Portugal will be out to help Cristiano Ronaldo complete his glittering CV with a maiden World Cup victory and a talent-packed squad will be expected to go far as we take a look at our 2026 World Cup Group K predictions.
They face Colombia , DR Congo and Uzbekistan first up and this is how we rate the World Cup Group K teams in reverse order, followed by our best bet:
Group K Odds
2026 World Cup Group K Odds
Result | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Portugal | 4/9 | 69.2% |
Colombia | 9/4 | 30.8% |
DR Congo | 9/1 | 10% |
Uzbekistan | 33/1 | 2.9% |
*Odds are correct at the time of writing, but subject to change.
You cannot see Portugal (4/9) having any problems topping the group, with Colombia (9/4) expected to be their only significant challenge.
Group K Preview
2026 World Cup Group K Preview
Uzbekistan
4. Uzbekistan @ 40/1
Uzbekistan put past qualifying heartbreaks behind them to reach their maiden World Cup under the guidance of former Italy, Real Madrid and Juventus defender Fabio Cannavaro .
The White Wolves fell at the final hurdle in AFC qualification for Germany 2006 exiting on away goals having had to replay a first-leg match they had previously won due a refereeing mistake and also for Brazil 2014.
Cannavaro , a World Cup winner in 2006, has now helped the Asian nation finally fulfil a goal three decades in the making and they will be determined to make the most of it, although it seems unlikely they will avoid finishing bottom of a difficult World Cup Group K table.
DR Congo
3. DR Congo @ 8/1
DR Congo will be an unfamiliar World Cup finals participant to many, but this is not the country’s first rodeo. When known as Zaire , they became just the third African nation to play in the World Cup after qualifying for the 1974 finals in West Germany, where they would end up being the makeweights in a thrilling Group 2 battle that saw Yugoslavia , Brazil and Scotland all finish on four points.
In the end it was those countries’ results against Zaire which proved crucial, Yugoslavia finishing top after thrashing the Leopards 9-0, reigning champions Brazil claiming second spot thanks to a 3-0 win in the final game and Scotland tumbling out after only beating them 2-0 first up. DR Congo narrowly missed out on reaching Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 but finally got over the line this time following an epic qualifying campaign that would have tested the nerves.
Having finished second to Senegal in the group stage to enter the play-offs, DR Congo defeated Cameroon thanks to a stoppage-time winner from former Newcastle centre-back Chancel Mbemba before beating Nigeria on penalties.
That sent them through to the inter-confederation play-off final, where they defeated Jamaica 1-0 after extra-time thanks to a goal from Burnley defender Axel Tuanzebe. DR Congo have plenty of names that will be recognisable to Premier League fans, including Aaron Wan-Bissaka , Yoane Wissa and Willy Kambwala , and they will be out to banish memories of the nation’s 1974 maulings.
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Colombia
2. Colombia @ 11/4
Colombia have risen to 13th in the world on the back of an impressive qualifying campaign that saw them finish third in the CONMEBOL section to seal a return to the World Cup finals after missing out in 2022.
They beat both Argentina and Brazil at home and they were nine minutes away from defeating the reigning world champions in Buenos Aires as well, having to settle for a 1-1 draw. Only runaway group winners Argentina scored more than Colombia’s tally of 28 goals and in Luis Diaz, Jhon Arias , Luis Suarez , Jhon Duran and 34-year-old James Rodriguez they have a strike force that can cause any defence headaches.
Colombia’s best World Cup showing was at Brazil 2014 where they beat Greece , Ivory Coast, Japan and Uruguay en route to the quarter-finals, where their run was ended in a 2-1 defeat to the hosts. The Tricolour also finished top in the group stage at their last World Cup appearance in 2018 before losing on penalties to England in the last 16.
Portugal
1. Portugal @ 2/5
Ronaldo will call time on his record-breaking international career after the World Cup and it would be fitting if the 41-year-old emulated old rival Lionel Messi and got his hands on the game’s biggest prize. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star, who is approaching 1,000 goals, helped Portugal win Euro 2016 and has a host of club and individual honours, but the World Cup has eluded him.
He will be making his sixth finals appearance this summer but he has never got any closer to victory than in his debut campaign in 2006, when Portugal were knocked out in the semi-finals. In fact, the nation have often flattered to deceive on the world stage but the Ronaldo factor, combined with the midfield talents of Bruno Fernandes , Bernardo Silva , Joao Neves and Vitinha in the Portugal World Cup 2026 squad, could mean a significant challenge this year.
Roberto Martinez ’s side did not have the smoothest of qualifying rides and a home draw with Hungary and 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland - a match in which Ronaldo was sent off had them sweating on top spot.
But they sealed the deal in emphatic fashion without the services of their suspended talisman, with Fernandes and Neves scoring hat-tricks in a 9-1 demolition of Armenia .
Group K Best Bet
2026 World Cup Group K Best Bet
Portugal/Colombia straight forecast @ 4/6
Ronaldo should avoid an embarrassing early exit while Colombia could be one of the dark horses to go far in the tournament.
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*Prices are subject to fluctuation
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