After Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal draw Colombia and Uzbekistan in 2026 World Cup group stage, Roberto Martinez comments on ‘favourites’ tag

Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal side have been drawn against Colombia and Uzbekistan in the group stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The final member of the group will be one of Congo, Jamaica, or New Caledonia.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw took place on Friday, December 5, as all the groups were announced. Portugal have been put in Group K against Colombia and Uzbekistan, with the final member yet to be announced. It appears to be a comfortable group, on paper, for Roberto Martinez's side.

After the draw, Martinez was asked if the Cristiano Ronaldo-led side are among the favourites to win the World Cup next year. He said (h/t The Al Nassr Zone):

“We are not favourites, those are the teams that have already won a World Cup.”

Portugal have, notably, never won the FIFA World Cup. They reached the quarter-finals in Qatar in 2022, but were faced with a shock elimination against Morocco, losing 1-0.

This is likely to be Cristiano Ronaldo's final appearance at the tournament, as the 40-year-old looks to win the trophy.

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Roberto Martinez reacts after Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal's World Cup group is revealed

A Selecao will begin their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign on June 17. They will face one of Congo, Jamaica, or New Caledonia in their opening game. They will then face Uzbekistan on June 23, and Colombia four days later.

The tournament will begin on June 11, but Portugal will start their campaign on June 17. Roberto Martinez expressed his delight at this, saying (h/t O Jogo):

"We're happy about that because some players have had very long seasons and need to get ready and rest."

Martinez also reacted to the draw, saying:

"Colombia's team spirit is impressive. They are competitive players and can adapt to different styles. Colombia has players who play very important roles in major European clubs."

"Uzbekistan is a lesser known team, but it has the fantastic work of Fabio Cannavaro. It is a very competitive group and has a play-off of repechage formed by very positive teams, mentally motivated and who believe they are invincible," he added.

If the Cristiano Ronaldo-led side win their group, they will face one of the best third-placed teams in the 16th finals. If they finish second, they will face the second-placed team from Group L, which features England, Croatia, Ghana, and Panama.

Moreover, if results line up in a particular way, Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal could face Lionel Messi's Argentina in the quarter-finals.