The part with the maths and the scenarios is over. The 2026 World Cup today entered the phase where a bad day sends you home: the knockouts have begun.

With the new 48-team format, there is a brand-new round right at the start, the round of 32. The first match pitted South Africa against Canada at SoFi Stadium in California, kicking off three weeks that will produce a champion. From here on it all hurts: whoever loses packs the boots away.

And Portugal?

The national team secured passage and has a date set: it faces Croatia on July 2. After the goalless draw with Colombia, the side knows it is now entering the part of the tournament where details decide, a set piece, a moment of inspiration, a save in time.

Croatia is an old acquaintance of difficult nights and rarely makes it easy. But Portugal has plenty of arguments and an experienced group to dream of a long run. The secret, as always in knockouts, is to start focused from the first minute, because there is no second chance.

Mark the calendar, ready the nerves and the sofa: July promises nail-biting nights.

See also: Portugal draws Croatia in the round. Official schedule at FIFA.

Football doesn’t always serve up a show, and the goalless draw between Portugal and Colombia in Miami was one of those chess matches where neither side wanted to overcommit. Final score: 0-0, with the defences talking louder than the attacks. It won’t live long in the memory, but it doesn’t wreck the maths either — Portugal march on, eyes already on the next test.

Croatia waiting

The next chapter is on 3 July in Toronto, against Croatia. And that’s a different conversation. The Croatians are old hands at the latter stages, the kind of side that doesn’t always dazzle but rarely gets caught napping. It’ll demand more than what we saw in Miami: sharper final balls, sharper finishing.

The good news is the team looked solid at the back, and at a proper World Cup that’s worth its weight in gold. The bad news is goals are hard to come by — and against a side happy to soak up pressure and counter, Portugal will need to find the key to the lock.

What’s at stake

Toronto could shape much of Portugal’s run in this tournament. There’s talent to spare in the squad; now they just need the pieces to click at the right moment. Mark the date: 3 July, and may the ball go in this time. The national team’s official calendar is at fpf.pt.

See also: Wimbledon getting under way with Nuno Borges.

Today marks the start of what is, for many, the most beautiful tournament of the year. Wimbledon opened its doors this Monday, with the grass still fresh, the compulsory white, and the first main-draw matches rolling out in London.

For Portugal, all eyes are on Nuno Borges. The national number one takes the court on opening day against American Tristan Boyer, in a match that, on paper, is within his reach. Borges, 29, sits around the top 65 of the rankings and put together a solid grass-court build-up, with three wins in five matches pointing to good form on the circuit’s trickiest surface.

The second-round ghost

If he gets past this first round, a poisoned gift awaits: Jannik Sinner, the world number one, is the likely opponent in the second round. It’s not a tie to dream of winning, but the Portuguese has a strong serve and a game that bothers people — and on grass, where a well-placed serve decides points, nobody enjoys facing him.

Grass rewards bravery: short points, quick decisions, little time to think. It’s a surface that can shrink the gap between a top-10 player and someone further down, and that’s exactly where the Portuguese hope lives.

Whatever the result, having a Portuguese player open Wimbledon is reason enough to switch on the TV.

See also: the preview of the Portuguese at Wimbledon and the start of the World Cup knockouts. Live results on the official Wimbledon site.

The league is over, but football does not rest: the transfer season is open, and the big clubs are already moving pieces for 2026/27.

At Benfica, the big headache is central defence. With Nicolás Otamendi out of contract and refusing to renew, the club has chosen France’s Clément Lenglet to replace him. The 31-year-old international leaves Atlético Madrid after two seasons and brings the experience of someone who has played at the highest level. There are also departures to confirm, such as Henrique Araújo, and doubts over the future of youngsters like António Silva, a year from the end of his deal.

Sporting are busy too

At Alvalade, the focus is midfield. Sporting are closing in on Sergi Altimira from Betis, a deal that could open the exit door for captain Morten Hjulmand. Issa Doumbia has also arrived to add muscle to the area.

