FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group K Qualification Scenarios: How can Portugal, DR Congo and Uzbekistan qualify?

The second round of Group K play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup came to an end with Colombia beating DR Congo 1-0 in a hard-fought encounter.

With that victory, Colombia confirmed its place in the eighth finals. Earlier, Portugal had beaten Uzbekistan 5-0 to earn its first World Cup win.

Group K

Qualification Scenarios:

In the final round, Colombia and Portugal will face each other, while DR Congo will face Uzbekistan.

A victory for Portugal would ensure that it finishes as group top. A draw would see Colombia top the group and Portugal in second place.

Even if Portugal loses and drops to third place, it would likely qualify as one of the top eight third-placed teams as it already has four points in the bag.

For DR Congo, anything less than a victory would not be enough. To finish second in the group, Uzbekistan would have to be defeated by a large margin and hope for a big defeat for Portugal to increase the goal difference (Portugal and DR Congo had previously played a 1-1 draw, leaving out head-to-head matches).

Even a narrow win would likely be enough for DR Congo to qualify as one of the top third-placed teams.

For Uzbekistan the task is more difficult. Even with a win against Congo, the Asian team cannot finish higher than third place. With a poor goal difference in hand, Uzbekistan is unlikely to finish high in third place.

Published on June 24, 2026