Portugal ended their campaign in the group stage the same way they started it – with a draw. But if they were held to a 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the European team struggled to hang on in a goalless draw against Colombia at the Miami Stadium on Sunday morning.
The Portugal-Colombia match was rated as a must-watch encounter when the groups were decided before the tournament. And it did deliver as a spectacle of free-flowing attacking football, even if no goals were scored.
Goals, however, were perhaps not the top priority for the teams going into this match. Both sides already knew they were going to qualify for the knockout stage, and so this clash between two high-quality teams would be a perfect litmus test to see where they stood going into the second round of the tournament, when the margin for error becomes negligible.
For Portugal, who were among the many teams included in the pre-tournament favourites bracket, Saturday’s performance in front of nearly 65,000 spectators should set off a few alarms.
The first is that their first-choice and seemingly only striker, Cristiano Ronaldo, once again had an indifferent outing.
No longer is the 41-year-old the fleet-footed forward who could outpace defences to create space for a shot. He was afforded space for the two goals he scored against Uzbekistan, but against Colombia, a much more accomplished side at the World Cup stage, the defenders kept a close eye on the Portuguese captain, especially when he was inside the opposition box.
His only shot at goal was a tame long-range effort that came from a free kick at least 30 metres out. Crucially, that was one of only two of Portugal’s shots on target.
The other, probably the best chance for either team to score, came in the 39th minute when Bruno Fernandes hammered a close-range shot a bit too close to Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, who pulled off a stunning save.
In all, Portugal managed only two shots on target from their 13 attempts at goal. Colombia had six on target from their 24 attempts.
Part of the reason why the Colombians had that many attempts was that their midfielders had greater control in the centre of the pitch. Crystal Palace’s Jefferson Lerma and Jhon Arias, who plays for Palmeiras in Brazil, comfortably matched up to the challenge posed by Portugal’s in-form Manchester United captain Fernandes, Ruben Neves and back-to-back Champions League winner with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Vitinha.
In the second half, though, there was a bit more cohesion in the Portuguese midfield when Vitinha started to combine with his PSG teammate Joao Neves, who was brought on as a substitute. There was also an injection of pace from the left wing with Rafael Leao coming on.
While the focus has been on Portugal’s inconsistent form — they beat Uzbekistan 5-0 after being held by DR Congo — at this World Cup, Colombia has surprisingly flown under the radar. Definitely not after Saturday’s display.
It may have been a dead rubber in the greater scheme of things, but the South Americans were keen on making an impact.
If Portugal were looking to play themselves into form after a slow start at the World Cup, Colombia wanted to maintain their winning streak after beating Uzbekistan 3-1 and then DR Congo 1-0.
In fact, it was Colombia that got off the blocks quickly, with only striker Jhon Cordoba’s wayward header preventing them from scoring in the opening two minutes.
Cordoba would have a few more chances later as well, as he hassled and harried Portugal’s defenders, and even drew a stellar save from goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
In this team of hard workers, there was no drop in pace despite the sultry conditions in Miami. They also managed to get the ball into the back of the net late in the match, only for Davinson Sanchez to be deemed offside by just a toe.
With 24 attempts at goal, this was the most shots Colombia has had in a single World Cup match. It was also the first time a World Cup match involving Colombia ended in a goalless draw in the 25 games they have played at the marquee tournament.
For all their attacking flair — and there were quite a few moments of it in Miami — perhaps one of the few major positives Portugal will take from this game is how their defence stood firm.
There were always great expectations of their towering centre-back Ruben Neves, who plays his club football for Manchester City. Who would partner him in central defence was a concern heading into the tournament. But 22-year-old Renato Veiga, who had earned just 13 caps before the trip to the United States, put in an impressive performance.
But as Portugal enter the knockout rounds of the World Cup for a third consecutive edition, there is a lot they need to improve if they are to go far.
