The Colombia National Team assured their classification at the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup after beating the Democratic Republic of the Congo 1-0 at the Guadalajara Stadium last Tuesday, June 23, a result that allowed the Tricolor to reach six points and remain the leader of Group K with one day left until the closing of the group stage.
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A goal from Antioquia Daniel Muñoz with a quarter of an hour left, the match was uneven and gave the National Team the second victory in the World Cup 2026 to Colombia, that was imposed by 1-0 to Democratic Republic of the Congo. The team consolidated the full number of triumphs, assured their qualification for the round of 32 and reaffirmed himself as leader of Group K, with two points ahead of Portugal in the absence of their direct duel on the last day in Miami.
The Colombian team moves to the round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup. Photo:FCF
Although the Tricolor has already guaranteed its place in the next round, its final position in the zone will be decisive in knowing the rival it will face in the direct elimination phase.
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Colombia’s possible rivals in the next phase of the 2026 World Cup
The team led by Néstor Lorenzo will close the group stage against Portugal. If they maintain the lead in Group K, they will advance to the round of 32 as first in the area and will face against one of the best third-place finishers in the tournament.
With the results recorded so far, The rival would be Croatia, although the panorama can still change because there are still games to be played in several groups and The positions are not defined.
For its part, if Portugal defeats Colombia on the last date and surpasses the Tricolor in the classification, The national team will advance as second in Group K. In this case, the team would have to face the second place in Group L.
In that case, his rival would be between England, Croatia and Ghana. Currently, England is in first place in the area, Ghana is second and Croatia appears in third position.
The Colombian National Team moves to the round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup. Photo:FIFA Word Cup
If current positions are maintained, Colombia would face Ghana in the round of 32. However, the results of the final day could change the order of the table and change the team’s opponent.
Beyond the fact that Colombia has already sealed its classification, the match against Portugal will have strategic importance. In addition to defining who takes first place in Group K, the result could influence the path that the Tricolor will have in the elimination rounds directly from the 2026 World Cup.
For now, the only confirmed fact is that Colombia will be in the round of 32 and its rival will depend on the position that he occupies after the last day of the group stage.
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Daniel Muñoz’s words after the match against the D. Republic of the Congo
Daniel Muñoz highlighted the collective work of the Colombian National Team after the victory and assured that The team was a fair winner based on what was shown during the match.
“The glory and honor goes to God, who gives us the possibility of enjoying this. I think the effort of the entire team must be valued,” he stated.
Nothing is easy here, nobody is giving anything to anyone
daniel muñozColombia national team player.
The full-back pointed out that Colombia came out from the beginning in search of the result. “From the first moment we went out to eat up the field. We had countless options, but in the end this is football. You have ten options, you have to score one and protect yourself so they don’t score a goal. “I think it was very deserved to keep the three points,” said.
Daniel Muñoz at the end of the match with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo:FIFA Word Cup
Asked about the team’s intensity during the match, Muñoz explained: “Faced with the loss we knew that we had to be hungry lions. We had to eat our prey and I believe that was the case, in the good sense of the word. Always intense, aggressive, but always with honesty and righteousness“.
I think that in the end it was reflected and we were left with the three points
daniel muñozPlayer of the Colombian National Team.
When asked about the goal celebration with John Córdoba and the message of unity that the group transmits, The player highlighted the collective character of the National Team.
“This belongs to everyone. Here, just because I score the goal is not the figure. No, here we are all the figure. The three points were achieved by Colombia, all these people. I believe that this belongs to everyone. In the end this is a family and I believe that here the figure is called Colombia,” he expressed.
In the end this is a family and I believe that the figure here is called Colombia
daniel muñozPlayer of the Colombian National Team.
Finally, he referred to the next challenge against Portugal in the round of 32 of the World Cup.
“Obviously, even more eager, more hungry. We’ve already taken two steps and we’re going step by step. Now we have to turn the page and think about what Portugal is,” he concluded.
CR7 spoke about the confrontation with Colombia
Cristiano Ronaldo assured that Portugal fulfilled its objective of advancing to the round and anticipated a demanding duel against Colombia.
“We know that we are going to have a tough game against Colombia, but the main objective was to qualify in the group and we achieved it. The most important thing was to win today to advance and “The team is prepared for what is coming.”stated the Portuguese captain.
The forward highlighted that the Portuguese team arrives with confidence after getting the ticket to the next phase, although he recognized the difficulty of the next match against the Tricolor. “We are prepared for what is coming,” he reiterated.
Daniela Gutiérrez Munar
dangut@eltiempo.com
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