Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, learnt its group stage opponents for the FIFA World Cup 2026 during the draw, which took place at the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington on Friday.
The Selecao secured direct qualification into the World Cup with a 9-1 win over Armenia in the last round of qualifiers and will be playing in its ninth World Cup. Its record goalscorer, Ronaldo, has been a part of five World Cups, and the 2026 edition might just be the 40-year-old’s last dance in the quadrennial showpiece.
Portugal has been drawn in Group K in next year’s FIFA World Cup.
Who are Portugal’s opponents in FIFA World Cup 2026?
- Winner of inter-continental playoff: Congo DR/Jamaica/New Caledonia
- Uzbekistan
- Colombia
The World Cup, started in 1930 as an invitational tournament, has grown from just 13 teams to 32, becoming the biggest competition in international football. Next year, the World Cup will feature a larger roster — 48 teams — making it the biggest iteration of the tournament.
So far, 42 teams have secured qualification into FIFA World Cup 2026. The remaining six slots will have two countries qualifying through inter-confederation playoffs, while the remaining four will be winners of European qualifying playoffs.
The increased number of teams also introduce an additional round. After 48 teams are distributed into 12 groups of four sides each — the top two teams from each group, along with the top eight third-ranked sides then sail into the round of 32.
Matches from the round of 32 will be single-leg knockouts, which will have 90 minutes of regulation time, which will be followed by 30 minutes of extra-time if the result is not determined. If the contest is still undecided after 120 minutes plus stoppage time, the winner is decided through penalties.
Published on Dec 06, 2025
