Colombia 3-1 Uzbekistan: World Cup Opener

Colombia opened the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan at Mexico City Stadium. The result brought Colombia back to the finals after missing Qatar 2022 and gave Uzbekistan a demanding introduction to its first World Cup. Daniel Muñoz, Luis Díaz and Jaminton Campaz scored for Colombia; Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored Uzbekistan’s first World Cup goal.

FIFA’s official Colombia-Uzbekistan report records the goals as Muñoz in the 41st minute, Fayzullaev in the 60th, Díaz in the 65th and Campaz in the ninth minute of added time. It also identifies Díaz as Superior Player of the Match. The scoreline was decisive, but the sequence shows why the game required care from Colombia after Uzbekistan equalised early in the second half.

A return built around familiar leaders

Colombia’s squad combined established World Cup experience with players reaching the finals for the first time. FIFA’s squad announcement named James Rodriguez as captain and described Díaz as one of the side’s leading attacking figures. The same source listed Colombia’s Group K opponents as Uzbekistan, Congo DR and Portugal, putting the opening match at the start of a group-stage route rather than treating it as an isolated spectacle.

The win mattered because Colombia had been absent from the 2022 finals. FIFA’s team profile describes 2026 as the country’s seventh World Cup and notes that Nestor Lorenzo’s team returned after qualifying through South America. The first match could not settle the group, but it gave Colombia three points and a positive goal difference before meetings with Congo DR and Portugal.

Díaz’s contribution was central. He assisted Muñoz’s first-half goal and scored Colombia’s second. His goal restored Colombia’s lead after Uzbekistan had shown that it could compete on the global stage, while Campaz’s late third completed the victory.

Uzbekistan’s first World Cup goal

For Uzbekistan, the match was a landmark despite the loss. FIFA’s Uzbekistan profile explains that the team qualified for its first World Cup after a decisive draw against the United Arab Emirates in June 2025. The White Wolves had never before appeared at the men’s finals. Fayzullaev’s 60th-minute equaliser therefore carried more meaning than simply changing the score from 1-0 to 1-1.

The equaliser tested Colombia at a point when the game could have changed direction. Colombia responded within five minutes through Díaz, then added a third in stoppage time through Campaz. The quick response restored their advantage, and the late goal finally settled a match in which Uzbekistan had kept the outcome open.

Uzbekistan’s participation also illustrated the expanded format. The 2026 World Cup included 48 teams and 12 groups of four, creating more places for nations that had never reached the finals. A first appearance does not remove the competitive difficulty of facing an experienced South American side. The 3-1 result records a Colombia win, while Fayzullaev’s goal records a moment that Uzbek football can retain as part of its first tournament story.

How the group-stage win shaped Colombia’s route

Colombia followed the opening victory by beating Congo DR 1-0 and drawing 0-0 with Portugal. FIFA’s Colombia route article says those results made Colombia Group K winners. The team then beat Ghana 1-0 in the Round of 32 before being eliminated by Switzerland on penalties after a 0-0 Round-of-16 draw.

That later context changes how the Uzbekistan match should be read. It was not merely a colourful opening-day result. It was the first of the points that put Colombia at the top of the group and created a workable knockout route. It also showed the balance of the team: Muñoz, Díaz and Campaz supplied the goals, while Rodriguez’s presence remained part of the leadership structure highlighted by FIFA before the finals.

A factual record of the night

Colombia won 3-1 in Mexico City on 17 June 2026. Díaz supplied an assist and a goal, while Uzbekistan scored through Fayzullaev in its first World Cup match. Campaz’s stoppage-time finish completed a successful return to the finals for Colombia.

Those details tell a fuller story than a bare scoreline. Colombia’s return began with a win they had to re-establish after an equaliser. Uzbekistan began its World Cup history with a goal against a former quarter-finalist. For both teams, the fixture was the first page of a tournament journey; for Colombia, it became the foundation of a group-winning campaign.