Colombia start World Cup with 3-1 win over Uzbekistan at Azteca

Colombia, Uzbekistan, World Cup 2026, Luis Diaz, Estadio Azteca, Group K, Daniel Munoz, Jaminton Campaz, Fabio Cannavaro, FIFA World Cup

Colombia began their FIFA World Cup Group K campaign with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan at the Estadio Azteca on Wednesday. Goals from Daniel Muñoz, Luis Diaz and Jaminton Campaz secured the victory after a strong fight from the debutants.

Colombia, the Copa America runners-up, started the match brightly and created early chances through Jhon Arias and James Rodriguez. However, Uzbekistan stayed disciplined in defence under coach Fabio Cannavaro and worked hard to limit space.

Luis Diaz came close in the first half when he struck the post as Colombia continued to press. Uzbekistan also showed threat on counter-attacks but could not score before half-time. The breakthrough came in the 40th minute when Diaz set up Daniel Muñoz with a clever pass, and he finished calmly to give Colombia a 1-0 lead.

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Uzbekistan responded strongly after the break and equalised in the 60th minute. A rebound in the box fell to Abbosbek Fayzullaev, who scored the country’s first-ever World Cup goal, creating history for his nation.

However, their celebration did not last long. Just five minutes later, Gustavo Puerta assisted Luis Diaz, who finished neatly to restore Colombia’s lead at 2-1. Uzbekistan continued to attack and came close again with several chances, including a shot that hit the bar and another narrow miss in stoppage time.

Colombia sealed the win in the closing moments when Jaminton Campaz scored the third goal, confirming a strong start to their World Cup campaign. The result gives Colombia full points in Group K, while Uzbekistan earned praise for a brave and competitive debut despite the defeat.