Ronaldo, Portugal get another shot at WC glory

At 41, Cristiano Ronaldo realistically gets only one more shot at a World Cup trophy to cap an already illustrious career. A five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Ronaldo has more international goals than any other men’s player, with 143 in 226 matches for Portugal.

He was slowed by a hamstring injury earlier this year with his club team, Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, and did not play for Portugal in a friendly against the United States in Atlanta on April 1.

Should he be named to the World Cup squad — and there’s no reason to believe he won’t unless he’s injured — Ronaldo will play on American soil for the first time since a 2014 preseason friendly with Real Madrid against Manchester United in Michigan.

Ronaldo, along with his great rival Lionel Messi of Argentina, could become the first men to play in six World Cups.

Ronaldo told CNN in November that this one “definitely” would be his last World Cup.

Portugal is considered the top team in Group K, which includes Colombia, Uzbekistan and Congo.

Portugal

While Portugal is ranked number 5, the team got a wake-up call in qualification with a 2-0 loss to Ireland last November, notable because Ronaldo was sent off with a red card for elbowing a defender. He was banned for the next game — Portugal rebounded with a 9-1 victory over Armenia to seal its World Cup spot — but escaped more severe punishment.

This will be Portugal’s ninth World Cup. The team finished in third in 1966 and fourth in 2006 - when Ronaldo made his World Cup debut. In the 2022 edition, Portugal reached the quarterfinals, only to be upset by Morocco 1-0. Ronaldo came in as a substitute in the 51st minute.

Roberto Martinez has been a coach since 2023. The team is loaded with talent, including Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and versatile young midfielder Joao Neves, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain.

The team was rocked last year by the death of Diogo Jota, killed in a car crash shortly after Portugal won the Nations League final.

Portugal opens against Congo on June 17 in Houston.

Colombia

Attacking midfielder James Rodriguez joined Minnesota United in Major League Soccer this season in an effort to get playing time ahead of the World Cup.

Rodriguez is the team’s captain and most celebrated player. He was the Golden Boot winner at the 2014 World Cup with six goals, besting Germany’s Thomas Mueller with five. Rodriguez has 31 goals for Colombia.

This is Colombia’s seventh World Cup. It missed out in 2022. The team’s best finish was reaching the quarterfinals in 2014 before falling to host Brazil. Ranked number 13 and coached by Argentinian Nestor Lorenzo, Colombia opens against Uzbekistan on June 17 in Mexico City.

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan, ranked number 50, is making its first-ever World Cup appearance. Uzbekistan had a team under the old Soviet Union but put together a new one after independence to compete internationally.

Known as the White Wolves, the team is coached by Italian Fabio Cannavaro, who was only named to the post this past October after previous coach Timur Kapadze secured the nation’s World Cup berth in the third round of Asian qualifiers. Cannavaro was captain of the Italian team that won the 2006 World Cup.

Eldor Shomurodov is Uzbekistan’s captain, with 44 goals over 90 appearances. He currently plays for Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir.

Congo

The only time Congo played in the World Cup was in 1974, when the nation was known as Zaire.

It became the first sub-Saharan African team to qualify for a World Cup.

Congo qualified for the 2026 edition by winning a play-in match over Jamaica 1-0 in extra time in Guadalajara, Mexico. The victory sparked joy across the nation, which has been battered by decades of conflict.

The team’s standout players include captain Chancel Mbemba, a defender for French club Lille who has made more than 100 international appearances for the national team, and winger Cedric Bakambu plays for La Liga’s Real Betis.

Congo is ranked number 46 and is led by French coach Sebastien Desabre.