Colombia began their World Cup 2026 Group K campaign with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan at the Estadio Azteca on Wednesday. Daniel Munoz, Luis Diaz and Jaminton Campaz got on the scoresheet, overcoming a stubborn second-half fight from the World Cup debutants.
Uzbekistan, coached by Italian Fabio Cannavaro, defended with discipline for long stretches, but Colombia's superior quality proved decisive in front of over 80,000 fans on a chilly, rainy night in Mexico City.
The Copa America runners-up created early chances through Jhon Arias and James Rodriguez, but Uzbekistan stayed compact and looked for errors. Bekhruz Karimov nearly broke through on a counter, but Jhon Lucumi intervened before he could shoot.
Diaz had the clearest chance of the first half, hitting the post before Abdukodir Khusanov slid in to clear, accidentally taking out both the forward and a camera operator on the sideline.
Uzbek resistance finally cracked in the 40th minute. Diaz collected the ball after a failed attack and slipped a clever pass to Munoz, who finished cleanly for his third international goal.
Colombian fans erupted, turning Azteca into a sea of yellow. Chants of 'Vamos Colombia' echoed around the stadium, while the small Uzbekistan contingent answered with their own drums.
Fayzullaev Scores Uzbekistan's First Ever World Cup Goal
Uzbekistan improved after the break and equalized in the 60th minute with the nation's first-ever World Cup goal. Dostonbek Khamdamov fed Eldor Shomurodov, whose shot from the right edge of the box was parried by goalkeeper Camilo Vargas but not held. Abbosbek Fayzullaev rose to head into the empty net from close range.
Uzbek joy lasted only five minutes. Gustavo Puerta fed Diaz in the 65th minute, and the forward slotted a low shot across goal to restore Colombia's lead.
Uzbekistan pushed for another equalizer. Akmal Mozgovoy shot wide of the far post in added time, Karimov rattled the crossbar from distance, and Azizbek Amonov was denied after a pass from Otabek Shukurov.
But Colombia had the final word, with Campaz scoring in the ninth minute of stoppage time to seal an impressive win. The result is Colombia's seventh win in their last eight World Cup group stage matches. They face DR Congo on Tuesday, June 22, in Guadalajara, while Uzbekistan meet Portugal the same day in Houston.
