On June 17, representatives of Group K will begin their journey on the World Cup fields. This event will mark the start for four national teams, each with its own ambitions and unique history. The main focus in this group is on Portugal, as this tournament is the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo's last chance to win the coveted World Cup.
Group K includes the national teams of Colombia, Uzbekistan, and the DRC. In what condition the teams have approached the competition and what to expect from them — we will analyze below.
Portugal: The Legend's Last Dance
The Portuguese national team is a consistent participant in World Cups; in particular, the "reds and greens" have not missed a single tournament in the 21st century. Martínez's charges passed the European qualification without major problems — in a group with Hungary, Armenia, and Ireland, they scored 13 points and took first place.
The composition of the Portuguese national team is consistently top-tier. Just look at the cohort of Champions League winners from PSG: Vitinha, Mendy, and Neves. However, the star-studded lineup does not end there: the "European Brazilians" from "Arsenal," "Milan," "Chelsea," "Barcelona," and the two "Manchester" clubs will do everything to help Ronaldo complete his final gestalt.
Aside from CR7, there is another representative from the Saudi Arabian league — 26-year-old João Félix — the "Golden Boy," who is heading to the World Cup as a reserve player.
This summer marks 10 years since Portugal's victory at Euro 2016. This was followed by a victory in the Nations League. However, at major tournaments since then (at two Euros and the World Cup), the Portuguese have not gone beyond the quarter-finals. With a favorable draw, Ronaldo and company could reach the semi-finals, but are they capable of becoming World Cup holders?
Colombia: James' Return
The Colombians have confidently returned to the World Cup after a break in Qatar. In the qualifying tournament, they took third place, overtaking even Brazil.
The World Cup on North American soil will be the seventh for the Colombian national team. The most memorable tournament was 2014 in Brazil, where James Rodríguez shone and became the top scorer (6 goals). The team itself reached the quarter-finals, where they lost to the hosts.
By the way, Rodríguez is heading to the World Cup as a player for "Minnesota United," but his contract expires at the end of June. Probably, this will be his swan song (at least, at World Cups).
We should also note Luis Díaz — one of the key players for "Bayern Munich." He stands out especially against a lineup consisting mainly of European and South American mid-table teams. However, in the national team, Díaz has not yet become a legend of Rodríguez's caliber. Although he is confidently walking towards it.
The Colombian team is coached by the Argentine specialist Néstor Lorenzo. It was during his tenure in the coaching staff that Colombia achieved significant success. Given the new format of the World Cup and a fairly passable group, the question of advancing to the knockout stage is not even discussed. Lorenzo's charges can repeat the success of 2014, but they still need to try hard.
Uzbekistan: Historic Debut
For a Ukrainian fan, Uzbek football often personifies the top scorer in the history of the UPL — Maksim Shatskikh. In particular, during his time, the team was close to qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. However, then a very strange story happened in the match with Bahrain — due to a refereeing error, the winning home match had to be replayed. As a result, over two legs, the Uzbeks lost due to the away goals rule.
There was also a real chance to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. However, then they lost in the qualification playoffs to Jordan in a penalty shootout. This time, the Uzbeks managed to take second place in the qualifiers — this allowed them to qualify directly for the World Cup.
The main star of Uzbekistan is Eldor Shomurodov. He has scored 44 goals for the national team and is the all-time top scorer. For example, Shatskikh has 34 goals to his name. Eldor may be familiar to you from his performances at "Roma," and now this tall striker (1.90 m) is playing quite successfully for "Istanbul Basaksehir".
The loudest name in the "White Wolves" national team is coaching: 20 years after the triumph at the World Cup, Fabio Cannavaro returns to the World Cup as a coach. But another specialist — Timur Kapadze — led Uzbekistan to the historic tournament. Unfortunately, he was not given a chance to continue working with the national team.