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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes experienced a difficult outing as Portugal were held to a goalless draw by Colombia in their final Group K encounter of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Heading into the match, Portugal trailed Colombia in second place and required a victory to secure the group’s top spot. However, Néstor Lorenzo’s side, who had already won both of their previous matches while scoring four goals and conceding only once, proved to be formidable opponents.

Portugal boss Roberto Martinez made just one change from the team that emphatically defeated Uzbekistan 5-0 in their previous fixture, with Ruben Neves replacing Joao Neves in midfield. Fernandes retained his starting position, as did Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo, who had become the first player in history to score in six World Cups following his brace against Uzbekistan.

Colombia began strongly, posing several early threats to Portugal’s defence. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa was kept busy in the opening minutes, and Ruben Neves came to his side’s rescue by clearing a goal-bound effort off the line.

Ronaldo came close with a free kick from just outside the box, which forced Camilo Vargas into a save. That proved to be the closest the five-time Ballon d’Or winner came to finding the net. Portugal gained some momentum towards the end of the first half, with Ronaldo attempting a bicycle kick and Joao Felix having a decent chance to score.

At half-time, Martinez introduced Diogo Dalot and Joao Neves, yet Colombia continued to control the flow of the game. They appeared to have clinched the win deep into stoppage time when Davinson Sanchez scored, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Portugal ended the match with 13 shots, of which only two were on target. Bruno Fernandes had a surprisingly quiet performance as his team settled for second place in the group.

After setting up Ronaldo’s second goal against Uzbekistan to record his first assist of the tournament, Fernandes struggled to make a similar impact against Colombia. He managed two shots, with one on target, and missed a major chance. The 31-year-old had 56 touches, completing 44 passes with an 89% success rate.

Fernandes produced one key pass and delivered seven long balls, five of which found their mark. However, both of his attempted crosses were unsuccessful, and he failed to complete a single dribble. He won all four duels he contested but lost possession ten times. The midfielder also contributed two tackles in what was an uncharacteristically subdued display.

Despite Fernandes’ dip in form, Portugal still advanced to the knockout stages of the competition. The United captain will aim for a stronger performance when the Selecao face Croatia in the Round of 32 on Thursday, 2 July.