FIFA World Cup 2026 debutants Uzbekistan produced a moment their nation will never forget, but Colombia ultimately proved too strong as Luis Diaz inspired a 3-1 victory in an entertaining Group K opener at Mexico City Stadium.
While Abbosbek Fayzullaev made history by scoring Uzbekistan’s first-ever World Cup goal, the South Americans responded through their star man Diaz, who delivered a goal and an assist to spoil the debutants’ dream and hand Colombia a winning start to their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign.
The Uzbekistan vs Colombia Match Score saw Nestor Lorenzo’s side move to the top of Group K after Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo earlier in the day.
Luis Diaz’s Dominance
Backed by passionate travelling supporters, Colombia started brightly and looked dangerous every time Luis Diaz touched the ball.
The South Americans created the first meaningful opportunity in the 17th minute when Jhon Arias tried his luck from distance, only to find the side netting.
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Diaz then came within inches of opening the scoring himself. The Bayern Munich winger skipped past defenders before guiding a left-footed effort beyond goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov, only to see the ball rebound off the foot of the post.
Colombia were failing to find a breakthrough against a determined Uzbekistan. However they broke the deadlock five minutes before half-time.
Diaz produced a perfectly weighted pass over the Uzbekistan defence and Daniel Munoz met it brilliantly, flicking the ball home with the outside of his boot to give Colombia a deserved lead.
The goal capped an excellent first-half display from Diaz, who constantly troubled the World Cup debutants with his movement and creativity.
“Today I’m living out my childhood dream of playing in a World Cup for my national team and for my country. And what could be more beautiful than contributing with a goal and an assist? We’re a very close-knit group; we’ll keep improving game by game, and I’m just very, very happy,” said Colombia winger Luis Diaz.
Historic Moment For Uzbekistan
Despite falling behind, Uzbekistan refused to let their FIFA World Cup dream fade quietly.
The debutants came ahead after the interval with renewed belief and found a historic equaliser on the hour mark.
After Eldor Shomurodov’s dangerous delivery caused problems inside the Colombian area, Dostonbek Khamdamov’s effort struck the post before falling kindly for Abbosbek Fayzullaev. The midfielder reacted quickest and headed home to score Uzbekistan’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal.
The celebrations among the Uzbek players and supporters showed the significance of the moment as they etched their names into the record books.
Colombia’s Immediate Response
However, Colombia reacted immediately with Diaz’s brilliance. The South Americans restored their advantage as the winger drove a low effort towards goal and, despite getting a hand to the ball, Yusupov could not prevent it from crossing the line. The strike marked Diaz’s first FIFA World Cup goal and underlined his influence on the contest.
Uzbekistan continued to fight bravely, but Colombia’s experience began to show as the match entered stoppage time.
Deep into added time, Cucho Hernandez won possession brilliantly on the right flank before delivering a pinpoint cross towards fellow substitute Jaminton Campaz, who powered a header into the net to seal all three points.
The Uzbekistan vs Colombia score was particularly significant given Colombia’s struggles in previous World Cup openers.
Before this tournament, Los Cafeteros had lost their opening match in four of their six FIFA World Cup appearances, including their defeat to Japan in Russia 2018.
This time, however, they delivered exactly the start they needed and now sit alone at the top of Group K. The Uzbekistan national football team showed their determination and fighting spirit against a much superior opponent.
Colombian midfielder Gustavo Puerta praised his teammates after a strong collective performance. Puerta said, “The coach always asks me to be aggressive when defending and to keep pushing forward. I think that’s what I did alongside Lerma, Arias and the rest of the team. We did a good job in midfield.
On the second goal, Lerma came across to help me win the ball back. I played it to Lucho, and from there there’s not much I can say about him. I’m also very happy to have recorded my first assist at this World Cup.”
Uzbekistan vs Colombia Report
Uzbekistan vs Colombia Result: Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia
Goalscorers:
Uzbekistan – Fayzullaev (60)
Colombia – Munoz (40), Diaz (65), Campaz (90+9)
This Colombia score gives them an early control of Group K and provides the perfect start to their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign. For Uzbekistan, despite defeat, there was still cause for celebration as Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored the nation’s first-ever World Cup goal.