Portugal will hope to lift the at last in what will be a record sixth appearance at the tournament for Cristiano Ronaldo. However, they will have to get past a resurgent Colombia in Group K and two sides in Congo DR and Uzbekistan who overcame all obstacles to make the global showpiece.
Portugal kick off their campaign against Congo DR in Houston on 17 June, while Fabio Cannavaro's Uzbekistan will take on Colombia in Mexico City in their first ever match at a World Cup.
Best World Cup: Third place (1966)
World Cup qualifications: Nine (1966, 1986, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Overall World Cup record: P35 W17 D6 L12 F61 A41
Portugal overran Armenia 9-1 on the final matchday of UEFA qualifiers to claim top spot in Group F and seal their qualification for the World Cup. Along the way, Ronaldo scored a brace against Hungary to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup preliminaries.
Best World Cup: Quarter-finals (2014)
World Cup qualifications: Seven (1962, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2014, 2018, 2026)
Overall World Cup record: P22 W9 D3 L10 F32 A30
Colombia finished third in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying behind Argentina and Ecuador. La Tricolor sealed qualification for the global showcase on the penultimate matchday, beating Bolivia 3-0 at home thanks to goals from James Rodriguez, Jhon Cordoba and Juan Fernando Quintero.
World Cup qualifications: One (2026)
Uzbekistan flew through round two of AFC qualifying and then went undefeated in their first four matches of round three before eventually stumbling in a 3-2 defeat to Qatar. They went on another unbeaten run in their last five matches, sealing their spot at the World Cup for the first time following a 0-0 draw against United Arab Emirates.
Best World Cup: Group stage (1974)
World Cup qualifications: One (1974)
Overall World Cup record: P3 W0 D0 L3 F0 A14
The Leopards took the long road to the global showpiece in North America, qualifying for just the second time in their history. After finishing second in CAF Group B behind Senegal, Congo DR defeated Cameroon and Nigeria in the CAF play-offs to earn a spot in a cross continental Play-Off Tournament in Mexico where Axel Tuanzebe's opportunistic goal saw them overcome Jamaica and book their place at the World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo will make history becoming the first Portuguese player to feature in six FIFA World Cups.
If a Portuguese player wins the Golden Ball at this World Cup, it will be the first time since Eusebio won it in 1966 after scoring nine goals.
Uzbekistan have qualified for the World Cup for the first time as an independent nation after seven failed attempts.
Congo DR competed in the 1974 World Cup as Zaire. They entered the tournament as AFCON champions, but failed to score a single goal in West Germany.
James Rodriguez won the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup, netting six times.
The winner of Group K will head to Kansas City to take on one of the best third-placed sides from Groups D, E, I, J or L. Meanwhile the Group K runner-up will fly north to Toronto to take on the runner-up from Group L.
If Group K's third-placed side ends up being one of the eight best, they will head to Atlanta to face the winner of Group L.
Sources: FIFA Official
