Luis Díaz Inspires Colombia to Winning Start with 3–1 Victory Over Uzbekistan in World Cup Opener

Colombia began their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with an encouraging victory as Luis Díaz delivered an influential performance to guide the South Americans to a 3–1 win over World Cup debutants Uzbekistan.

Arriving at the tournament determined to make amends for their absence from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Colombia showed resilience and quality to secure all three points in front of a vibrant crowd at Estadio Azteca.

Díaz, making his long-awaited World Cup debut, produced a goal and an assist in a performance that underlined his importance to Néstor Lorenzo’s side.

Díaz Leads Colombia’s Charge

Colombia controlled much of the opening period and eventually found the breakthrough in the 40th minute.

After a well-worked attacking move, Díaz provided the decisive pass for Daniel Muñoz, who calmly finished to hand Colombia a deserved lead.

Speaking after the match, Díaz reflected on the importance of opening the tournament positively.

“That’s what we came here to do. It’s very important to win this first game. We controlled the first half, but they played better in the second. We must improve.”

Uzbekistan Respond but Colombia Regain Control

Uzbekistan, appearing at their first-ever FIFA World Cup, refused to be overwhelmed despite playing in front of a heavily pro-Colombian crowd of 80,824 spectators.

Their persistence was rewarded in the 60th minute when Abbosbek Fayzullaev produced a composed finish to bring the scores level and briefly silence the stadium.

However, Colombia restored their advantage five minutes later.

Díaz found himself in the right position inside the area and his close-range effort slipped beyond goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov after taking a slight deflection off the goalkeeper’s hands before crossing the line.

Head coach Néstor Lorenzo acknowledged the challenge his side faced despite securing victory.

“We knew it was going to be a difficult match.”

He added:

“It is a wonderful feeling, but emotionally I think the occasion affected some of the players physically. There was pressure because we were expected to take the initiative and win.”

Campaz Seals the Result

As Uzbekistan pushed forward in search of another equaliser, Colombia remained dangerous on the counter-attack.

Deep into second-half stoppage time, Jaminton Campaz wrapped up the victory with Colombia’s third goal to ensure the scoreline reflected their overall superiority.

The defeat means Uzbekistan became the third debuting nation at this year’s tournament to lose their opening fixture, following defeats for Curaçao and Jordan, while Cape Verde earned a draw against Spain.

Uzbekistan head coach Fabio Cannavaro remained optimistic despite the setback.

“For a small team like ours, losing 3–1 feels harsh. We have quality for an Asian team, but we still need to grow. It was an important experience.”

Group K Takes Shape

The victory moves Colombia to the top of Group K after Portugal and Congo shared a surprising 1–1 draw earlier in the day.

Colombia will now turn their attention to Congo in Guadalajara next Thursday, while Uzbekistan face a major test against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Houston.

Lorenzo expects another difficult challenge ahead.

“We are going to face a strong team that performed very well against one of the best teams in the world. It will be another difficult match.”

Colombia entered the tournament after finishing third in South American qualification behind Argentina and Ecuador and will hope this winning start becomes the foundation for another memorable World Cup campaign.