The final round of games of the 2026 World Cup group stage take place between Wednesday and Sunday. We’ve taken a look at the Group K permutations.
We’ve broken down each group, with this article focusing on Group K. Colombia have already sealed their place in the Round of 32 but it remains to be seen who will join them. Portugal hold the advantage but both DR Congo and Uzbekistan will want to make history themselves.
Below are all the permutations for those groups as well as who each team could face in the next round. It’s a little complicated but we’ve tried to make it as easy we can!
How could Group K finish?
| Result A | Result B | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Portugal win | DR Congo win | 1. Portugal (7 points) 2. Colombia (6 points) 3. DR Congo (4 points) 4. Uzbekistan (0 points) |
| Portugal win | DR Congo/Uzbekistan draw | 1. Portugal (7 points) 2. Colombia (6 points) 3. DR Congo (2 points) 4. Uzbekistan (1 point) |
| Portugal win | Uzbekistan win | 1. Portugal (7 points) 2. Colombia (6 points) 3. Uzbekistan (3 points) 4. DR Congo (1 point) |
| Portugal/Colombia draw | DR Congo win | 1. Colombia (7 points) 2. Portugal (5 points) 3. DR Congo (4 points) 4. Uzbekistan (0 points) |
| Portugal/Colombia draw | DR Congo/Uzbekistan draw | 1. Colombia (7 points) 2. Portugal (5 points) 3. DR Congo (2 points) 4. Uzbekistan (1 point) |
| Portugal/Colombia draw | Uzbekistan win | 1. Colombia (7 points) 2. Portugal (5 points) 3. Uzbekistan (3 points) 4. DR Congo (1 point) |
| Colombia win | DR Congo win | 1. Colombia (9 points) 2. Portugal (4 points) 3. DR Congo (4 points) 4. Uzbekistan (0 points) |
| Colombia win | DR Congo/Uzbekistan draw | 1. Colombia (9 points) 2. Portugal (4 points) 3. DR Congo (2 points) 4. Uzbekistan (1 point) |
| Colombia win | Uzbekistan win | 1. Colombia (9 points) 2. Portugal (4 points) 3. Uzbekistan (3 points) 4. DR Congo (1 point) |
Colombia come into Matchday Three knowing that avoiding a defeat will see them top Group K.
A Portugal victory would see them leapfrog Colombia and win the group but any other result will see them finish second….except one. If there is a seven goal swing between Portugal and DR Congo then Portugal will fail to qualify.
That seven goal swing is the only way the DR Congo can finish in the top two but anything other than a Uzbekistan victory will assure the African nation of a third place finish.
Uzbekistan are condemned to finish bottom of the group unless they can beat DR Congo.
Who could the teams from Group K face in the next round?
The Group K winner will take on a nation that finishes third from Group D, E, I, J or L. The current projection shows that team to be Croatia.
Whoever finishes second will face the nation that finishes second in Group L. That is most likely to be Ghana at the time of writing.
The current projections show that the side that finishes third in Group K won’t have done enough to make the Round of 32.
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