Colombia Defeats Uzbekistan as Mexico City Turns Into Bogotá for a Night | OneFootball

Colombia did not disappoint. Although they had to work harder than expected, they opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over tournament debutants Uzbekistan, marking a successful return to the world’s biggest stage after missing out on Qatar 2022. Daniel Muñoz, Luis Díaz and Jaminton Campaz found the back of the net to seal the three points.

For Colombia, a Home Team Feeling

If you walked into Estadio Ciudad de México without checking the schedule, you might have assumed Colombia was the host nation. The stadium was almost entirely painted yellow, with only a few scattered pockets of white occupied by Uzbek supporters.

Estadio Ciudad de México. Photo credit: author

The atmosphere was arguably even better than the Mexico-South Africa opener. The noise was relentless, the chants never stopped, and for 90 minutes the stadium belonged to Colombian fans.

The Colombian party never slowed down. Costumes, music, flags and endless dancing turned the match into a celebration long before kickoff. Every time James Rodríguez appeared on the giant screens or his name was announced over the speakers, the roar from the crowd suggested he was still in the prime of his career.

Every tackle, every completed pass, every shot and every foul won by Colombia was met with deafening applause from more than 75,000 Colombian supporters who made the trip to Mexico City. The official attendance was announced as 80,824—a sellout—although a few empty seats remained visible in the stadium’s most expensive sections.

On the pitch, Colombia controlled possession against an Uzbekistan side organized by Fabio Cannavaro, the 2006 World Cup-winning captain with Italy and one of the greatest defenders in football history. His team defended deep, stayed compact and waited for counterattacking opportunities, but after 40 minutes Colombia finally found a way through. Luis Díaz produced a brilliant cross that Daniel Muñoz finished with a right-footed strike to ignite the stadium.

Uzbekistan Proved Tough Foes

The second half briefly gave Uzbekistan hope. Colombia eased off the pressure, perhaps feeling the match was under control, and paid the price. In the 60th minute, Abbosbek Fayzullaev equalized, silencing the Colombian celebration and scoring Uzbekistan’s first-ever goal at a FIFA World Cup.

Fortunately for the sea of yellow inside the stadium, the silence lasted only a few minutes.

Néstor Lorenzo’s side immediately stepped back on the gas, and their best player took over. Luis Díaz received the ball inside the area and calmly slotted a right-footed finish past goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov to restore Colombia’s lead at 2-1. In the closing minutes, after eight minutes of stoppage time were added, Colombia put the game to bed with a stunning strike from Jaminton Campaz, sealing a 3-1 victory.

Group K Impact

With the victory, Colombia returns to the World Cup after an eight-year absence in perfect fashion and moves to the top of Group K, helped by Portugal’s draw against DR Congo earlier in the day.

Photo credit: Author

The Cafeteros will face DR Congo on June 23, a team that impressed despite drawing with Portugal. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, will take on Portugal the same day knowing they likely need at least a point to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.

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