MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Colombia emerged as the Group K winners in the opening round of the World Cup after playing to a scoreless draw against Portugal on Saturday night.
Both teams had already secured their places in the knockout stage prior to this match, with only their upcoming opponents yet to be determined.
Colombia is set to face Ghana, which suffered a 2-1 defeat to Croatia earlier on Saturday. Portugal, having entered the expanded 48-team tournament as frontrunners, will take on Croatia as the Group K runners-up.
While the match ended without goals, it was an action-packed event. Bruno Fernandes came close to giving Portugal the lead in the first half but was thwarted by Camilo Vargas. Meanwhile, Portugal’s goalkeeper Diogo Costa made six saves, surpassing his total from the first two matches combined.
Portugal, in search of their first World Cup title, navigates into the knockout stage following a somewhat inconsistent group play.
Their journey began with a surprising 1-1 draw against Congo DR. Following criticism for failing to score in that game, Cristiano Ronaldo responded emphatically by becoming the first player to net goals in six World Cups, scoring twice in Portugal’s 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan.
Finishing second in their group places Portugal on the opposite side of the knockout bracket from Argentina, meaning a potential showdown between longtime rivals Ronaldo and Lionel Messi can only occur if both teams reach the final, marking a likely conclusion to both stars’ World Cup careers.
Colombia, which missed qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, kicked off their group stage with a 3-1 triumph over Uzbekistan and followed it up with a narrow 1-0 victory against Congo DR. Their standout player, James Rodríguez, made his 11th appearance in the men’s World Cup, setting a Colombian record and surpassing the previous mark set by Freddy Rincón and Carlos Valderrama, both with ten appearances.
The match took place at the home stadium of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and witnessed a sellout crowd of 64,478, which included notable figures such as Valderrama, FIFA president Gianni Infantino (who was in a suite with FBI director Kash Patel and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio), NFL quarterback Jameis Winston, NBA star Jimmy Butler, actor Matt Damon, and former NFL receiver Chad Johnson.
Numerous watch parties were organized across South Florida for fans unable to secure tickets to this highly sought-after match, with one event drawing thousands at the home arena of the NHL’s Florida Panthers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.