Colombia wrapped up the opening round of the World Cup atop Group K after battling Portugal to a 0-0 draw on Saturday night.
With both teams already through to the knockout stage before kickoff, the only thing left to determine was their place in the group standings—and who they would face next.
Colombia’s first-place finish sets up a Round of 32 clash with Ghana, which fell 2-1 to Croatia earlier in the day. Portugal, one of the favorites in the expanded 48-team tournament, advances as Group K runner-up and will take on Croatia.
While the scoreboard stayed quiet, the match certainly didn’t. Portugal nearly grabbed the lead in the opening half when Bruno Fernandes forced a strong save from Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas. At the other end, Portugal’s Diogo Costa was equally impressive, making six saves—more than he recorded in the team’s first two group-stage matches combined.
Portugal’s path to the knockout stage has been anything but smooth. The tournament favorites opened with a surprising 1-1 draw against Congo DR, a result that sparked criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo after he failed to find the net. The veteran striker responded in emphatic fashion, scoring twice in a 5-0 rout of Uzbekistan to become the first player to score in six different men’s World Cups.
By finishing second in Group K, Portugal lands on the opposite side of the bracket from defending champions Argentina. That means a potential showdown between Ronaldo and Lionel Messi—widely expected to be playing in their final World Cups—can only happen if both nations reach the final.
Colombia, which missed out on the 2022 World Cup, has enjoyed an impressive return to the tournament. After opening with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan, Los Cafeteros edged Congo DR 1-0 before securing first place with Saturday’s draw. James Rodríguez also reached a historic milestone, making his 11th men’s World Cup appearance to become Colombia’s all-time leader, passing legends Freddy Rincón and Carlos Valderrama, who each made 10 appearances.
