Colombia guide final 32 conflict with Ghana, whereas Portugal will face Croatia within the first knockout stage.
Printed On 28 Jun 2026
Colombia and Portugal performed out a breathless 0-0 draw that was something however boring to a wall of sound at Miami Stadium with each groups advancing to the final 32 of the World Cup as the highest two in Group Okay.
The Colombians will rue their profligacy in entrance of purpose on Saturday however take encouragement from dominating high quality European opposition for giant intervals as they head off to Kansas Metropolis as group winners to tackle Ghana on Friday.
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Portugal, who wanted to win to high the group, go north to Toronto to play Croatia on Thursday figuring out they haven’t fairly but discovered a option to mix all of the expertise of their squad into an efficient staff.
The match began to a cacophony of noise from the massed ranks of yellow-shirted South People and the decibel ranges went up a notch when striker Jhon Cordoba headed the ball over the bar within the first minute.
Jhon Arias precipitated Portugal issues each time he ran at them and he set Cordoba free within the seventeenth minute, the large goal man unleashing a rocket of a shot that keeper Diogo Costa did effectively to cease.
After a stunning flowing transfer 5 minutes later, winger Arias took the shot himself and screwed the ball in direction of the far nook of the web just for Ruben Neves to reach simply in time to flick it off the road.
Colombia struggled to clear their strains cleanly generally, nonetheless, and it was this frailty that allowed Portugal their finest probabilities in direction of the top of the primary half.
Bruno Fernandes discovered himself free in entrance of purpose within the thirty ninth minute, his shot bringing a fantastic point-blank save out of Camilo Vargas within the Colombia purpose.
Three minutes earlier than halftime, Joao Felix cleverly chested the ball over a defender and flashed an acrobatic volley over the bar.
Colombia pressed ahead searching for the purpose their dominance deserved and each Gustavo Puerta and playmaker James Rodriguez troubled the goalkeeper with pictures earlier than the break.
Portugal attacked extra after the break but it surely was Colombia who continued to carve out one of the best probabilities with Arias organising substitute Richard Rios for a shot that went extensive.
Arias curled a shot at purpose that was effectively saved by Costa and Puerta drilled one other likelihood extensive simply earlier than the hydration break.
A Rodriguez volley was deflected away from its goal within the 73rd minute simply earlier than he and Arias had been substituted however Colombia continued to tear ahead at each alternative.
Davinson Sanchez thought he had scored the winner with a far publish header a minute from time but it surely was known as again for a really tight offside after a VAR test.
Rafael Leao went near successful it for Portugal in stoppage time with a shot that flashed throughout purpose earlier than the referee lastly known as time on the entertaining match performed out in entrance of a crowd of 64,478 sweltering within the Miami night warmth.
Portugal’s totem Cristiano Ronaldo, booed each time he touched the ball and starved of service, had barely a sniff of an opportunity, his one shot on track a long-range free kick that went straight to the goalkeeper.
Wissa sends DR Congo into final 32 conflict with England
Within the group’s different sport, Yoane Wissa scored twice as DR Congo beat Uzbekistan 3-1 and certified for the final 32 of the World Cup for the primary time of their historical past on Saturday.
They may meet England after registering their ever World Cup win.
Eldor Shomurodov’s lob over Lionel Mpasi gave the Uzbeks an ideal begin in Atlanta.
However Newcastle striker Wissa levelled from the penalty spot earlier than Fiston Mayele’s purpose despatched the primarily Congolese crowd right into a frenzy.
Wissa rounded off a historic night time for the Africans with a fantastic strike in stoppage time for his third purpose of the event.
Earlier on Saturday, Jude Bellingham dragged England by means of a cussed Panama check, scoring and organising Harry Kane in a 2-0 win that despatched them into the World Cup spherical of 32 as Group L winners.
England had been made to work for greater than an hour in wet New Jersey earlier than Bellingham broke the impasse earlier than crossing for Kane to move in his eleventh World Cup purpose, lifting him above Gary Lineker as England’s all-time main scorer on the event.
Meanwhiole, Nikola Vlasic headed in Luka Modric’s 83rd-minute nook to raise Croatia to a 2-1 victory over Ghana on Saturday and a second-place end in World Cup Group L.
Vlasic’s excellent end off the within of the left publish got here 10 minutes after Derrick Luckassen had pulled Ghana degree on his worldwide debut, with half the time in between spent on a VAR overview figuring out whether or not he was onside.
Petar Sucic scored early for Croatia, who wanted solely a draw to succeed in the final 32. Claiming the second-place spot assured the 2022 third-place finishers a gathering with Portugal, the second-place staff in Group Okay, on Thursday in Toronto.