For the fan, this is the part of the year when you dream big and debate everything at the café counter: who stays, who goes, who is the signing still missing. The sagas will run for weeks, with twists, U-turns and that last-minute announcement nobody saw coming.

A word of caution, worth its weight in gold right now: until there is a photo with the scarf and an official signature, it is all transfer talk. We will follow what gets confirmed, not what gets rumoured.

See also: Porto and Braga strengthen too. More at Benfica’s official site.

The group stage is done, and now comes the part that costs you sleep. The round of 32 at World Cup 2026 kicks off on June 29, and the rule flips entirely: lose, and you pack your boots and go home. No friendly draws, no “we’ll get them next matchday”.

Portugal already know the path. After a goalless draw with Colombia, the side finished second in the group and have a date with Croatia on July 2 in Toronto. It’s a respected opponent, with a recent habit of going deep in these tournaments and making anyone suffer in extra time.

What to expect

Croatia are the kind of team the calendar doesn’t scare. They play through midfield, control the tempo and love dragging games to the end, where experience counts. Portugal, with a solid goal and decisive players up front, will need to impose their football early and not let the match drift onto the ground their rivals prefer.

For the fan, it’s the sort of game worth an afternoon glued to the screen. A knockout Portugal-Croatia is rarely dull, and the memory of past duels between these two promises tension to the final whistle.

From here, it’s all or nothing. And that’s what makes this stage the most beautiful, and the cruellest, of the whole World Cup.

See also: Portugal draw 0-0 with Colombia and land Croatia.

The transfer window is already heating up, and the big northern clubs aren’t sitting still. FC Porto, the reigning champions, bet on the future: they signed Oskar Pietuszewski, a Polish winger of just 17, from Jagiellonia Bialystok for around €10 million on a four-year deal.

It’s the kind of bet the Dragões know well: buy promising youngsters, give them a stage and, with luck, sell them for more down the line. Pietuszewski arrives with the talent label; now he has to deliver.

Braga bolster the midfield

Further north, SC Braga secured Demir Ege Tiknaz on a permanent deal from Besiktas, in a €7 million move plus a possible €500,000 bonus. The midfielder becomes a full-time Braga player after already knowing the house.

There are more sagas open, from Chelsea’s interest in Diogo Costa to the moves around Sporting players. Summer promises plenty.

See also: Otamendi’s exit from Benfica. Official confirmations on the FC Porto and SC Braga sites.

There were no goals, but there was drama to the last second. Portugal drew 0-0 with Colombia in Miami in their final Group K game, finishing the group stage second on five points, behind the Colombians, who had seven.

The moment that froze the Portuguese bench came in stoppage time: Davinson Sánchez headed the ball into the net from a corner, but the goal was ruled out for a wafer-thin offside. For Colombia, it left the curious note of recording their first-ever goalless draw at a World Cup.

What’s next

With qualification already secured before this game, the draw only settled placings. And it sets a demanding path: in the round of 32, Portugal face Croatia on 2 July. Old acquaintances, always tough to crack.

Cristiano Ronaldo and company will need to sharpen their finishing, because in the knockouts there’s no room for goalless draws. But the team is still alive, and that’s what counts.

See also: the Group K opponents and the rout of Uzbekistan. Official results at FIFA.

Some stories are hard to believe even as they unfold in front of you. Cape Verde, an archipelago of half a million people, didn’t just turn up to its first World Cup — it got through the group stage without losing a single game.

The clincher was a 0-0 with Saudi Arabia in Houston. Not the prettiest match, but the right result at the right moment — and with Spain beating Uruguay the way the table needed, the Blue Sharks finished second in the group and went through. Before that they had already drawn with Spain on their debut and held Uruguay. Three games, three points shared with heavyweights, zero defeats. For a first attempt, that is almost cheeky.

For Portuguese speakers, this run carries a special flavour. The squad leans heavily on the diaspora — much of it grew up or plays in Europe, several with roots and ties to Portugal — and plays with that blend of structure and nerve that’s a joy to watch. There are no inferiority complexes here. Cape Verde came out to contest the games, not to survive them.

