Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal’s Route to the 2026 World Cup Final

We may finally get a Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi World Cup matchup after all.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal have to navigate a tricky group stage before getting into the knockouts. / Charles McQuillan/Marcelo Endelli/Edilzon Gamez/Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo’s admirable defiance of Father Time means he’s preparing to compete at his sixth FIFA World Cup in 2026.

While the all-time Portuguese great inspired his side to glory at the European Championship in 2016, Ronaldo has distinctly underwhelmed on the biggest occasion for his country. Portugal have failed to progress beyond the World Cup quarterfinals since 2010, with Ronaldo, such a definitive figure during his apex at club level, failing to score a single knockout stage goal at the tournament.

Lionel Messi’s legacy-sealing success in Qatar has undoubtedly motivated his longtime rival to embark on one last dance in North America next summer, and FIFA’s blind eye to what should’ve been a two-game suspension for the start of the tournament means Ronaldo will have the chance to star from the outset.

Friday’s draw has mapped out Ronaldo’s path to footballing immortality at what will surely be his final World Cup. Here’s an overview of Portugal’s potential route to the competition’s showpiece event on July 19.

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Group Stage

FIFA Playoff 1 Winner

The DR Congo edged past Nigeria on penalties to make the inter-confederation playoffs. / SIA KAMBOU/AFP/Getty Images

Portugal were the first team drawn into Group K, and they were subsequently joined by Colombia, Uzbekistan and the Inter-Continental Playoff 1 winner, which will most likely be the DR Congo.

The African nation earned a bye straight to the final of the mini-tournament which will be played in Mexico next March. DR Congo will face one of New Caledonia or Jamaica, whose coach Steve McClaren quit in disgust after failing to automatically qualify for the World Cup finals.

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Uzbekistan

Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov is Uzbekistan’s most famous player. / Anvar Ilyasov/Getty Images

Uzbekistan are World Cup novices, competing at the tournament for the first time in 2026. The Uzbeks currently sit 50th in FIFA’s rankings and are much more of an unknown commodity.

Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov is their main man in defence, while former Roma striker Eldor Shomurodov will likely lead their line next summer. They progressed into their first World Cup by finishing behind Iran, who they drew with twice, in Group A during the third round of AFC qualifying.

Had Ronaldo’s suspension been upheld, he would’ve missed Portugal’s opening two games against the playoff winner, scheduled for June 17, and Uzbekistan on June 23. Roberto Martínez’s side will play these games at either the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, or the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

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Colombia

Colombia are Portugal’s highest-ranked group stage opponents. / Jordan Bank/Getty Images

Portugal’s matchday 3 clash with Colombia will likely be decisive in determining who wins Group K. Portugal’s fiercest group stage opponents finished third in CONMEBOL’s World Cup qualifying table, beating both Brazil and Argentina in the process.

Led by Néstor Lorenzo, Colombia ended 2025 nine games unbeaten and are revered for their counter-attacking prowess. Mexico were torn apart by Lorenzo’s side in transition during their October friendly, which the South Americans won 4–0. Bayern Munich’s Luis Díaz is their star, but James Rodríguez, their hero from 2014, is still going, and a gifted core is made up of Benfica’s Richard Ríos and Bologna’s Jhon Lucumí.

It will be the first very first time Portugal and Colombia lock horns.

The weaker top seeds of Groups A, B and D (the three co-hosts) means Portugal would probably be better off in the bottom half of the knockout stage bracket, so winning Group K would be beneficial for Ronaldo and company.

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Portugal’s World Cup Group Stage Schedule

Date	Fixture
June 17	Portugal vs FIFA Playoff Winner 1
June 23	Portugal vs. Uzbekistan
June 27	Colombia vs. Portugal

Next. 2026 World Cup full schedule. Full List of Matches for 2026 World Cup. dark

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Knockout Stage

Round of 32

Erling Haaland has been in rampant form for club and country this season. / Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

2026 will be Portugal’s ninth World Cup appearance and Ronaldo’s sixth. Since the 40-year-old’s debut in 2006, the Iberians have won their group just twice (2006 and 2022). They also failed to qualify for the knockout stages in 2014.

With only 16 teams missing out on the round of 32 next summer, something would have to go horribly wrong for Portugal not to find themselves in the knockouts. Given their Group K opponents, we’re not even going to consider third-place hypotheticals.

Should they edge Colombia to top spot, Portugal will face one of five potential third-place finishers (from Groups D, E, I, J or L). They’d want to avoid Group I’s third-place finisher, with France, Senegal and Erling Haaland’s Norway competing in a mightily exciting and competitive group.

Finishing second in Group K would make it considerably harder for Portugal, especially in the early knockout rounds. In that scenario, they would meet the runners-up of Group L, with Croatia their most likely opponents based on FIFA’s world rankings. England should win that group.

While Croatia have drifted away from their ’golden generation’, they have plenty of modern World Cup pedigree and were semifinalists in Qatar after reaching the final in 2018.

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Round of 16

World Cup glory has so far eluded Ronaldo. / Getty/Carlos Rodrigues

A victory at Arrowhead Stadium in the round of 32 would see them travel up to Vancouver for the last 16, where they’ll most likely face the winner of Group B, potentially Switzerland, but co-hosts Canada will fancy their chances.

Should Portugal come second in their group but still make it to the last 16, they’ll most likely face European champions and the world’s No. 1-ranked side: Iberian rivals Spain. La Roja edged their neighbours on penalties in their previous World Cup knockout stage outing back in 2010, while a Ronaldo hat-trick salvaged a draw for Portugal during their group-stage clash in 2018.

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Quarterfinal

Cristiano Ronaldo may have to bypass the holders to reach the 2026 World Cup final. / JUAN MABROMATA/AFP/Getty Images

It could be a relatively kind start to the knockouts for Ronaldo’s side, but things will toughen in the quarterfinals, where holders Argentina, should they win their group, are potential opponents.

For the first time ever, Ronaldo would face up against great contemporary rival Lionel Messi on soccer’s grandest stage.

The USMNT could await in the quarterfinals, but Belgium are Portugal’s highest-ranked potential opponents at this stage of the competition in the event that Ronaldo’s side finish second in their group. Still, the Red Devils are not the force they once were, and Martinez’s men would be more than content with this matchup.

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Semifinal

Ronaldo’s Portugal could meet Brazil in the semifinals. / JOEDSON ALVES/AFP/Getty Images

A blockbuster semifinal with record winners Brazil could be on the cards. Carlo Ancelotti’s Seleção are aiming for a sixth World Cup success in North America next summer but have many flaws of their own.

Ancelotti seems to be taking a firmer stance on nostalgic call-ups than Martínez, with Neymar Jr. increasingly unlikely to go find himself going up against Ronaldo next summer while he struggles with injuries. The former Real Madrid star will have to be sated with clashes against the likes of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Estêvão.

There is also the tantalizing possibility of a clash with England in the semifinal for Ronaldo.

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Final

Spain are reigning European champions. / NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP/Getty Images

Should Portugal top their group and make it all the way to East Rutherford for the showpiece fixture, they would likely come up against Spain. Ronaldo got the better of Lamine Yamal in the first clash of generations, finding the net in the 2025 UEFA Nations League final which Portugal won on penalties.

France would be another possible foe. This would be a repeat of the Euro 2016 final, which Ronaldo’s nation infamously won while he watched on injured from the sidelines, although Portugal are winless in their subsequent four clashes with Les Bleus.

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