FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K Match Day Three Recap

Forrest Wimberly
Jul 2
3 min read

Credit Sportstar

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Columbia, DR Congo, and Portugal all advance to knock-out stage

Match Day Three in FIFA World Cup Group K wrapped up with three teams advancing to the Round of 32 Knock-out stage. It was no surprise that Columbia and Portugal advanced while DR Congo needed some late goals on the decisive Match Day Three to advance as one of the best third-place teams. Uzbekistan making their FIFA World Cup debut played well in all their matches but failed to win a game and was eliminated.

Columbia VS Portugal

Columbia and Portugal played to a 0-0 draw on a warm, humid night in Miami in the marquee match of Group K. Both teams were expected to advance out of group play and the only question was, who would win the group? Columbia held the top spot entering the match after DR Congo had helped the Coffee Grower’s cause by drawing Portugal in Match Day One.

Columbia had the better of play in the first 25 minutes and then Portugal carried the play over the final 20 minutes of the first half with neither team finding a goal to separate the two sides. The second half was more open with end-to-end action but still there were no goals in this match. The shots were very predictable from distance, went soaring over the bar, or were always going wide of the target of the feet of both teams.

Columbia had maybe their best chance of the match in the 67^th minute as Gustavo Puerta (Racing Santander) hit a screamer of a shot just wide of the left post.

Portugal had their best chance on a similar long-range shot off a short corner played to the top of the box where Diego Dalot (Manchester United) collected the service and measured his shot to the far post just missing the target.

Some other moments of frantic, last-ditch defending combined with a couple of razor-thin offside decisions kept the match scoreless and Columbia at the top of the group. Final Score: Columbia 0-0 Portugal

DR Congo VS Uzbekistan

Atlanta was the stage for the other match of Group K where both teams were looking for their team’s first-ever victory at the World Cup.

Uzbekistan’s Eldor Shomurodov (Istanbul Basaksehir) had the ball in the nets after 30 seconds of play but was ruled offside by VAR and the goal disallowed. That moment was simply a warning for DR Congo that would become a goal reality for Shomurodov in the 10^th minute as the White Wolves’ forward looped a ball up and over the DR Congo goalkeeper into the back post side netting for the dream start to the match.

DR Congo seemingly had a goal of their own in the 18^th minute as Nathanael Mbuku (Montpellier) curled in a beautiful shot into the near post only to have VAR review the build-up action and disallow the goal due to a foul at midfield. The match stayed 1-0 to Uzbekistan at the half.

The DR Congo comeback began in the 68^th minute as Yoane Wissa (Newcastle United) converted a penalty kick to level the match. A cross served into the box forced an Uzbek defender to trip the Congo forward earning the penalty. Wissa stutter stepped and rolled the ball low into the right corner of the net.

Fiston Mayele (Pyramids FC) put the Leopards ahead in the 78^th minute flicking the ball past the frozen White Wolves keeper on a perfectly timed pass and run inside the penalty box.

Wissa left no doubt in the result scoring his brace in second-half stoppage time after some nifty dribbling inside the box opened up just a narrow shooting window that Wissa used to guide the ball into the back post for the historic result. Final Score: DR Congo 3-1 Uzbekistan.

Round of 32 Matches:

July 1: DR Congo VS England, Atlanta

July 2: Portugal VS Croatia, Toronto

July 3: Columbia VS Ghana, Kansas City