Miami: Cristiano Ronaldo matched another FIFA World Cup milestone despite Portugal being held to a goalless draw by Colombia in their final Group K fixture on Saturday (Local Time), with the result sending both sides through to the Round of 32.
According to Opta Analyst, the 41-year-old Portugal captain made his 25th FIFA World Cup appearance, drawing level with Germany great Lothar Matthaus for the second-most appearances in the tournament's history. Only Argentina captain Lionel Messi, with 29 appearances, has featured in more World Cup matches than Ronaldo.
Ronaldo also extended an unusual tournament statistic. The veteran forward has now been flagged offside 11 times across the last two FIFA World Cups, four more than any other player during that span. France's Kylian Mbappe and Colombia's Luis Diaz are next on the list with seven offsides each.
On the pitch, Portugal needed victory to finish atop Group K but were frustrated by a disciplined Colombian defence as the match ended 0-0 in Miami. The draw was enough for Colombia, who entered the contest with six points, to seal top spot in the group, while Portugal advanced as runners-up with four points.
Colombia nearly snatched all three points in dramatic fashion when Davinson Sanchez headed home in the 90th minute, only for the assistant referee's offside flag to deny the defender a late winner.
The South Americans had threatened from the opening exchanges, with Jhon Cordoba heading over inside the first minute before forcing an excellent one-handed save from Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
Portugal gradually asserted control through Bruno Fernandes and Ruben Neves, enjoying long spells of possession, but Colombia's organised backline limited clear-cut opportunities. Fernandes came closest for Roberto Martinez's side in the first half, only to be denied by an outstanding point-blank save from Camilo Vargas.
Ronaldo, closely marked throughout the contest, remained Portugal's focal point in attack and looked dangerous inside the penalty area, while Joao Felix and Pedro Neto attempted to stretch Colombia's defence from wide positions.
Despite late pressure from both teams, neither side found a breakthrough, with Colombia recording the first goalless draw in their FIFA World Cup history. The result ensured both nations progressed to the knockout stage, with Colombia finishing as Group K winners and Portugal securing second place.
