By Temi Kings | June 18, 2026
Mexico City, MX — Inside a roaring, sun-drenched Estadio Azteca packed with over 80,000 fans, Colombia marked their highly anticipated return to the grandest stage with a thrilling, breathless 3-1 victory over World Cup debutants Uzbekistan.
On a night where tournament heavyweights have needed their superstars to deliver, Colombia’s talismanic winger Luis Díaz answered the call. The flying winger orchestrated a magnificent performance, scoring the match-winner and providing a spectacular assist to help Los Cafeteros safely navigate a stubborn, history-making Uzbek side.
With Group K counterparts Portugal and DR Congo playing out a 1-1 draw earlier in the day, Néstor Lorenzo’s men took early, standalone control at the top of the group standings.
First half: Tactical gridlock broken by Muñoz’s magic
From the opening whistle, Fabio Cannavaro’s organized Uzbekistan side set up in a rigid defensive shape, looking to absorb pressure and frustrate the South American giants. Colombia dominated possession, patiently pulling the strings through veteran midfielder James Rodríguez and Jhon Arias, who agonizingly struck the side netting from distance in the 17th minute.
As the half ticked on, the pressure mounted. In the 33rd minute, Díaz gave the world a preview of his brilliance. Piercing through the Uzbek backline with a blazing burst of acceleration, the winger unleashed a sharp-angle, left-footed effort past goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov—only to watch it painfully crash off the base of the far post.
But the breakthrough felt inevitable, and it arrived five minutes before the interval in truly spectacular fashion. Midfielder Jefferson Lerma unlocked the defense with a perfectly weighted, lofted vertical pass over the center-backs. Overlapping right-back Daniel Muñoz, making his own World Cup debut, timed his diagonal run to absolute perfection, smashing a flying, first-time volley past a helpless Yusupov.
Halftime Score: Uzbekistan 0, Colombia 1.
Second Half: Uzbek history and immediate retaliation
Cannavaro reacted swiftly at the break, introducing Farrukh Sayfiev and Dostonbek Khamdamov to inject energy into the Central Asian team. The tactical gamble paid off on the hour mark.
In the 60th minute, captain Eldor Shomurodov engineered an attack down the wing, unleashing a stinging volley that Colombian keeper Camilo Vargas failed to parry cleanly. The ball ricocheted off the woodwork and fell directly into the path of 22-year-old prodigy Abbosbek Fayzullaev, who courageously nodded the rebound home. The pocket of Uzbek fans erupted as Fayzullaev secured Uzbekistan’s first-ever, historic goal in a FIFA World Cup.
However, the debutants’ joy was brutally short-lived. Champion teams respond instantly, and Colombia did exactly that just five minutes later.
In the 65th minute, a loose throw-in near the halfway line was aggressively intercepted by Gustavo Puerta. Triggering a lightning-fast counter-attack, Puerta drove forward before squaring a pass to Luis Díaz on the edge of the penalty box. The forward set himself and drilled a low, venomous strike into the bottom corner. Yusupov managed to get a glove to the ball, but the sheer power carried it over the line to reclaim the lead for La Tricolor.
Stoppage-time drama: Campaz puts It to bed
The closing stages turned into an end-to-end battle. Uzbekistan threw everything forward, playing direct, long balls into the area. They came agonizingly close to a fairytale ending when Bekhruz Karimov shook the stadium, rattling a ferocious shot off Camilo Vargas’s crossbar.
But deep into injury time, with the clock reading the 99th minute, Colombia sealed the three points. Substitute Cucho Hernández showcased incredible work rate, relentlessly chasing down what looked like a lost cause in the right corner. After fighting like a terrier to win the ball, Hernández floated a pinpoint cross to the back post. Fellow substitute Jaminton Campaz rose above his marker, planting a clinical header past Yusupov to spark mad celebrations across Mexico City.
Match statistics & box score
| Statistic | Uzbekistan | Colombia |
| Score | 1 | 3 |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 1.16 | 1.62 |
| Possession | 41% | 59 |
| Yellow Cards | 1 (Khusanov 34′) | 1 (Mojica 7′) |
Starting Lineups
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Uzbekistan XI (3-4-3): Yusupov (GK); Ashurmatov, Khusanov, Abdullaev; Karimov, Mozgovoy, Shukurov, Nasrullaev; Fayzullaev, Shomurodov, Urunov.
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Colombia XI (4-2-3-1): Vargas (GK); Muñoz, Sánchez, Lucumí, Mojica; Lerma, Puerta; Arias, Rodríguez, Díaz; Suárez.
What’s next?
Colombia will look to solidify their grip on Group K when they head to Guadalajara to face a dangerous DR Congo side on June 23. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will travel to Houston on the same day, facing the monumental task of reviving their tournament hopes against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.