Now comes the biggest test of all. In the last 16 they meet Lionel Messi’s Argentina, the reigning world champions and favourites for everything. On paper it’s a mismatch. But if there’s one team that has already shown it doesn’t pay much attention to paper, it’s this one. A month ago nobody in their right mind put Cape Verde at this stage — and here they are.

Win or lose what comes next, the achievement is already locked in. It’s proof that a small, well-organised, fearless country can pull up a chair at the big table. And let’s be honest: there are few things in football as lovely as a debutant flatly refusing to play the supporting role. All that’s left is to cheer them on — and enjoy every minute of this adventure while it lasts.

The hard part is already done. After stumbling on their debut against DR Congo and answering with a 5-0 thumping of Uzbekistan, Portugal arrive at the final group game with a place in the last 16 already secured. The match against Colombia, in Miami, is one of those played with your head half in the next round.

That doesn’t mean there’s nothing on the line. Top spot in the group is up for grabs, and finishing first could mean a smoother — or at least different — path through the knockouts. For Roberto Martínez, it’s also a chance to manage minutes, rest tired legs and try out options for what’s ahead, without ever easing off enough to hand over the game.

On the other side is a Colombia who are always awkward to face: quick in the final third and full of players used to big stages. They’re not an opponent to take lightly, even with the table already smiling on Portugal. One slip can rewrite the group maths in an instant, and nobody wants to limp into the last 16 off the back of a poor display.

For Cristiano Ronaldo and company, the management is physical and mental too. The World Cup is long, played in hot stadiums, and the real tournament only starts now — the knockouts, where one bad day sends anyone home. The point is to arrive intact and confident, and ideally with the group wrapped up in first.

In short: main mission accomplished, but there are still details to fine-tune. This weekend Portugal are playing more against themselves than against Colombia. And it’s precisely in moments like these, when the immediate result matters less, that you find out whether a team is truly ready to go far.

While the country had its eyes on football, a Portuguese athlete was climbing to the top of a European podium in another sport: Gabriel Fernandes became European marathon canoeing champion in the C1 category (single-seater canoe).

Canoeing is one of those sports where Portugal is, quietly, a powerhouse. It doesn’t fill stadiums or dominate the news, but year after year it brings home European and world medals — the fruit of work by clubs, rivers and coaches few people ever see.

What C1 marathon is

Unlike the sprint races that last seconds, the marathon is pure endurance: tens of minutes of intense paddling, with portage sections where athletes jump out of the water and run with the boat on their backs to the next stretch of river. Winning takes a cool head, strong legs and technique honed to the millimetre.

For Fernandes, this gold confirms his status and gives him momentum for the rest of the season. For the sport, it’s another name added to a tradition that has already given Portugal world and Olympic champions.

A small tip: next time you pass a river with a canoeing club, watch a training session. It’s harder than it looks — and it’s where champions like this one are made.

It was a departure everyone saw coming, but no less felt for it. Nicolás Otamendi left Benfica on a free transfer and signed for River Plate, returning to Argentina after several years marshalling the Luz defence.

The centre-back was one of those players who split opinion and ended up winning almost everyone over: experienced, a leader, with that competitive streak that sometimes earned him cards but that fans love to have on their side. He carried trophies, the captaincy and plenty of big games on his shoulders.

What changes at Benfica

Losing a centre-back of this stature on a free is always bittersweet: it spares the balance sheet, but it opens a leadership hole you can’t buy on the corner. Benfica now enter a phase of rebuilding the defence, and fans will want to see new faces up to the task — and quickly, because the season won’t wait.

For Otamendi, it’s an almost romantic return to South American football near the end of his career, at one of the continent’s biggest clubs. There are sadder goodbyes; this one feels like coming home.

What’s left is the thank-you. For the unlikely goals, the blocks thrown body-first, and that temperament that, deep down, is what makes a captain.

