Portugal's new World Cup chapter begins: all new opponents in the group stage, Ronaldo aims to break his goalless streak against South America

The 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup group draw is complete, with Ronaldo-led Portugal drawn into Group K together with Colombia, debutants Uzbekistan, and the team advancing from the intercontinental playoff Group 1.

Reviewing the past to understand the present,Ronaldo’s World Cup record stands at 22 matches with 8 goals and 2 assists, but in knockout stages, he has played 7 games without scoring or assisting despite 27 shots on target missed.This stat is quite embarrassing for Ronaldo, and additionally,Ronaldo has faced South American players three times in World Cups, registering zero goals and zero assists..

Portugal’s new World Cup storyline is set: the intercontinental playoff Group 1 qualifier (the winner between New Caledonia and Jamaica facing seeded DR Congo), along with Uzbekistan and Colombia, have never played against Portugal before, making the 2026 group stage a journey against entirely new opponents. Among them,Portugal vs Colombia, Ronaldo vs James RodríguezThe 40-year-old Ronaldo continues to score frequently, while 34-year-old James Rodríguez is a key figure for Colombia. Ronaldo’s previous three matches against South American teams yielded no goals or assists; this time, he has a chance to break that goalless streak against South America.

Hidden highlights of the 2026 World Cup:If both Argentina and Portugal top their groups, they could meet in the quarterfinals.Argentina received a favorable draw, placed in Group J with Algeria, Austria, and Jordan.