but he is already an accomplished player. He plays for Champions League Champions Paris Saint-Germain.

The last team in this group is Uzbekistan, who will likely bring up the rear in this group. The White Wolves are making their debut in this tournament. The manager of the team is noteworthy. It is the former captain of the Italian squad, Fabio Cannavaro.

The star for Uzbekistan is Eldor Shomurodoy. The striker is the all-time leading scorer for the team. He is also the capotain of the team. He scored five goals and had five assists in the qualifying round. The White Wolves use the physicality of the 6 foot 3 inch forward as the focal point of their attack. He will be helped in this World Cup by the 22-year-old Abboukodir Khusanov. He is a defender for Manchester City, and is noted for his pinpoint passes.

Group K Forecast

Portugual is balanced and deep. They will make it to at least the semi-final round. The Columbians should get out of this group. Look for the DR of Congo to finish third and since they have something important to play for, they could emerge from this group too. Uzbekistan will bring up the rear in this World Cup group.

Kevin Sweeney is a published author. He is the author of 8 books. He has written an autobiography, a book on stroke recovery, one on presidential politics, and four on sports. Kevin has a Ph.D. in political science; he has published 12 scholarly articles. He lives in Purcellville, VA, with his 3 sons and wife, Kelly. They were married in 2000.

You can get his books here:
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