Valdano sees Portugal's talent, Pékerman backs Colombia's strong start

Jorge Valdano saw enough in Portugal to trust the talent, but not enough in its debut to dismiss the questions. José Pékerman and Iván Ramiro Córdoba, by contrast, read Colombia’s opening match as a cleaner early signal, one that suggested structure rather than opening-night noise in a Group K that also includes Uzbekistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The stakes around that reading are clear. FIFA placed Colombia and Portugal in the same group for the 2026 World Cup, and their meeting is set for June 27 at Miami Stadium, the last match of the first stage for both sides. Portugal opened its campaign against Congo DR in Houston on June 17, while Colombia faced Uzbekistan in Mexico City on June 18. The group has already become the kind of early test that can distort judgment if one result is taken too seriously.

For Portugal, the raw quality remains the headline. Valdano’s view points to a side with players and a level of attacking talent that can change a match quickly, even if the first appearance left tactical doubts. The opening game did not answer every question about balance, rhythm or how Roberto Martínez will line up against better-organized opponents, and that uncertainty matters more than any isolated flash of skill. Early in a tournament, elite talent can look overwhelming without yet looking complete.

Colombia’s start invited a different conclusion. Under Néstor Lorenzo, the team’s first match against Uzbekistan offered a more stable picture, one that Pékerman and Córdoba treated as a solid base rather than a moment to inflate expectations. That distinction matters in a World Cup, where a controlled debut often tells more about a side’s readiness than a messy, emotional performance. Colombia did not merely survive its opener; it looked like a team with an identifiable plan.

The final group-stage clash will sharpen the verdict. EL TIEMPO noted that Colombia’s match against Portugal would be the first time the national team faced Cristiano Ronaldo in a full international, and that Portugal arrived with six points from two European qualifying matches at the time of that preview. Pékerman, remembered in Colombia for guiding the Selección to its best World Cup finish, and Córdoba, the captain of the 2001 Copa América champions, bring weight to the analysis because they know how quickly first impressions can harden into narratives. Right now, Portugal’s talent is real, Colombia’s structure looks real, and the rest of Group K is still sorting itself out.