2026 World Cup Groups K and L: Portugal, England Preview

The 2026 World Cup kicks off on Thursday 11 June with Mexico versus South Africa at Azteca Stadium, 4 pm Brasília time. OneFootball outlines what to expect from the tournament’s final two groups, K and L. Group K comprises Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia. The group schedule runs from 17 June to 27 June, with matches listed at specific Brasília times. Portugal arrive as favourites, fielding Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, for his sixth World Cup. Coach Roberto Martínez can also select Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, João Neves, Gonçalo Ramos, Rúben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leão and Pedro Neto. DR Congo return after a 52‑year absence, having qualified through the intercontinental play‑offs. Uzbekistan make their debut after an unbeaten Asian qualifying run, while Colombia bring James Rodríguez, Luis Díaz, Jhon Arias of Palmeiras, Jorge Carrascal of Flamengo, Juan Portilla of Athletico‑PR and Andrés Gómez of Vasco. Group L features England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama. Their schedule mirrors Group K, with games from 17 June to 27 June at the same Brasília times. England, coached by Thomas Tuchel, rely on Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford. The squad qualified with eight wins from eight European qualifying matches. Photographs by Carlos Rodrigues, Sandy Huffaker and Judit Cartiel accompany the preview. The images illustrate the teams and players discussed.