World Cup 2026 Group K preview: Prediction, teams, rankings, key fixture, star players

The 2026 World Cup gets underway in a matter of days when Mexico face South Africa in the opening fixture on June 11, but the four teams in Group K will not play their first game until almost a full week later.

Portugal, Congo DR, Uzbekistan and Colombia will all be vying for a spot in the round of 32 and there should be some fascinating clashes between all four nations.

Here, Sports Mole provides an in-depth preview for Group K of the 2026 World Cup, including predicted standings and every nation's key player.

World Cup 2026 Group K: Portugal

World ranking: 5

Portugal are the favourites to top the group - a view also taken by our best World Cup betting sites - and boast a squad full of superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva.

However, Portugal have never won the World Cup and they crashed out in the quarter-finals to Morocco four years ago in Qatar, continuing a run of disappointing results that saw them lose in the round of 16 in 2018 and get eliminated in the group stage in 2014.

Under manager Roberto Martinez, Portugal did win the 2025 UEFA Nations League and they only suffered one defeat in qualifying to the Republic of Ireland.

Portugal star player: Cristiano Ronaldo

At the age of 41, this will surely be Ronaldo's sixth and final World Cup and he will be desperate to lift the trophy.

The legendary goalscorer is not the player he once was, but he remains a potent finisher who has netted 25 goals in his last 31 games for Portugal and should still be key to their chances of success.

World Cup 2026 Group K: Congo DR

World ranking: 45

Congo are set to make only their second appearance at a World Cup, having previously competed as Zaire at the 1974 edition where they were eliminated in the group stage.

Manager Sebastien Desbre does have plenty of quality at his disposal, including Premier League players Yoane Wissa, Noah Sadiki and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Congo will be keen to put in a much-improved display 52 years on from their World Cup debut and the fact that eight third-place teams will also qualify for the knockouts is a major boost to their chances.

Congo DR star player: Yoane Wissa

After netting 19 Premier League goals for Brentford in the 2024-25 campaign, Wissa earned a big-money move to Newcastle but he struggled with a knee injury and scored just one league goal.

As a result, Wissa enters the World Cup with a point to prove and the forward will be key to Congo's chances of progressing.

World Cup 2026 Group K: Uzbekistan

World ranking: 50

Uzbekistan are set to make their first World Cup appearance this year, having qualified after finishing second in their group behind Iran.

Manager Fabio Cannavaro has picked up five wins from his seven games in charge so far and was a World Cup winner as a player, captaining Italy to victory in 2006.

Uzbekistan are undoubtedly the underdogs in this group, but will be hoping to cause some upsets and find a way to reach the knockouts.

Uzbekistan star player: Abdukodir Khusanov

The Manchester City defender will undoubtedly be Uzbekistan's key player, having impressed since making the move to the Premier League in 2025.

Khusanov is an aggressive, quick and powerful centre-back and keeping things tight in defence will be crucial to Uzbekistan's chances.

World Cup 2026 Group K: Colombia

World ranking: 13

Colombia are back at the World Cup after surprisingly failing to qualify for the 2022 tournament and they have a number of quality players in their squad.

Captain James Rodriguez, who was a breakout star when Colombia reached the quarter-finals at the 2014 World Cup, is likely playing his last major tournament and will be keen to make a major impact.

Manager Nestor Lorenzo has been in charge since 2022 and guided Colombia to the Copa America final in 2024, where they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Argentina in extra-time.

Colombia star player: Luis Diaz

Diaz enters the World Cup off the back of an outstanding debut season at Bayern Munich, where he netted 26 goals across all competitions.

It was his highest-scoring campaign to date and the former Liverpool winger will be looking to carry that form into the World Cup.

World Cup 2026 Group K key fixture: Colombia vs. Portugal

Colombia and Portugal are the two strongest sides on paper in Group K and their clash should be a fascinating fixture.

Although both sides could already have qualified by then, this game should act as a real litmus test and give fans a real idea of how far each nation can go.

World Cup 2026 Group K prediction

Both Portugal and Colombia should start their tournaments with a win over Congo and Uzbekistan respectively.

Portugal and Colombia should also win their second group matches, setting up an interesting final group clash on June 27.

It is Portugal who should have the edge over Colombia due to the extra depth in their squad, while Congo should pick up a consolation win over Uzbekistan in their last group match.