Portugal drop to second, Messi Ronaldo final only hope

Media Wing (LetsxOtt)

Journalist

29 June 2026 · 16 days ago

2 min read

Source: LetsXott

Portugal and Colombia played out a tense 0-0 draw , and the result means Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi won't meet until the World Cup Final, if they even get there. Colombia finished Group K on seven points and top of the table. Portugal finished second on five, and now the bracket has split them onto opposite sides, which means a Ronaldo versus Messi quarterfinal, the kind fans have been dreaming about since the draw, is completely off the table. Portugal now face Croatia in Toronto on July 3 while Colombia take on Ghana in Kansas City. It was the first time Colombia hadn't scored in a World Cup match, and honestly they looked like they deserved more than a draw.

Despite the goalless scoreline, both teams combined for 37 shots, with Portugal having 24 of them, though the better chances on the night actually fell to Colombia, who forced goalkeeper Diogo Costa into six saves.

Davinson Sanchez thought he'd won it in added time, firing home from a tight angle, but VAR flagged his toe as offside and that was that.Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo said his side "deserved to win" and "created so many chances," while Portugal's Roberto Martinez admitted his team "gave Colombia the match they wanted."Ronaldo, who'd been booed every time he touched the ball by a crowd heavily filled with yellow shirts, barely had a sniff all night.

Finishing second in the group puts Portugal on the opposite side of the bracket from Argentina, meaning a Ronaldo and Messi matchup can now only happen if both sides reach the July 19 final.Portugal drew their opener with DR Congo, then thrashed Uzbekistan 5-0, with Ronaldo becoming the first player in history to score in six separate World Cup tournaments. Five points was enough to go through but not enough to pick their path.James Rodriguez made his 11th World Cup appearance for Colombia on Saturday, the most ever by a Colombian player, passing both Freddy Rincon and Carlos Valderrama who each had 10.