INSANE: Portugal player ratings vs colombia ronaldo contained in best game of 2026 world cup | Vintage Vibes

The script didn’t change much in the second half, it was still an electrifying contest, only Colombia was vastly superior than Portugal, asphyxiating the Europeans with some of the best, most attractive brands of soccer that’s been on display at the tournament.

Still, Roberto Martínez’s side was able to weather the storm, yet its a minor miracle it didn’t concede in stoppage time thanks to a millimetrical offside.

The game—probably the best of the 2026 World Cup so far—incredibly finished scoreless, meaning Portugal was unable to usurp Colombia’s place atop Group K, qualifying to the round of 32 in second.

One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Portugal entered the World Cup as the favorite to win Group J, but its opening game draw against DR Congo compromised its chances and in the end, Colombia deservedly finished as table-toppers.

As a result, Portugal’s knockout rounds path just got a lot more difficult.

Finishing first would’ve seen Roberto Martínez’s side face Ghana and then most likely Switzerland, with Argentina in the quarterfinals representing its first truly elite challenge of the knockout rounds.

Instead, Portugal now must face an always dangerous Croatia that’s made deep runs in each of the last two tournaments. If it emerges victorious, Portugal’s likely reward is facing Spain in the round of 16.

Defeating Colombia by any means possible was of vital importance. Portugal was unable to complete its mission and now the road to a maiden World Cup title just got significantly more difficult.

Portugal Player Ratings vs. Colombia (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Diogo Costa—8.2: Spectacular one-handed save to stop a rocket from Jhon Córdoba, keeping the game level early. Was confident between the posts throughout.

RB: João Cancelo—6.5: Was lucky an egregiously misjudged towering fly-ball that fell perfectly for Luis Díaz inside the opening five minutes didn’t prove costly. Far from a spectacular showing.

CB: Rúben Dias—7.4: Made a few pretty nasty tackles, but whenever he kept it clean he was mostly effective.

CB: Renato Veiga—7.4: His best game of the World Cup, timing every intervention perfectly and finishing the game with double digit defensive contributions—the most of any player on the pitch.

LB: Nuno Mendes—7.5: The pair of Arias’ down Colombia’s right flank gave the PSG left back plenty of problems, constantly overloading his area and forcing him to mark two players at once—mostly unsuccessfully.

CM: Rúben Neves—6.5: Made a miraculous goal-line clearance to deny Jhon Arias from opening the scoring when Portugal was under siege in the first half. Was otherwise overwhelmed by the the opponent’s frenetic rhythm.

CM: Vitinha—7.6: Whenever Colombia started somewhat suffocating Portugal in the first half, Vitinha got on the ball and defused the danger, with his quality as a ball-carrier to bypass pressure standing out.

RW: Pedro Neto—6.6: Had a couple of interesting runs in the first half, using his speed to get behind Colombia’s backline. If he had a single touch in the second half before his substitution it was irrelevant.

AM: Bruno Fernandes—7.1: He’s probably still wondering how Camilo Vargas managed to save a hit from short range that prevented him from scoring his first of the tournament.

LW: João Félix—6.4: One of those games where Felix's tricks misfire. Rarely intervened and struggled against Colombia’s physicality. Did nearly score after a nice individual action, though.

ST: Cristiano Ronaldo—6.3: It's clear that if he doesn’t get the service required inside the penalty area, he’s mostly irrelevant. Had a few shots but none of them truly threatened Vargas.

SUB: Diogo Dalot (46’ for Cancelo)—6.9: Completely shut down Luis Díaz from the moment he came on, and was really smart in build-up. Brilliant cameo.

SUB: João Neves (46’ for R. Neves)—6.2: His introduction instantly helped Vitinha assume even more control, but Portugal’s midfield looked exhausted soon after he entered the match and Colombia dominated.

SUB: Samú (70’ for Vitinha)—6.5: Looked incapable of keeping up with the tempo of the game.

SUB: Rafael Leão (70‘ for Vitinha)—6.6: Had a golden opportunity to win the match late but pushed his shot just wide of the far post.

SUB: Matheus Nunes (90’ for Mendes)—N/A

Subs not used: José Sá (GK), Rui Silva (GK), Gonçalo Inácio, Tomás Araújo, Gonçalo Guedes, Gonçalo Ramos, Nélson Semedo, bernardo Silva, Francisco Conceição, Trincão, Gonçalo Ramos.

What the Ratings Tell Us

• Rúben Neves is one of Portugal’s leaders and in lower-paced games, his precise passing might be a valuable trait. However, it became abundantly clear that in games against high-caliber sides that are capable of playing at a faster pace, João Neves needs to be picked ahead of him.
• Rúben Dias and Renato Veiga somehow, some way, found a way to bend and bend but never break. The center back duo constantly had to intervene in a state of urgency, and with a help from the Diogo Costa , managed to keep a clean sheet. Martínez shouldn’t tweak his defensive core.
• Diogo Dalot should be in contention to start over João Cancelo against Croatia. The Barcelona left back faltered against the first team Portugal faced this summer that actually tried to have the initiative, meanwhile, Dalot was very solid during his cameo.

The Numbers That Explain Portugal’s Lucky Draw

Colombia was this close to a game-winning goal 🤯 pic.twitter.com/zzr81QHcwI

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 28, 2026

• Colombia had 24 total shots on the night, 11 more than what Portugal mustered. Martínez’s side produced an xG of 0.70 —and only 0.18 in the second half—compared to Colombia’s 1.63 .
• Portugal only had 13 touches in the opposition box , 22 fewer than what Colombia mustered.
• Even boasting arguably the most talented midfield in the tournament, Portugal still lost the possession battle with Colombia having 55% of the ball . Portugal was categorically outplayed by the South Americans.