World Cup takeaways for Round of 32: Portugal's draw with Colombia likely denied us the chance to see Messi vs. Ronaldo

The dream of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo meeting for the first and only time in the World Cup is (likely) dead.

Portugal‘s 0-0 draw with Colombia on Saturday night relegated it to second in Group K and on the opposite side of the knockout round bracket from Argentina. Had Portugal won Group K, Argentina and Portugal would have been on a collision course to meet in the quarterfinals on July 11.

Advertisement

Now, the only way that the 39-year-old Messi and the 41-year-old Ronaldo can meet in the World Cup is if both teams make the final. And it’s hard to see how Portugal is capable of doing that through its first three games of the tournament.

Portugal stuttered to a 0-0 opening-game draw against DR Congo before beating Uzbekistan 4-0 ahead of another scoreless tie. Uzbekistan lost all three games it played and had a minus-9 goal differential. It was one of the worst teams in the tournament.

2026 Soccer Pick ‘Em with FOX One: Make your predictions for the Round of 32!

DR Congo has proven to be one of the best teams in Africa and qualified for the knockout rounds as one of the best third-place teams. Colombia is one of the better teams in South America. But neither are close to being a World Cup favorite. If Portugal can’t beat either of them — let alone score a single goal — is it really a World Cup contender?

Advertisement

Ronaldo scored twice against Uzbekistan but was a non-factor in the scoreless ties. Saturday night, he took three shots. One was on target. His best opportunity came when he slipped behind the Colombia defense in the second half and had a one-on-one opportunity against Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas. Ronaldo slid the shot wide to the right. And he was also only behind the defense because he was offside.

The idea that Portugal can be a better team without Ronaldo on the field hasn’t gone away during this World Cup. Portugal has looked slow and stagnant despite having one of the most talented midfields in the world. It’s so good that longtime Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva hasn’t started each of the last two games and didn’t even appear as a sub against Colombia.

Something is clearly off. And Portugal doesn’t exactly have a get-right game on its path to the World Cup final. By finishing second, Portugal gets to play Croatia in the Round of 32 instead of Ghana. Croatia isn’t the team it was in 2018 or 2022 when it made the semifinals in each of those tournaments. But the Croatians are wily and will be content to play deliberately against Portugal.

Advertisement

Even if Portugal gets by Croatia, Euro 2024 champion Spain awaits in the Round of 16. Had Portugal won Group K, it’s likely Round of 16 opponent would be Switzerland if it beat Ghana before that tantalizing opportunity of a quarterfinal matchup against Argentina.

Instead, the only hope of seeing Messi and Ronaldo on the same field is if they meet on July 19. Never say never, of course. But it’s a possibility that’s a lot more remote than it was on Saturday morning.

Here are the rest of our takeaways now that all 32 spots in the knockout rounds are officially filled.

Round of 32 games to watch

Netherlands vs. Morocco (June 29): After tying Brazil to open the World Cup, Morocco only finished second in Group C due to goal difference. Can it replicate the stinginess that took it to the semifinals in 2022? Morocco shut out Spain and Portugal before losing 2-0 to France. The Netherlands looked shaky defensively at times against Japan, but bossed both Tunisia and Sweden. This could be the best game of the opening round.

Advertisement

Brazil vs. Japan (June 29): Brazil still has questions in midfield, but an attack led by Vinícius Júnior has produced three goals in each of its last two games. Japan would be a trendy upset pick if it were fully healthy, but it’s strong enough defensively and good enough in midfield to make Brazil sweat.

Ivory Coast vs. Norway (June 30): Norway was content to play Ivory Coast based on sitting Erling Haaland and nine other starters in its final group stage game against France. Will Haaland and his teammates be able to break down an Ivory Coast team that’s allowed just two goals to Germany so far this tournament?

United States vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (July 1): Bosnia and Herzegovina is going to be content to sit back and force the United States to be disciplined and patient with the ball. What will happen if the U.S. doesn’t get an early goal like it did in all three of its group stage games? This may be an entirely different test than the USMNT has faced all tournament.

Portugal vs. Croatia (July 2): This will probably be the final international game for either Ronaldo or 40-year-old Croatia stalwart Luka Modric. The two starred together at Real Madrid for six seasons and won four Champions League titles together. Can Croatia summon yet another deep World Cup run? It won its two knockout round games in 2022 on penalty kicks to get to the semifinals.

Advertisement

Looking ahead to the Round of 16 and beyond

• Argentina’s path to the semifinals is the most favorable of any of the top teams in the tournament. Argentina faces Cape Verde in the Round of 32 before either Australia or Egypt in the Round of 16. A likely matchup with Colombia or Switzerland will await in the quarterfinals. There’s a reason that no team has won back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962, but Argentina has a great draw to attempt to match that feat.

• Mexico has a tricky Round of 32 matchup against Ecuador before a likely game against England in Mexico City. Could altitude and home-field advantage help the hosts? The winner could face Brazil, who will get either Norway or Ivory Coast in the Round of 32. This is easily the most stacked quadrant of the entire bracket.

• As Argentina’s path to the semis looks incredibly straightforward, France’s looks a bit more difficult. After facing Sweden in the Round of 32, France is likely to face off against Germany in the Round of 16 before a potential game against either the Netherlands or Morocco in the quarterfinals barring a massive upset by either Canada or South Africa.

• If you believe FIFA’s world rankings, the United States’ path to the final is loaded with top-10 teams. If the USMNT beats Bosnia and Herzegovina, it could have to beat four top-10 teams to win the World Cup. No. 2 France (semis), No. 3 Spain (quarters), No. 6 Morocco (semis), No. 7 Netherlands (semis), No. 8 Portugal (quarters) and No. 10 Belgium (Round of 16) could all be opponents before the final on July 19.