The warm-up is over. Wimbledon’s sacred grass opens on Monday, 29 June, running until 12 July — the most elegant (and most stubbornly traditional) tournament on the tennis calendar.

The men’s draw

The big talking point is the bracket: Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner landed in the same half of the draw, which means that, if everything follows seeding, they’d only meet in the semi-finals. For fans, it’s halfway to a clash of generations — the veteran who has won it all against the world number one who inherited the throne.

And the Portuguese?

There are reasons to follow closely: three Portuguese players featured in the men’s qualifying draw, two of them seeded. The qualifying stage, played between 22 and 25 June, is that cruel funnel that decides who earns the right to step onto the main lawns. Having Portuguese representation right at the gates of the main draw is, in itself, good news for a country that historically doesn’t breathe tennis.

A curiosity that will get people talking

There’s also a return pulling the spotlight: Serena Williams plays a Wimbledon singles draw again, four years on, opening against young Maya Joint. Whatever the result, it’s the kind of story that makes the public stop and watch.

Two weeks of grass, compulsory white, and strawberries and cream. The tennis summer is officially open.

The World Cup is hogging the spotlight, but behind the scenes Portugal’s clubs aren’t resting. The new league season starts on August 9, leaving barely six weeks to settle squads — so the market is already bubbling.

At Porto, in came young Polish winger Oskar Pietuszewski (17, from Jagiellonia for around €10m) and Jakub Kiwior from Arsenal to firm up the back line. Ángel Alarcón left for Utrecht.

Sporting have exits to manage: Rodrigo Ribeiro to Augsburg, Diogo Travassos to Braga. And there’s noise around Pedro Gonçalves, with Fàbregas’s Como sniffing about. At Benfica, the hot name is Pavlidis, with Besiktas showing interest.

What it tells us

It’s early, and half these deals could still flip. But the pattern repeats: the big clubs sell prized youngsters, bank the fee, and reinvest. Keep watching — in pre-season, the surprises almost always land in the final days.

If this World Cup is delivering one thing, it’s drama. Ecuador served up the biggest slap of the last few hours, beating Germany 2-1 and reminding everyone that in a 48-team tournament there are no easy games.

Germany, mind you, had already booked their place after a 7-1 demolition of Curaçao and a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast — so the loss stings the pride more than the standings. But it’s a warning: the knockouts don’t forgive a wandering mind.

Who’s already in

The bracket is filling out. Mexico, the United States, Germany, Norway, Colombia, Switzerland, Canada, Brazil, Morocco and a surprising South Africa — through to the knockouts for the first time ever — have all sealed spots. Portugal join the list and settle top place tomorrow.

The knockout phase (the “round of 32” in this expanded format) kicks off on June 28. From there it’s pure win-or-go-home. Exactly how we like it.

We can breathe: Portugal are into the knockouts. But there’s still maths to do tomorrow, and it isn’t trivial. In Miami, at 7:30pm Eastern, the national team meet Colombia in what is effectively a Group K final.

The arithmetic is simple. Colombia lead, and if they avoid defeat they finish first. Portugal only jump to the top with a win. Why does it matter if both are already through? Because first place usually means a theoretically gentler opponent in the next round — and in a 48-team World Cup, every shortcut counts.

Two heavyweights, head to head

Colombia have earned respect: James Rodríguez pulling the strings, Luis Díaz tearing down the left, and Luis Suárez (the Sporting one) sniffing out goals. They beat Uzbekistan 3-1 and saw off DR Congo with a tidy 1-0.

Portugal arrive flying after the 5-0 over Uzbekistan, Ronaldo grabbing a brace and Nuno Mendes curling in a free-kick for the ages. In midfield the luxury is almost rude: Vitinha and João Neves spinning the play, Bruno Fernandes ahead of them. Keep Díaz’s pace quiet and there’s a game to be won here.

Dig out the shirt, set the alarm — and pre-load the coffee. This one’s worth it.