Uzbekistanvs
ColombiaColombia came to Culiacán and handled their business. A first-half goal from Daniel Muñoz, a quick answer to Uzbekistan's equalizer from Luis Díaz, and a late header from Jáminton Campaz gave the Colombians a 3-1 win that felt about as comfortable as the final scoreline suggests.
Our pre-match read made Colombia heavy favorites at 74%, and they left nothing to argue about.
The First Half: Colombia in Cruise Control
Uzbekistan were willing enough in the early going — Johan Mojica picked up a yellow card in the 7th minute that suggested Colombia were pressing high and forcing the issue — but they never looked like troubling a Colombian side that controlled 61.5% of the ball across the ninety minutes and completed passes at 90% accuracy.
The opener came in the 40th minute. Luis Díaz found Daniel Muñoz, and Muñoz finished. Simple, clean, the kind of goal that tells you a team is in form and moving with purpose.
Abdukodir Khusanov's yellow card in the 34th minute hinted at the pressure Uzbekistan were already under, a side that managed just 318 passes to Colombia's 521 and spent most of the half chasing shadows.
The Equalizer and the Response
Uzbekistan gave their fans something to celebrate in the 60th minute. Abbosbek Fayzullaev got up for a header and pulled his side level — a genuine moment, and credit where it's due, because Uzbekistan's two shots on target meant every one of them counted.
But Colombia answered inside five minutes. Gustavo Puerta set up Luis Díaz in the 65th, and el chispudo de Díaz did the rest — the finish was immediate, decisive, and it effectively ended Uzbekistan as a threat for the night. Going down twice to a side with this much quality in possession is a hole too deep to climb out of.
Deep into Stoppage Time
The match was already settled when Jáminton Campaz headed home in the 90th+9th minute, set up by Cucho Hernández. A third goal in deep stoppage time is the kind of thing that flatters a scoreline slightly, but it also reflects how much Colombia were pushing even with the result secured. Uzbekistan finished with 14 fouls and eight shots, only two of them on frame. They were always playing from behind the ball.
Colombia will feel good about this. The passing volume, the clinical finishing when chances came — only four shots on target, three goals — and the way they recovered immediately after conceding all point to a side that knows what it's doing at this level. Luis Díaz was the best player on the pitch, both as a creator and a finisher.
Uzbekistan, for their part, showed some fight. Fayzullaev's header was a real goal against a real opponent. But the gap in possession and quality was real, and the question for them now is whether they can find something more going forward in the games ahead. On this evidence, they'll need to.
Follow every World Cup 2026 result, live group standings, and the knockout bracket on our World Cup 2026 hub, and get the full breakdown in our complete guide.