Portugal rely on Ronaldo as Colombia loom in Group K

PARIS: Cristiano Ronaldo is set to appear at a sixth World Cup as Portugal head into the tournament with a squad widely seen as one of the most talented in their history and hopes of finally making a major impact on football's biggest stage.

Portugal, coached by Roberto Martinez, are expected to be among the leading contenders to advance from Group K, where they will face DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia. Ronaldo is also poised to make history alongside long-time rival Lionel Messi, with both in line to become the first players to feature in six World Cups.

Portugal's best World Cup finish in the Ronaldo era remains the fourth place they achieved in 2006, his first tournament. Since then, despite having the leading scorer in men's international football with 143 goals, they have seldom looked close to winning the competition.

Now 41, Ronaldo remains central to Portugal's plans, although his role has been debated after he went without a goal in his last nine matches across the World Cup and European Championship. At the 2022 World Cup, then coach Fernando Santos left him out in favour of Goncalo Ramos. Martinez, however, has continued to back the Al-Nassr forward.

That faith was rewarded during Portugal's Nations League triumph over Spain last year, when Ronaldo scored in the quarter-final, semi-final and final before Portugal won on penalties. He also struck five times in five qualifiers for this World Cup before being sent off against the Republic of Ireland. A lesser-known player might have faced a ban at the start of the tournament, but Ronaldo received a one-match suspension.

Midfield seen as Portugal's main strength

While Ronaldo remains the headline name, Portugal's strongest area may be in midfield. Paris Saint-Germain duo Vitinha and Joao Neves are joined by Premier League player of the year Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva in a group that gives Martinez a range of high-level options.

Portugal's continued reliance on Ronaldo also reflects limited alternatives in attack compared with the depth available in midfield.

Colombia carry threat in race for top spot

Colombia appear the most serious obstacle to Portugal in the group. James Rodriguez, now 34, still plays an important role for the national side 12 years after the World Cup that first brought him global attention. The midfielder remains a key figure despite a nomadic and largely ineffective club career in recent years.

Colombia reached the Copa America final two years ago and finished third in South American qualifying. Luis Diaz now leads the side as its main attacking figure and arrives after the best club season of his career at Bayern Munich.

Support for Colombia is also expected to be strong, with tickets for their matches among the most sought-after at the tournament and large travelling and expatriate backing likely to follow the team.

Uzbekistan and DR Congo seek to upset expectations

Uzbekistan and DR Congo are viewed as outsiders in a group dominated on paper by Portugal and Colombia. Uzbekistan's best-known player is Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov, although much of the squad is made up of players based in the domestic league. On the bench, however, they have a coach with World Cup-winning pedigree in Fabio Cannavaro, who captained Italy to the title in 2006.

DR Congo are back on the World Cup stage for the first time in 52 years. Their only previous appearance came when the country competed as Zaire, leaving that tournament in Germany without a point or a goal. This time, they arrive with a squad that includes Newcastle's Yoane Wissa, Sunderland midfielder Noah Sadiki and West Ham defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Coached by Sebastien Desabre, DR Congo secured qualification by beating both Cameroon and Nigeria in the play-offs and will be aiming to claim their first World Cup victory.