Portugal’s goalless draw with Colombia left Roberto Martinez publicly backing Cristiano Ronaldo again, as the captain completed another full 90 minutes at the World Cup. The result confirmed Portugal in second place in Group K and set up a knockout tie with Croatia, while Colombia secured top spot and continued a strong run against European opponents.
Ronaldo, playing at a sixth World Cup, made a record-extending 25th tournament appearance but could not find a decisive moment at Miami Stadium. Portugal’s attack struggled for rhythm and Colombia created the better chances, yet Martinez kept faith in Ronaldo throughout and indicated that a similar approach is likely for the last‑32 clash.
Ronaldo’s numbers against Colombia underlined a quiet display.
The 41-year-old registered only one shot on target from three attempts and had 35 touches, the fourth-lowest total among Portugal’s starting outfield players. Ronaldo was flagged offside twice, taking his offside count across the last two World Cups to 11, four more than Kylian Mbappe and Luis Diaz, who each have seven.
Martinez highlighted that Ronaldo has played every minute of Portugal’s group campaign, alongside Bruno Fernandes and Renato Veiga, reaching 270 minutes in total. Unlike Lionel Messi with Argentina and Erling Haaland with Norway, who both began their final group matches on the bench, Ronaldo started again from the first whistle and remained on the pitch until the final whistle.
Asked about that decision, Martinez dismissed the idea of judging Ronaldo’s selection against choices made for other stars. "Obviously, we don't compare players in our team with other players to make decisions. I think that would be quite childish and very unprofessional," Martinez told reporters. The head coach stressed that the staff rely on data from every match situation.
Martinez explained the monitoring process in further detail. "I can tell you that we monitor all the [player]information that we get live during the games. There are different positions on the pitch that need different needs, and we monitor that down to the detail. " Martinez insisted the numbers show Ronaldo remains ready to handle full matches at this level.
The Portugal coach then underlined belief in Ronaldo’s instincts near goal. "Cristiano is used to being in the right place at the right time. There is no issue, physically or mentally, for Cristiano in today's game to play the 90 minutes. Maybe the next game we need to make a change, but that's like any other player. " Martinez framed any future rotation as a wider squad decision, not one directed at Ronaldo alone.
Finishing second in Group K sends Portugal into a last‑32 meeting with Croatia, who defeated Ghana in their decisive Group L fixture to also claim second place, behind Thomas Tuchel’s England. The knockout match is scheduled for July 2 at Toronto Stadium, falling one day before the first anniversary of Diogo Jota’s death, a date Martinez expects will carry emotional weight.
Martinez described how Jota’s memory shapes Portugal’s daily work and framed the upcoming fixture as part of that ongoing tribute. "Obviously, every day is difficult. When you are training, there are always moments when Diogo Jota comes back into our memories," Martinez added. So I wouldn't say that the anniversary needs to be especially difficult. I would say that it's a little bit of a celebration. We need to honour Diogo Jota. It's a moment to cherish, that everything we started in this team started with him. We won the Nations League with him. He's probably the sign and the light of the biggest stimulation that we have. We want to win the World Cup for him. The anniversary is just a moment that makes the game Diogo Jota's game. It's not a difficult moment, the difficulty is every day when he's not there physically. Probably moments like this, when you don't win a game, the reference of having his desire, his belief, is always very clear in our presence.
A Federao Portuguesa de Futebol e todo o Futebol portugus esto completamente devastados com a morte de Diogo Jota e do seu irmo Andr Silva, esta madrugada, em Espanha. Muito mais do que o fantstico jogador, com quase 50 internacionalizaes pela Seleo Nacional A, Diogo pic.twitter.com/EN901fH6FGPortugal (@selecaoportugal) July 3, 2025
Portugal vs Colombia stats and Colombia’s attacking display
Colombia’s performance contained far more attacking threat, and Nestor Lorenzo’s team might feel a win slipped away. They attempted 24 shots, the most they have recorded in any World Cup match since records began in 1966, surpassing the 23 attempts produced against the United States in 1994, yet they still could not break Portugal down.
Portugal managed 13 shots in reply and were often second best territorially. Colombia’s expected goals total reached 1.7, compared with Portugal’s 0.93, highlighting the quality of chances created by Lorenzo’s side. Even so, Colombia hit the target only six times and lacked a clinical edge during key moments inside the penalty area.
Key attacking numbers from Portugal vs Colombia at the World Cup can be summarised as follows.
| Team | Shots | Shots on target | Expected goals (xG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 24 | 6 | 1.7 |
| Portugal | 13 | Not specified | 0.93 |
The draw extended Colombia’s positive sequence against UEFA opposition at the World Cup. Lorenzo’s squad are now unbeaten in four such fixtures, with two wins and two draws. That contrasts with their previous eight meetings with European sides at the tournament, when Colombia recorded one win, two draws and five defeats.
Despite topping Group K ahead of Portugal, Lorenzo warned that wasteful finishing could prove costly later in the competition. "These are teams with elite players, and if you miss so many chances, you'll suffer a bit more than today," Lorenzo warned. The coach accepted the point but recognised it still secured first place in the standings.
Lorenzo reflected on Colombia’s attacking output across the final two group games. "We were okay with that draw. We still finished at the top of the group. We tried hard against Congo, we only had one goal, and today we couldn't do it. So we wish we had been able to finish, but the performance was very good, and I'm grateful to the players. "
Portugal vs Colombia expectations and tournament outlook
The Colombia head coach also spoke about how the display against one of the World Cup favourites might shift public expectations at home. "Truth be told, I believe people are hopeful," he said. Lorenzo suggested that qualification was the initial target when he took charge, but ambitions have now grown beyond that first step.
Lorenzo described how pressure has evolved around the team’s objectives. "The other day I said that when they hired me, they hired me to qualify, and now people want you to win the World Cup. So there is hope, we also are hopeful, but you have to take it one match at a time. " Colombia now turn attention to a last‑32 tie with Ghana.
Portugal enter the Croatia clash after a demanding group phase for several starters, especially Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Renato Veiga, yet Martinez sees no immediate concern over Ronaldo’s physical or mental state. Colombia, meanwhile, progress as group winners but leave the Portugal vs Colombia match aware that greater ruthlessness will be needed in the knockout rounds.
