World Cup 2026: Colombia and Portugal share the spoils in a tense Group K goalless draw

A goalless Miami standoff that suited both sides

There were no goals at Hard Rock Stadium, but this World Cup 2026 Group K meeting between Colombia and Portugal still had plenty to chew on. Under a clear Miami Gardens sky and 30°C heat, the two sides finished level at 0-0 — a result that, for all the chances, neither could be entirely unhappy with.

Colombia were the more enterprising of the pair. They edged possession at 55 per cent and built the better of the openings, finishing with an expected goals (xG, a measure of chance quality) tally of 1.58 to Portugal's 0.69, six shots on target to two, and two big chances created to one. That weight of pressure forced Portugal's goalkeeper into six saves, against just two at the other end.

Portugal, by contrast, leaned on their defensive structure, racking up 22 clearances and 11 interceptions while soaking up the pressure and probing on the break. In the end, the woodwork of fine margins — and the VAR booth — kept the scoreline blank.

How Colombia and Portugal lined up in Miami

Puerta's booking and the VAR call that changed it all

Portugal reshuffled at the restart, sending on Rúben Neves for João Neves and Diogo Dalot for João Cancelo as the second half began. Colombia responded just after the hour, with Richard Ríos replacing Jefferson Lerma and Jhon Córdoba coming on for Luis Suárez to freshen the attack.

The substitutions kept coming. Portugal turned to João Félix and Vitinha on 70 minutes, introducing them for Rafael Leão and Samu Costa, while Colombia brought on Kevin Castaño and James Rodríguez shortly after for Juan Arias and Juan Quintero. The contest tightened as it wore on, and on 86 minutes Gustavo Puerta picked up the game's only caution, a yellow card for Colombia.

The drama, though, was saved for stoppage time. Deep into added time, Colombia thought they had won it through Dávinson Sánchez — only for VAR to rule the effort out for offside. Daniel Muñoz had already come on for Santiago Arias late on, and Portugal made a final change with Matheus Nunes replacing Nuno Mendes, but the scoreline held firm at 0-0.

Colombia's faithful called it, the model didn't

The mood before kick-off was split along familiar lines. The futbol.so community leaned towards Colombia, with the most-chosen scoreline a 1-1 draw — and on the draw, at least, they read the night perfectly. Colombia's own supporters tipped a narrow win for their side, while fans tuning in from England and Spain leaned towards Portugal, and the Argentine following was split down the middle.

The official forecast told a different story, making Portugal the most likely winners ahead of a Colombia victory or a draw. In the event, neither favourite landed: the goals never came, and the only side of the prediction that survived was the one pointing to a stalemate. A 0-0 may not have matched any single most-popular scoreline exactly, but those who sensed a tight, evenly poised contest were closest to the truth.

Video highlights

Highlights | Colombia 0-0 Portugal | FIFA World Cup 2026™

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Résumé : COLOMBIE – PORTUGAL, un CHOC pour la première place ! (J3)

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Portugal was underwhelming vs. Colombia! - Ale Moreno on draw in Group K stage | ESPN FC

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COLOMBIA BORRÓ A CRISTIANO RONALDO en el empate ante PORTUGAL antes de los 16vos | La Copa Al Día

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FIFA WC 2026 | Colombia - Portugal 0:0 | Group K | 3. kolo

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HIGHLIGHTS - Colombia v Portugal | Entertaining Match in Miami | FIFA World Cup 2026

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🤏😱 COLOMBIA 0-0 PORTUGAL, por la punta del zapato no pudieron ganar los 'CAFETEROS' | Punto Final

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JAMES RODRIGUEZ davanti a CR7 | Colombia-Portogallo 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | DAZN Highlights

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Colombia vs Portugal (0-0) | Resumen y goles | Highlights Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026™

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COLOMBIA FRENA a CRISTIANO RONALDO y EMPATA con PORTUGAL antes de los 16vos | La Copa Al Día

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The draw leaves both nations through to the Round of 32 from Group K. Colombia top the group on seven points with a goal difference of plus three, while Portugal sit second on five points, both already confirmed for the knockout phase. A point apiece, then, that does the job for everyone — even if Colombia will rue that stoppage-time VAR call that came within a flag's width of a famous win.