Colombia became the latest team to secure a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout rounds after defeating DR Congo 1-0 in Group K. The scoreline may look narrow, but it barely reflected the dominance of the South American side, who had three additional goals ruled out during a frustrating evening in front of goal.

The victory sends Colombia into the Round of 32 and sets up a decisive clash with Portugal for top spot in the group.

One Goal, Four Celebrations

For much of the match, it felt as though Colombia would score several times.

The pressure started almost immediately. Daniel Muñoz struck the post inside the opening minutes before later finding the net, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.

That proved to be a sign of things to come.

Colombia repeatedly carved open the Congolese defense, creating opportunities through James Rodriguez, Johan Mojica and Luis Diaz. However, goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi delivered an outstanding performance to keep his team in the contest.

By halftime, Colombia had registered 14 shots compared to just two from DR Congo, yet the scoreboard remained unchanged.

Mpasi Keeps DR Congo Alive

The pattern continued after the break.

Luis Diaz and Jhon Arias both came close as Colombia continued to dominate possession and territory. Despite controlling virtually every aspect of the game, the South Americans struggled to find the finishing touch that would reward their superiority.

Meanwhile, DR Congo gradually gained confidence and began venturing forward more frequently as the second half progressed.

For a while, it looked as though Colombia might be punished for their wastefulness.

Muñoz Finally Finds the Breakthrough

The decisive moment eventually arrived in the 76th minute.

Following a scramble inside the penalty area, the ball fell kindly for Daniel Muñoz, whose shot took a deflection off Steve Kapuadi before wrong-footing Mpasi and ending the goalkeeper's resistance.

Unlike several earlier incidents, VAR found nothing wrong with the goal and Colombia finally had the lead their performance deserved.

The celebrations were nearly repeated twice more. Luis Diaz put the ball in the net on two separate occasions during the closing stages, but both efforts were disallowed—one for a foul and another for offside.

Portugal Await in Group K Decider

DR Congo attempted a late response and forced Camilo Vargas into his first significant save of the evening through Nathanael Mbuku deep into stoppage time, but Colombia comfortably held on for the win.

The result guarantees qualification to the knockout stage and leaves Colombia sitting at the top of Group K table.

With Portugal having earlier thrashed Uzbekistan 5-0, the final round of fixtures will feature a direct battle between the two favorites for first place in the group.

DR Congo, meanwhile, still have work to do. Their final match against Uzbekistan will likely determine which nation joins Colombia and potentially Portugal in the next stage of the tournament.

For now, Colombia can celebrate another professional performance—and start preparing for one of the most anticipated group-stage matches of the World Cup.