Portugal will be a threat and looking to end Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career with a bang in North America.Colombia have been impressive and are dark horses, while Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are making a historic return to the tournament.PortugalPortugal are hugely experienced campaigners at the World Cup. There is also a feeling they have underachieved, especially in the now-ending Cristiano Ronaldo era.While the rival to Lionel Messi for the last two decades for the title of world’s best player was able to lead “A Seleção” to their first European Championship title in 2016, he been unable to emulate Messi winning a World Cup, let alone reaching the final. Portugal’s best placing in the Ronaldo era was a quarterfinal in Qatar four years ago, while they had last 16 exits in 2010 and 2014 and a group stage exit in 2006 and 2014.Apart from a third-place finish in the era of the other Portuguese great, Mozambique-born Eusebio, in 1966, the above has been their most successful era — the Iberian nation only had two qualifications until 2002.One might assume that with an ageing Ronaldo they might not be rated a top contender in North America, but that’s not the case.Ronaldo, at 41, continues to bang in goals in the Saudi Pro League, with 28 in 30 games steering Al-Nassr to the title in 2025-26, and he captained Portugal to the 2024-25 Nations League title.The manager who took them there, Roberto Martínez, is hugely experienced and has a best finish of third place at a World Cup, with Belgium in 2018. He has a world-class midfield, led by Bruno Fernandes, the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season breaking the EPL’s assists record and helping Manchester United to third place in 2025-26. Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and the Paris St Germain pair of former Ballon d’Or finalist Vitinha and the dynamic João Neves complete a quality engine room.There are strong performers in defence too in City’s Rúben Dias, PSG’s Nuno Mendes and Barcelona’s João Cancelo.With striker or playmaker Ronaldo hungry to bow out with a bang, fifth-ranked Portugal can be a threat at this World Cup.Fifa ranking: 5Best World Cup finishes: Third place (1966)World Cup appearances: 9Democratic Republic of CongoDRC are returning to the World Cup for the first time since making history in becoming the first Sub-Saharan qualifiers as Zaire in 1974, a campaign best remembered for a colourful and controversial moment.In a 3-0 defeat to Brazil, Mwepu Ilunga bizarrely charged out and kicked the ball before the South Americans could take a free kick. At the time mocked, it later transpired to have been a moment of quiet rebellion after threats over pay disputes from the Mobutu Sese Seko regime. Unsurprisingly it was an awful World Cup all round for Zaire, conceding 14 goals in three defeats, including a 9-0 humbling by Yugoslavia.The modern DRC are known for some tough defensive and hard-running attacking football and should not be bleeding goals in North America. They trod a hard patch back to this World Cup. After finishing as runners-up to Senegal in their qualifying group, they reached the World Cup by shocking two powerhouses in the playoffs — Cameroon 1-0 in the semifinal and Nigeria 4-3 in the final. They then beat Jamaica 1-0 in the inter-confederation play-off final in Mexico.French coach Sébastien Desabre won multiple titles at Asec Mimosas in Ivory Coast and steered Uganda to their best Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finish since 1978 with a last 16 placing in 2019. Taking charge of DRC since 2022, he took them to fourth place in the Afcon in 2024, losing on penalties to Bafana Bafana in the third-place playoff, and is now back at the World Cup.Star players include captain and defensive stalwart Chancel Mbemba (Lille), Newcastle United forward Yoane Wissa, Real Betis striker Cédric Bakambu and West Ham defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka.Fifa ranking: 45Best World Cup finishes: Group stage (1974)World Cup appearances: 1UzbekistanA 48-team World Cup will throw up some surprising qualifiers. With countries like Curacao, Jordan and Haiti, rookies Uzbekistan, admitted to Fifa in 1992 after the break-up of the Soviet Union, are among those.Yet Uzbekistan have a decent ranking of 50th and have generally been competitive in the Asian Cup, with quarterfinal appearances in six of the last four tournaments and finishing as fourth-placed semifinalists in 2011.They have a genuine Italian defensive legend as coach in 52-year-old Fabio Cannavaro, who in his formative career on the bench has won league titles in China, though leading Uzbekistan to the World Cup is his major postplaying achievement.Manchester City’s 22-year-old centreback Abdukodir Khusanov is the undoubted star player that former central defender Cannavaro will pin his hopes on for his team to mount a major upset and progress past the group stage.Captain and striker Eldor Shomurodov, 30, who played in Serie A with Genoa and Roma, is the country’s record leading scorer with 43 international goals. He had a strong, 20-goal 2025-26 campaign with Turkish Süper Lig club İstanbul Başakşehir. Club teammate Abbosbek Fayzullaev, 22, was voted Asia’s best young player in 2023.Fifa ranking: 50Best World Cup finishes: Never qualifiedWorld Cup appearances: NoneColombiaExperienced campaigners Colombia have one of their strongest combinations going to a World Cup and are being touted as dark horses.They finished third in South America’s Conmebol single qualifying group behind Argentina and Ecuador and ahead of Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay with seven wins, seven draws and four defeats. Given they were also 2024 Copa America runners-up to world champions Argentina, they are being put forward not just as the second-strongest combination in Group K to Portugal but a side capable of a deep run in North America.Argentinean coach Néstor Lorenzo, appointed in 2022, among the strong World Cup and Copa campaigns, presided over a record 28-match unbeaten run that included victories over Brazil, Germany, and Spain. The 60-year-old is stepping out of the shadow of being a long-time assistant to acclaimed José Pékerman, including when they steered Argentina to a penalties defeat to hosts Germany in the 2006 World Cup.Star players include attacking wing talisman James Rodríguez, the 34-year-old former Porto, Monaco, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Everton, and now Minnesota United winger. Left winger or midfielder Luis Díaz was a key player in Bayern Munich’s record-breaking season under Vincent Kompany where they won the Bundesliga with just one defeat and reached the Uefa Champions League semifinals.Richard Ríos of Benfica and Jhon Arias of Brazil’s Palmeiras provide the work and creativity in central midfield.Fifa ranking: 13Best World Cup finishes: Quarterfinals (2014)World Cup appearances: 6• TimesLIVE, Sowetan, The Herald, Daily Dispatch and Business Day online are profiling 2026 World Cup groups every Tuesday until the tournament’s June 11 kick-off. Also catch the Star Player profile every Friday.