World Cup Group K Preview, Odds & Betting Tips

There is plenty of intrigue in Group K of the 2026 World Cup. Portugal is one of the betting favorites to win the World Cup with the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo taking part in his last major international competition. Colombia is a dark horse that many are predicting can make some real noise at this tournament, while the Democratic Republic of Congo is at the World Cup for the first time in over 50 years, and Uzbekistan is making its World Cup debut. 

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Odds to win Group K

Portugal -205
Colombia +200
Democratic Republic of Congo +1700
Uzbekistan +4000

Although Colombia is currently ranked 13th in the world per FIFA, Portugal are odds-on favorites to win Group K per the World Cup futures odds. The Portuguese hammered Armenia 9-1 in their final World Cup qualifier, and they were impressive in North America in March. Portugal played Mexico to a scoreless draw in Estadio Azteca and bested the United States 2-0 in Atlanta.

Odds to Win World Cup for Group K Teams

Portugal +870
Colombia +5000
Democratic Republic of Congo +85000
Uzbekistan +165000

We have seen Portugal’s odds to win the World Cup gradually drop over the last year. Many experts believed that Portugal was no longer a threat on the international stage after a disappointing performance at Euro 2024, but the Portuguese were great during the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League. Portugal claimed their second UEFA Nations League title with wins over Germany and Spain, proving they could still beat the top teams in the world. 

Match Schedule

Team Previews

Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more goals than any other player in international play by a mile. Ronaldo has netted 143 goals in 226 appearances for Portugal, and only two other players (Lionel Messi – 116 goals; Ali Daei – 108 goals) have scored more than 100 goals for their country. The greatest player in Portuguese history was supposed to receive a two-match ban after being given a straight red card against Ireland, but FIFA lifted the suspension to allow Ronaldo not to miss any action at the World Cup.

There is a good mix of talent on Portugal aside from CR7. Goncalo Ramos is coming into his own at Paris Saint-Germain, and both Joao Felix and Goncalo Guedes are dangerous even though they were relative disappointments at larger clubs.

The midfield is where Portugal’s talent really shines through. Vitinha is one of the best midfielders in the world, and he finished in third place for the 2025 Ballon d’Or. His PSG teammate Joao Neves is also a world-class talent at the age of 21, while Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva can make things happen when they push forward. Fernandes has netted 28 goals in 87 appearances for Portugal, while Silva has 14 goals in 107 caps.

This back line boasts some of the most talent in the world as well. Nuno Mendes finished among the top ten players in last year’s Ballon d’Or voting, and he has two very experienced players alongside him in Joao Cancelo and Ruben Dias. Diogo Dalot and Nelson Semedo are experienced veterans that provide depth, while Goncalo Inacio has been very impressive.

Diogo Costa will be Portugal’s No. 1 goalkeeper once more. Costa has been the team’s starter in net since relegating long-time goalkeeper Rui Patricio to the bench in 2022, and he has shined in the Primeira Liga with Porto.

Portugal will almost certainly get to the knockout rounds as Colombia are their only real competition in Group K. Their performance at that point will largely come down to their ability to finish as Ronaldo is aging out and no one has yet to take the reins on this stage.  

Colombia

Los Cafeteros are arguably the most accomplished South American team to never win the World Cup. Colombia shockingly failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after being the top team eliminated in the quarterfinals at the 2014 World Cup and the best team eliminated in the Round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup. They fell to hosts Brazil in 2014 and lost to England in penalties in 2018.

International talisman James Rodriguez is the captain and second-most capped player on this team. Rodriguez has always shined for Colombia, winning the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup with six goals in five matches, and he was the Golden Ball winner at the 2024 Copa America.

Luis Diaz will likely be the primary point of attack and has netted 22 goals in 73 matches for Colombia. Diaz is coming off a strong first season with Bayern Munich, and he is superb on the wing. Jefferson Lerma is a solid midfielder with plenty of experience, while Juan Fernando Quintero can be a spark plug.

There are some concerns in the back line for Los Cafeteros. Jhon Lucumi is expected to be the rock at center back, and he will probably pair with Davinson Sanchez once more. Daniel Munoz will likely be on one side, and Yerry Mina can be a real scoring threat off set pieces due to his height and prowess in the air.

Long-time first-choice goalkeeper David Ospina has been beaten out by Camilo Vargas. The move is somewhat of a surprise to casual fans since they are the same age, and Ospina is much more experienced, but Vargas has been the No. 1 goalkeeper since the 2024 Copa America.

Democratic Republic of Congo

It was an improbable run to the World Cup for the Democratic Republic of Congo. They finished just two points behind Senegal in the first stage of qualifying, and the DRC were kicking themselves after blowing a 2-0 lead in Kinshasa. Outside observers didn’t expect them to make it to the World Cup as they were underdogs per the soccer betting odds to both Cameroon and Nigeria in single elimination matches, but the Leopards scored an extra time goal to best Cameroon and then knocked off Nigeria in penalties.

DR Congo have continued to play well in the run-up to the World Cup. They lost to Algeria in extra time at AFCON, but they bested Bermuda and Jamaica and played Denmark to a scoreless draw earlier this year.

This is a dark horse that can do some damage at the World Cup given the amount of European talent on the roster. Cedric Bakambu, Meschak Elia, and Yoane Wissa are all capable goal scorers, while former French youth player Nathanael Mbuku and former Belgian youth player Noah Sadiki are solid midfielders.

Captain Chancel Mbemba leads from the back. Mbemba has plenty of experience in top European leagues, so he will have his colleagues prepared. Arthur Masuaku, Axel Tuanzebe, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have also had plenty of experience playing European club football.

Le Havre goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi will wear the No. 1 for DR Congo. Mpasi did not see much action at the club level, but he is still the preferred starter. However, Timothy Fayulu has an impressive record in penalty kicks, and he was brought on as a sub before the shootout with Nigeria. 

Uzbekistan

It was surprising to see Uzbekistan beat out the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to earn an automatic spot at the World Cup. The White Wolves only failed to earn a result one time during qualifying though and drew with Iran in all four of their matches.

Former Italian star Fabio Cannavaro is Uzbekistan’s head coach, and he will have his side play behind the ball. Captain Eldor Shomurodov is the country’s all-time leading goal scorer with 44 goals, and he has rejuvenated his professional career with Istanbul Basaksehir. Persepolis’ Igor Sergeev is the other option at forward with 24 goals, and he will play off club teammate Oston Urunov.

There are two 22-year-olds to keep an eye on. Midfielder Abbosbek Fayzullaev was the 2023 AFC Youth Player of the Year, while Abdukodir Khusanov became the first Uzbek national to play in the Premier League after Manchester City acquired him in January 2025. 

Veteran Utkir Yusupov will be the starting goalkeeper for Uzbekistan at the World Cup. Yusupov has 39 caps for the national team, but he is a relative unknown as he has spent his entire professional career in either Uzbekistan or Iran.  

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